The room in Edinburgh’s picturesque Balmoral Hotel where J.K. Rowling finished writing Harry Potter has been renamed, with the author’s permission, the J.K. Rowling Suite, the Telegraph reports. It costs £965/night to stay there.
The suite is room number 552 in the hotel, and reps for the Balmoral say that since it was revealed on ITV’s JK Rowling: A Year in the Life documentary last December, “wealthy fans from across the world have stayed there, specifically requesting the suite.” A hotel source told the Telegraph that the 180-square-foot room is exactly the same as when JKR wrote there, including the writing desk she used “as well as the queen-size bed in which she slept.” (However, TLC can report she used the room mostly as a day office, and went home at night; she didn’t spend the whole time there, and likely didn’t spend the night in the bed at all.)
The hotel also has on display in the room is the marble bust of Hermes on which JKR wrote, “JK Rowling finished writing Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows in this room (552) on 11th jan 2007.” You can see a picture of the signature here in our galleries. The bust was originally removed from the room, but has now been replaced and sits in a glass case.
The room also now boasts a brass plaque on the front door and a brass owl instead of a door knocker.
That is way cool. If I ever got the chance to even go to that hotel, I would try everything to get that room. Even though it is very expensive, it is reasonably priced for Jo.
Well, when you multiple the rate by 2.5 to get the current exchange rate to change it into dollars – VERY expensive!!!
I remember when the bust thing came out, everyone was wondering if the Hotel would eventually do this very thing… gee, we’re all prescient! How I would love to just even walk through the room, much less stay there.
And, Melissa, can’t wait for your book to come out so we can read all about that new interview you got with her! Awesomeness.
Please tell me all proceeds go to opening a soup kitchen in the basement.
It’s pathetic what ‘some people’ will spend their ‘pocket money” on. They’d be better off by giving their secretary a raise; spending the night in their own room; and attempting to get closer to an author by actually reading his/her books. I guess the books are over…so they have a market. But isn’t she (in court) basically against people using her name for their benefit?
Whatever floats your boat. I’m not sailing that sea.
Posted by wtf. please clarify on July 21, 2008, 12:47 AM
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wowwwwwwwwwwww. thats so neat!!!!!! i wouldnt really want to spend the night there though. it would be a little creepy it think. like, the ghost of Hedwig would come flapping in there in the night or something. i would like to spend 20 minutes in there, to walk around and to just be. like in the potter world. ahh….............. vive xe
I would love to go. Now all I need is about 19 other friends and we could party in the room all day. I think that would be the only way I could ever stay in this room.
Thanks Balletbee for pointing out the date. I do not believe that I did not notice it before. It seems like both forever ago and just yesterday I finally got my hands on my copy of Deathly Hallows.
Why would the hotel refuse to comment (as reported by the newspapers) if they had “officially” renamed the room? And why would they place an unguarded bust in a well-publicized room when that bust must be valued at several hundred thousand pounds? They must have a very flexible and sympathetic insurance underwriter, and/or a VERY secure glass case!
wtf.please clarify, as a big fan of JKR I actually agree with your sentiments on this one. However I’d point out she’s suing (rightly imo) over the use of her many years of work not her name – there’s a big difference. Hope I’ve clarified that part at least (lol).
oh and what a claim to fame that would be…
“guess what i did with 1000 pounds?”
“what?”
“i slept in the same bed as J K Rowling did once…”
pffft.
i can think of a thousand more worthwile things to do with all that money thankyou very much.
AAAHHH!!!!! ssoooo much awesomenesss!!!!! by the time i’m twenty me n my friend are going to split the cost and stay for one night!!!!....even though she don’t no it yet…BUT STILL!!
"I haven't got the heart to take the mickey out of him, even," said Fred, looking over at Ron's crumpled figure. "Mind you... when he missed the fourteenth..."[br]He made wild motions with his arms as though doing an upright doggy-paddle.[br]"Well, I'll s
That is way cool. If I ever got the chance to even go to that hotel, I would try everything to get that room. Even though it is very expensive, it is reasonably priced for Jo.