The Reluctant Hotelkeeper: A Memoir
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There were to be battles royal with neighbours not wanting their status quo to be altered, and with the local fire authority who sought to impose draconian new safety measures.
John Searancke came to the role of hotelkeeper almost accidentally, and most definitely with much reluctance. After his parents’ marriage fell apart, he was dragooned in, at the age of 22, to pick up the pieces of their new venture, a barely-trading country house hotel that had, frankly, seen better days. Not only was it posting an annual loss, but the fabric of the building was crumbling and there was no money left to make improvements.
Over the years, and with the steepest of learning curves, the grand old building was renovated and transformed to meet the requirements of the modern discerning traveller. Accolades for the hotel and its restaurant were won; together they became a well-regarded destination for a number of celebrities – and those that deemed themselves to be celebrities but were not. Stories abound featuring idiosyncratic guests, overbearing public bodies, fractured family life and animals of all shapes and sizes. The local fire station next door was demolished one foggy night, people were frightened by flying dogs and snakes in the long grass, and there were, as befits a country house, strange goings on in the night. Many were the guests who checked in who really should not have been seen together.
This is a tribute to all the people behind the scenes who helped to make the hard-won transformation into a great success.
John Searancke
Born in 1943, John Searancke lived his early life in Ashby de la Zouch. Following an education at Kings Mead Preparatory School, Seaford and Rugby School, he later joined the Territorial Army and has worked in engineering, the hotel industry, marketing and legal services. He has enjoyed working in England and Switzerland, and spends time between his homes in England and northern Tenerife, where he lives with his wife, Sally, and their beloved dog, Freddie.
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Reviews for The Reluctant Hotelkeeper
3 ratings1 review
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5A very enjoyable and pleasant read!The author was the "reluctant" keeper of a hotel in rural England. As a young man, he was rather coerced by his parents into working at their business, a rundown hotel that they had bought. He ended up working there for 35 years! The author, over a long period of time, rehabbed the shabby old building into an award winning destination spot. The book is an engaging chronicle of all the missteps, successes, and strange occurrences he went through. I loved the author's dry, English wit. And his ability to laugh at himself. The stories he tells of odd guests were the funniest. And it is so unlike the standard, cliche volumes of "we bought a ruined house/winery/mansion in Europe" books that are flooding the markets today. This one will keep your attention. If you are looking for a fun read, this could be a good book to try!