In Klausenburg (Cluj-Napoca), Jonathan Harker spent the night
in the Hotel Royale, a fictitious name which Stoker may have derived from an
existing hotel in Str. Regele Ferdinand : The Queen of England. Today, it
bears the name Hotel Transilvania.
According to historian Tudor Salagean of Lucian Blaga University, the Hotel Transilvania is one of the oldest buildings in Cluj to maintain its original function as an inn or hotel until today. It may even date back to the days of Matthias Rex, the mighty Hungarian King, who was born in Cluj in 1440. By the middle of the 19th century, the Regele Ferdinand Street developed into a very popular venue for hotels, so it would be logical for Harker to stay there, not far away from the railway station. In his hotel, the young traveler enjoyed the traditional Paprikahendl for dinner, and had impletata (stuffed eggplants) and mamaliga (cooked maize flour) for breakfast.
During our visit to Hotel Transilvania in November 2013, we were welcomed by its owner, Adriana Sava, and Assistant Manager Ilona Laszlo, who had the Harker dishes served for us, fittingly decorated in vampire style. At the moment, Ilona is planning to install a "Jonathan Harker Room", with souvenirs of Cluj's historical development in the 1890's.
With Adriana Sava and Ilona Laszlo in the courtyard of Hotel Transilvania, November 2013.