JOE O'BRIEN

Harry Potter fans are spending £1000 a night to sleep in the hotel room where the magical story of the boy wizard was finished.

Author JK Rowling chose to complete Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, the seventh and final instalment of her bestselling series, in room 552 of Edinburgh's five-star Balmoral Hotel last year.

Hotel bosses have decided to name the suite after the author and charge guests £965 a night to stay there.

The luxurious room still contains the marble bust she triumphantly signed after completing the final book. And since the secret venue for her final chapters was featured on a TV documentary about the author, fans of the novels have made a pilgrimage to see where the Harry Potter odyssey was finished.

An unnamed worker at the hotel said the room remained unaltered since Ms Rowling stayed there, except a protective glass case now holds her signed bust.

He said: "The room was renamed following the launch of Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows.

"As JK Rowling finished her book in this suite, we thought it would be a nice way to honour this.

"The room is exactly the same as when Ms Rowling finished her book there.

"Fans from across the world book the hotel and specifically ask for the suite."

Readers have regularly visited the Edinburgh cafes where Ms Rowling wrote the first novel, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone.

Now, seven books and millions of sales later, The Balmoral provides another stop-off point for Potter fanatics.

A brass plaque has now been fixed to the front door of the 180 sq ft room and the standard door knocker has been replaced by a finely crafted owl.

The room includes the writing desk where the final chapters were penned as well as the Queen-sized bed where she slept.

A marble bathroom is also included alongside spectacular views over Edinburgh's skyline.

The Harry Potter series has sold 375 million copies worldwide and has spawned five blockbuster films, with the sixth movie, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, due out in November.

Ms Rowling has ammassed a personal fortune of an estimated £560m, making her richer than the Queen.