Have you dreamed of a Harry Potter vacation? There are countless places every Harry Potter fan needs to visit in their lifetime — Greyfriars Kirk graveyard in Edinburgh, The Blind Pig speakeasy in New York City, and The Georgian House Hotel (a.k.a. the "Harry Potter Hotel") in London.
In the most recent episode of Bustle's Harry Potter podcast, The Girls Who Lived, Books Editor Cristina Arreola and Associate Web Culture Editor Emma Lord chat about Harry Potter vacation destinations and speak with Serena Von Der Heyde, the owner of The Georgian House Hotel, a family run B&B in central London famous for its "Wizard Chambers."
Von Der Heyde transformed four rooms at her hotel into "Wizard Chambers" after reading the Harry Potter stories aloud to her young children and falling in love with the world of Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, and Hermione Granger. She soon discovered that the Warner Bros. Studio Tour in London sponsored a coach that departed from Victoria Station, just a few minutes away from the hotel, and she saw an opportunity to bring the magic of Harry Potter into her hotel.
"I thought, how lovely if we could just extend that experience," she says. "We could extend the atmosphere and make something magical and special."
The rooms aren't exact replicas of the dorms at Hogwarts — and they're not meant to be. Instead, Von Der Heyde made it her mission to bring to life the atmosphere of the novels. As you can probably imagine, fans take the experience to be an immersive one — it's not at all unusual for people staying in the hotel to show up in full cosplay.
The rooms are available for booking at Georgian House Hotel's official website, and the Wizard Chambers need to be booked several months in advance. The hotel does offer "Muggle" rooms, as well, if you're looking for a cozy spot to stay in London.
For more about Harry Potter vacation destinations and the Georgian House Hotel, listen to the second episode of The Girls Who Lived, feat. an interview with Serena Von Der Heyde about the inspiration for the "Wizard Chambers," her craziest fan experiences, and the hotel's friendly ghost:
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Images: Warner Bros.
