When I first had Oscar, I was immediately excited about the idea of taking him everywhere! Unfortunately Covid hitting scuppered that plan … but with Noah I’m keen to make the most of the ease of travel with a baby. My good friend, Theresa has been the third point of travel triangle and of course we were keen to schedule a trip as the sunny weather kicked in in the UK. Theresa lives in Bristol and with us in London, we’re always looking for somewhere we can both get to. The Tawny, a beautiful Insta-friendly treat caught both of our eyes!
What is The Tawny?
The Tawny is described as a ‘deconstructed’ hotel, which means there’s no main hotel building, just a small reception, and all the rooms are self-contained cabins, huts and cottages dotted around the stunning 70 acre estate in rural Staffordshire. The idea is that the hotel offers all the best bits of a typical luxury hotel but with added privacy and space. Staffordshire sounds quite far from London (I have vivid memories of 5am coaches to Alton Towers in my childhood!) but actually it was an easy hour and a half train journey from Euston to Stoke-on-Trent and then a short taxi journey to The Tawny.
Our Room and Interiors
The decor at the Tawny is all about letting the outdoors in. The incredible landscape at this hotel affords stunning views of forest, lakes, wild flowers as well as ‘follies’ located throughout the gardens. We loved our Family Boathouse room with it’s huge floor to ceiling windows and uninterrupted views of the water. The main bedroom was simply decorated with bold navy walls and yellow accents and floral touches in the artwork, rug and curtains.
The bath is inside the main bedroom allowing you to take in the view while enjoying a soak, preferably with a glass of wine in hand! The Boathouse also includes a stunning terrace and there’s a outdoor William Holland copper bath here too meaning there’s a second option for that relaxing bath, press for bubbles! I enjoyed sharing a bath with Noah as we took int those amazing views! There’s an outdoor shower too!
The bathroom is quite simple as it’s those special bathtubs that really shine! 
This being a family room there is also a bunk room that can accommodate two children and it includes a TV and desk. We added in a cot for Noah too.
A sweet tawny owl was left for Noah along with an activity pack (which he was too young for but it was a lovely touch!). There were some other very thoughtful additions such as a complimentary mini bar a pre-arrival questionnaire asking for pillow specifications and drinks choices.
There isn’t much else when it comes to interiors at the hotel as the reception is small and the only other building is The Plumicorn restaurant. Like the room the restaurant has large windows to allow for the best views of the area. The entirely glass front allows for these uninterrupted views that make the hotel unique and the interiors, whilst minimalist, echo the outdoors too. The Plumicorn boasts a vertical garden wall, floral fabrics and plenty of plant life in keeping with the overall vibes of the hotel.
There’s also a cute mini spa that comes in the form of a thatched cottage offering GAIA spa treatments.
The Grounds
The grounds of The Tawny really are the USP of this hotel and where it comes into it’s own. There’s stunning woodland, lakes and wild flowers among the rolling hills… it’s a picture perfect walk or you can borrow the hotel’s bikes. Amongst the natural flora and fauna is a folly trail ie picturesque structures that are purely for decoration that guests can explore and enjoy. There’s also garden games around the landscape such as chess and table tennis. As the grounds are rather vast, the staff can drive you to your room in an a 4 x 4 or a buggy meaning that the hotel is still accessible.
A perfect way to enjoy the grounds is a picnic as we did on our last day. The kitchen team put together a basket for us including thick sandwiches, crisps, charcuteries, fruit and sweet treats. And a bottle of prosecco and we were driven to a beautiful spot with a view to enjoy it!
The Swimming Pool
