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Balmoral Hotel Offers "JK Rowling Suite"

J.K. Rowling
Posted by: Melissa
July 20, 2008, 05:41 PM

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.

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56 Comments

El caz

The things some people spend money on. The room is almost exactly the same, the cost for staying there must have gone up, but for staying in the same room she used, on the same desk and looking at the same bust… Ka-ching! Forget it if you were expecting more luxury… the whole point of the room is keeping it exactly as it was.

For some, overpaying for that room might seem silly… but for others the experience must be priceless.

Posted by El caz on July 21, 2008, 06:29 PM report to moderator
Karen

I agree with the High Price…

Keeps out the riff-raff.

A true Harry Potter Fan would treat the room with the respect it deserves. The same can’t be said about the rest of the world.

Posted by Karen on July 21, 2008, 07:28 PM report to moderator
Caracticus

She did have a camera crew with her… I expect that she did her work at the hotel to avoid disrupting her family’s day-to-day life. Like any working mom, she went to the ‘office’ then came home in the evening to be with her family.

JKR is such a class act… she deserves here bazillions of dollars.

Posted by Caracticus on July 21, 2008, 08:00 PM report to moderator
Angelique

We were there three weeks ago, but we didn’t stay in the room. The door does have a brass plaque reading “the JK Rowling Suite.” The door knocker, which is just a plain thing on all other doors, has been replaced with a brass owl looking every bit like Hedwig.

Posted by Angelique on July 21, 2008, 08:01 PM report to moderator
hermione1308

lol Finally a post about the room! I got to explore it for a good amount of time last July! It was amazing! We had a sort of harry potter movie marathon in our pajamas in the room the night before the book release! I have a video of it too! I should post it on youtube! I got to sit at the desk and go through everything in the room! It really was amazing!!! The view from the room is spectacular. You walk in and theres a bathroom to your left then straight ahead is the living room and ahead of that is this circular library alcove! There’s a mini fridge and a big screen TV and a nice couch in the living room. One thing I found cool was there’s a statue of a stag right near the desk. The desk is wooden and red topped and sits near a window facing a wall with an old fashioned hunting picture over it. It had a black crow statue on the desk as well! There’s a bedroom ahead of that and a bathroom. Here’s A picture of the desk at least If your curious!

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v288/hermioneharry/IMG_1241.jpg

Posted by hermione1308 on July 21, 2008, 09:40 PM report to moderator
dagamma

1200 euros!!! I guess I will have to save money for some time, or find some very rich and generous friends :)

Posted by dagamma on July 21, 2008, 11:51 PM report to moderator
Carrie

I got into Harry Potter about 2 months after DH. I never knew that she finished the book on my 12th birthday!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! That is so cool!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Posted by Carrie on July 22, 2008, 12:22 AM report to moderator
Jeanie

it is a sickness ;)

Posted by Jeanie on July 22, 2008, 03:31 AM report to moderator
rjc =)

HAHAHA I’ve just been catching up on old PotterCasts during my time off and this very joke was made at some point on the show (that her room would become some sort of shrine)—lo and behold, that’s what it’s become!! this is really cool though. One day when I’m rich and famous I’ll definitely stay in that suite = )

Posted by rjc =) on July 22, 2008, 06:00 PM report to moderator
el caz

Uh… judging by what Katherine and Hermione1308 say… it seems kinda fair. Sounds like the room was huge and classy, so of course it’d have a big price tag on it. Calling it the JK Rowling suite is more than enough of a lure to get people to stay there far more often than they did before.

Posted by el caz on July 23, 2008, 01:29 PM report to moderator
Bjorn

It’d be a perfect first price in a future HP contest: One night in this suite at Balmoral Hotel. Plus travel expenses (by train from London) covered of course.

So let’s find a contest for this price. :)

Posted by Bjorn on July 27, 2008, 11:34 PM report to moderator
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