Sitting along a quiet street 10 minutes from Victoria Station, Georgian House Hotel looks like any other building in the area. However, this unassuming, four-star Pimlico lodging is hiding a secret: tucked away in the hotel is ‘The Wizard Chambers’. Promising to be a truly magical stay, this spot provides a fully immersive experience from bedtime to afternoon tea. Having grown up with the tales of a certain boy wizard, I am a big fan of all things witchy, so couldn’t pass up the opportunity to check out this hotel myself.
The hotel was originally built and opened in 1851, and is still run by the same family (is there some philospher’s stone thing going on here?!). It is a Grade II-listed building, and boasts oodles of charm. Going from reception to our room to the dining area meant following a labyrinth of hallways, and it definitely gave off the feel of being much bigger on the inside that it looked on the outside.
Frankly, I was utterly enamoured with all the little touches the hotel had taken the time to consider, and it elicited a child-like excitement from me as to what I’d find next. There’s even an in-house, two-person cinema (£40 total for three hours), where you can sit and enjoy the Harry Potter films!
The Wizard Chambers
While the rest of the Georgian House Hotel cuts a rather modern shape, The Wizard Chambers are starkly different. ‘The cupboard under the stairs’ this isn’t, even though the chambers are accessed via an inconspicious door, and sit on the hotel’s lower level.
Individual chambers lead off from a portrait-filled, candlelit passageway, and the rooms themselves boast stained glass windows, stone arches, and cauldrons. Again, the level of detail here is wild – from the loo to the lights, everything is in theme. At its centre sits velvet-clad four-poster beds, and I had such a comfortable night’s sleep. Although it is technically summer (lol, tell the rain that), I almost cracked on the wood burning stove for added atmosphere.
In stark contrast to the lowly lit, gothic vibes of the Wizard Chambers, breakfast is taken in a light, bright, intimate room in another part of the hotel. You can choose between a continental breakfast, cooked breakfast, or the special wizarding menu. While I opted for a standard poached egg and bacon on sourdough (omg, the eggs were done perfectly!), the special wizarding pancakes almost had me.
It is worth noting that The Wizard Chambers are more expensive than the hotel’s regular rooms – however, it’s to be expected with the added alchemy. A standard Wizard Chamber stay is £329 per night this summer (inclusive of breakfast and additional, top-secret treats), while regular rooms start at just £134. Away from the Wizard Chambers, I was rather impressed that the hotel offers favourable single room rates; something often hard to come by as a solo traveller.
The Enchanted Afternoon Tea and potion-making experience
The perfect match to an overnight stay in The Wizard Chambers is a spellbinding afternoon tea and the potion-making experience. Taking place every weekend, the Enchanted Afternoon Tea offers a range of tantalising treats. Across three tiers, there are inside out sandwiches, lightening bolt scones, and beastly bakewells, served in an open bird owl cage. The whole thing starts with a fantastic florish of dry ice in a cauldron, which I loved so much, I asked if we could do again. You even get a little witches’ hat while you eat.
Alongside the sweet and savoury treats, guests can try their hand at a potion-making experience. Using specialist ingredients like Goblin Goo, Curious Caviar, peaflower syrup, Werewolf Fur, and Unicorn Tears, you can concoct two cocktails or mocktails. You are given instructions just as you’d expect from Potions class, delivered on a scroll. I just loved the whole interactivity of this (even if I was a bit crap at making the Curious Caviar myself). If you prefer sipping less flamboyant drinks, then opt for soft drinks such as spellbound Butterscotch Beer, Tears of a Wizard Cream Soda, and Cauldron Cola.
Pre-booking is absolutely essential for The Enchanted Afternoon Tea, and it is open to guests and non guests alike. It costs £40 per adult and £20 per child, and gluten-free and vegan versions are available. The potion-making experience is an additional £25 for cocktails (or £20 for mocktails); or you can opt for bottomless bubbles for £20pp instead.
If you can pull yourself away from the intriguing interiors and whole immersive world of wizardry, the Georgian House Hotel is ideally located to explore the capital and neighbouring areas, given its proximity to Victoria station. From theatre productions to devishly good dining options, there is plenty to do – though I have to admit, I was just thoroughly enthralled with hotel, so I didn’t do any of that. Having ticked it off the bucket list, I can confidently say “mischief, managed.”