Need to know
Rooms
34.
Check–Out
11am; but flexible until noon for £30, subject to availability. Earliest check-in is at 3pm.
More details
Rates include a Continental and à la carte breakfast, served daily in the restaurant or delivered to your room in a hamper.
Also
The hotel has two accessible Lookout Family rooms with adjoining bedrooms, level access throughout and DDA fittings available on request. On-site buggies move guests easily around the estate, and the restaurant is wheelchair-friendly and offers menus in large print. There’s lift access to the upper floor, where you’ll find two accessible bathrooms, and hearing loops are available at reception.
At the hotel
Wellies and bikes to borrow, 70 acres of gardens to explore, walking trail maps and free WiFi throughout. In rooms: TV, underfloor heating, complimentary minibar, Nespresso coffee machine, tea-making kit, free bottled water, bathrobes, slippers on request, flip-flops, reed diffuser and Land & Water bath products. Retreats also have yoga mats.
Our favourite rooms
The Shepherd’s huts pack an impressive dose of charm with Scandinavian interiors that tout bright-toned panelling, wood-burning stoves and above-the-bed skylights. Every room at The Tawny has an outdoor spa-style bath tub, but for soaks with the finest scenes, it has to be the Hillside Treehouse.
Poolside
Fronting the lofty stature of the glass barn, the outdoor swimming pool (open 9am to 6pm) makes for an idyllic break between summer adventures. If braving the elements comes easy, you’ll be pleased to hear it’s also heated for year-round laps.
Spa
The Tawny’s solitary treatment room is housed in a small-but-charming thatched cottage, where meditative and hot stone massages, refreshing facials, and aromatherapy are set to soothe with organic Gaia oils dished with a deft touch.
Packing tips
A willingness to just be (and perhaps a raincoat).
Pet‐friendly
Pups over one year old are welcome in the Glade Hut, Lookout or Valley Treehouse for a one-off fee of £50. Bowls, snacks, toys and towels are provided, and your four-legged friend is welcome everywhere but indoors at the restaurant. See more pet-friendly hotels in Staffordshire.
Children
Little Smiths are very welcome at The Tawny, with activities in abundance and room options dedicated to families.
Best for
Under-11s will be happiest roaming these grounds.
Recommended rooms
The Lookout, Valley Treehouse and Hillside Treehouses all have family configurations, with a second bedroom that sleeps two children under 14 in twin or bunk beds. Cots can also be added on request.
Activities
Kids’ adventure packs are available from reception for £18. Inside, you’ll find a filled-to-the-brim bag with screen-free games, sticker and activity books, a woodland keyring, scratch art pictures, crayons, pens, compasses and maps. There’s also a build-your-own bird box that you’re welcome to place around the grounds once its finished, to help encourage nesting. If you’ve got older children, there are outdoor adventure areas and high ropes courses at nearby Cannock Chase; or Trentham Monkey Forest and the Peak Wildlife Park are engaging alternatives.
Swimming pool
The outdoor heated swimming pool is child-friendly, but please note that there isn’t a lifeguard to keep an eye on tots.
Meals
The Plumicorn has a dedicated kids' menu.
No need to pack
Colouring books: the restaurant provides crayons for when creativity strikes between bites.
Sustainability efforts
The Tawny is a star when it comes to sustainability, with Earth-kind credentials that began long before its opening. The owners worked with Staffordshire-based conservation architects to ensure disruption to the surrounding ecology was as minimal as possible. Along with natural materials and low-impact methods, the estate was also fitted with efficient off-grid generators that have reduced carbon emissions by 40 per cent; and the hotel is on track to be fully solar powered by spring 2026.
Since opening, The Tawny’s team of gardeners has been working hard behind the scenes: planting over 300 trees and counting, tending to the Herb Hollow and an on-site beehive that pollinates and provides the restaurant with honey. Anything that can’t be hand-picked from around the estate is sourced from a network of sustainable suppliers, who all sit within a five-mile radius.
Having grown up in the area, the owners also work closely with surrounding communities, purchasing products from local businesses and support causes including the Staffordshire Community Foundation. They’ve also set up The Tawny Academy, which runs outreach events at schools and colleges to inspire the next generation of hospitality workers.
