The Tawny Hotel is a truly unique experience in rural Staffordshire, UK. It opened in 2021, and is described as a deconstructed hotel – what is that? Simply put, it isn’t one building of hotel rooms, but each guest party has their own hut, treehouse, or lodge. All the accommodations are spread around 70 acres of immaculately looked after grounds which you can explore. But don’t worry about carrying your bags for miles to get to your room – they have golf carts to chauffeur you around.
There are 55 different accommodations in total at the Tawny Hotel, and they are a mixture of dog friendly and non dog friendly options. This is clearly stated on their website.
The Glade Hut: Dog Friendly Accommodation at the Tawny Hotel
The Glade huts are the lowest cost dog-friendly accommodation option at the Tawny Hotel. Though at around £330 per night, this is definitely a luxury stay and not a cheap getaway. It is the perfect place to celebrate the special occasions in your life, like birthdays, anniversaries or promotions.
The Glade huts are nestled back into the trees off the main path. Upon ascending the stairs you will enter the hut into a lounge area. There is some bench seating, a small kitchenette area with a mini bar stocked with complimentary drinks, and a log burner. The shower room and toilet are located off this area too. For the dog, there were dog bowls and tasty treats.
Moving through to the back of the hut, you will enter the bedroom area. Here you will find the comfiest king sized bed at one side of the room, and a freestanding claw-footed bathtub at the other side of the room. You are provided with bathrobes, slippers and towels.
One of my favourite features of the hut was all the windows with views of the woodlands around you. There is even a window above the bed, so you can lie on the bed looking up at the trees. Looking out of the back windows, you can see your private copper hot tub on the deck.
The Glade hut was big enough for us to take our dog’s crate, which is a must have for us when traveling with the dog. I’ve written about my top tips for taking your dog on airbnb stays here – much of it is applicable to hotels too!
Relaxing Hot Tub on your Doorstep
This is the most enjoyable hot tub experience that I have ever had. When you arrive your hot tub is covered, so you need to take the cover off and then run the water to fill it up, like a bath. This takes about 20/30 minutes. Because you use fresh water for each dip, there is no chlorine or chemicals, and you have total control over the temperature. There is a button to activate the bubbles, as you would expect. You can relax under the trees, with the twinkling lights around you – it is truly magical.
However, there were 2 downsides in my opinion to the decking & hot tub area. Firstly, it isn’t fenced in – which is frustrating for a dog friendly cabin. This means the dog would need to be on a lead to be in that area with you.
Secondly, there is no shelter from the weather, except the trees. Sadly we had quite heavy rain in the evening during our stay, so we only got to use the hot tub briefly before the rain started. We actually got the best use out of it the next morning. As we were only staying for one night, we wanted to get another dip in before checkout – it was a fantastic experience sipping my morning coffee in a big tin hot tub in the woods!
The Tawny Hotel Grounds
When you arrive and reach the car park, the reception is conveniently the first building you will come across. Here you can check in for your stay, and get a ride to your lodgings.
‘The Plumicorn’ is the striking main building which houses the bar and restaurant. In the evenings you have a choice of eating in the main restaurant, or you can dine more casually by enjoying a wood-fired pizza in the bar. The bar area has a very trendy ‘speakeasy’ vibe, with a great cocktail menu. You can also enjoy the pizza in your lodge if you wish. We opted for cocktails and pizza in the bar, which we brought the dog along for. After eating we played a game of pool, and there were plenty of other card games & board games available for use.
The Heated Outdoor Swimming Pool
The outdoor swimming pool is one of the features making a stay at the Tawny hotel truly unique. It is a heated outdoor pool, open to use all year round.
We were fortunate enough to be visiting in June, so after checking out in the morning we were able to stay and make the most of a nice sunny day at the pool. Dogs are allowed in the pool area, which was great. There are sun beds and other seating in the pool area, and QR codes where you can order drinks from the bar to be brought down to you.
As I mentioned, we used the pool after checking out. The facilities at the Tawny made this so easy for us, as there are changing rooms, towels, and toilets at the pool. Meaning we didn’t need to return to our rooms to get changed afterwards.
Scenic Walks
The Tawny Hotel is on 70 acres of land for you to explore. We spend about 1.5 hours walking the dog around the grounds after breakfast in the morning. Make sure to get a map from reception so you don’t get lost! Dotted around the grounds are many interesting structures and follies for you to admire and explore.
You are asked to keep the dog on a lead at all times, so none of the wildlife is disturbed.
Unforgettable Hospitality
The Tawny hotel provide top-notch hospitality. Each staff member was super friendly and passionate about giving you a great experience. We had great conversations with the staff members that drove the golf carts when we were checking in & checking out. Everyone was happy to answer questions about the hotel and tell you about the history of the grounds and construction of the hotel as it is now.
There were loads of great touches that make this a luxury hotel, such as being asked what your preference was for the firmness of your pillow, and which welcome drink you would prefer – beer, prosecco, and soft drinks among the options!
You will not regret booking a stay at the Tawny Hotel – it is a 10/10 experience. I would love to retreat there for a full week but I think that would bankrupt me!
