The JK Rowling sweet is located inside The Balmoral in Edinburgh, Scotland. We have tried other resorts in Edinburgh, but none come close to achieving the level of service we have received at The Balmoral, which is why JK Rowling decided to use this hotel as her office while finishing Book 7, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.
Anyone is able to book a stay in the JK Rowling suite, but it is extremely expensive. A basic stay in November for one night that includes breakfast will set you back about 2,105 pounds which in today’s market converts to around $2,422.86. We were not able to afford this, so we settled into a regular room at the resort.
I knew the JK Rowling Suite existed, but I had no clue where in the hotel it was. Luckily, we had been put in a room on the same floor and had to walk right past the sweet on the way to our room! You really cannot miss it as the door has been painted purple and they have written the name of the sweet in gold lettering on the door and topped it with an owl knocker.
I instantly wanted to be able to go inside but thought there was no way they would let you unless you were staying in the suite yourself.
While in Edinburgh we decided to take a Harry Potter walking tour as many things around the city inspired places in the books such as Hogwarts, Diagon Alley, and character names. We will post an article on that soon so you can experience it yourself! While on this walking tour our amazing guide told us about being able to tour the JK Rowling Suite without having to pay to stay. We decided to give it a try.
The front desk was amazing as always and checked to see if we could. We lucked out as no one was currently staying in the suite. The desk clerk walked us to the elevator and took us up.
The door is amazing in and of itself, but the real treasures were inside. The inside of the room was beautiful, but comfortable; it felt more like a British apartment than a hotel suite. There were subtle nods everywhere that related back to the books: like a statue of a stag and gold star wallpaper.
The desk she finished the book on has not been moved. Above it is a picture of the British cover of the last book and underneath is a note Rowling wrote and signed “JK Rowling finished writing Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows in this room (552) on 11th Jan 2007”. She also wrote this inscription on the back of a bust inside the room that is still there!
It was a once in a lifetime experience that we will forever cherish. Would you be interested in staying in the JK Rowling Suite?