It’s not your typical claim to fame. Hotelier and dyslexic Stephen Hargreaves can boast that he owns ‘the most romantic hotel in Britain’! Hargreaves and his wife bought The Cranleigh at Lake Windermere nearly 10 years ago, and totally transformed it into the couples’ mecca it is today.
In a recent interview, Hargreaves discussed his dyslexia and how he became a hotel genius.
He struggled in school and couldn’t wait to leave.
“I was in the bottom set for everything at school … I guess it’s given me that drive. I’m dyslexic and I still can’t read or write very well but I think, after having spoken to a few others who have the condition, it allows you to possibly think about things in a different way – and maybe that’s helped me when it comes to my business sense.”
He spent a few years in car sales before launching his first entrepreneurial endeavour – a property business in the Lake District. He remembers the value of learning by making mistakes — he spent 8 years building up his business skills before investing in the Cranleigh.
And his success hasn’t ended there. He’s since opened a second award-winning hotel that has snagged the Best in Britain title, and has plans for a restaurant and bar expansion.
Want a sneak peak at some of the Cranleigh’s funky rooms? Check out these pictures!
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Sarah Forrest is a Program Manager for the Easyread System, an online course for children struggling with reading and spelling, dyslexia, auditory processing and more. Get a free 10-day trial at www.oxfordlearningsolutions.com
