Reviewed By: TMC Co-Founder, Jessica Lawes

Overall Thoughts

As a larger family we struggle to book typical hotel mini breaks. So when I saw that The Tawny had launched their new lodges, I jumped at the chance to book. The lodges are hidden away in the Staffordshire countryside and it could not be more private. You really feel cut off from the rest of the world.

The interiors are stunning and the lodges provide everything from coffee machines to dishwashers. And you still recieve luxury toiletries, robes and slippers, which gives fancy hotel vibes in an AirBnb style environment.

The outdoor pool and bath, along with the games room gave the adults and children entertainment all day long. We also made great use of the champagne table in the heated pool (which was very warm, even in January).
And even though it’s secluded and private, you’re not left on your own, as the Tawny hotel offer lots of concierge services, including a trail map that takes you around the grounds and explains the history and architecture. We had a great day following this and then finishing up at the Pumicorn for lunch. *The Plumicorn is on site, and open to the public, so I would recommend booking ahead. Perfect for families as they have a great children’s offering and a little hidden games room off the main restaurant.

You can book plenty of add ons during your stay, like private chefs, breakfast hampers and cocktail classes – that can all be done within the comfort of your lodge.

The icing on the cake was that we could take our (well behaved) 7th member of the family – Frank the dog!

Any Downsides?

After booking online, I did call the reception to find out if there was a children’s swim time, this was when I found out that because we were staying in the lodges and not the main hotel, we could not use the facilities on the site. Which was a shame and not mentioned at the time of booking. Not the end of the world as we obviously had our own private facilities to use. But something to bear in mind.

With the lodge being self-catering, we did need to do a shop beforehand, which added on some admin and we inevitably forgot a few things but there is a very small shop about 5 minutes’ drive away. It didn’t have everything we needed but it does stock the essentials.

The hampers were a great option but as they are priced per head, and we were visiting as 2 adults 4 children they were a bit spenny (full English hamper £25 pp). However, if we were visiting with other couples it would be worth doing.