Luxury Glamping: Time Out at Love2Stay Shrewsbury

Travel

Posted on May 18, 2025

I glance over and catch my eight year old watching in wonder as a butterfly gently flutters in and settles on the deck of our canvas safari tent. My ten year old is inside, laid on the full-size sofa in the main living area – sprawled out in the way that only a gangly five foot pre-teen can – as he excitedly tells my husband about the on-site assault course and paddle boarding activities he wants us all to try this weekend.

We are at Love2Stay Shrewsbury. It’s a luxury glamping site nestled amongst the rolling Shropshire Hills just a few miles from the Welsh border, and we are staying in one of their Time Out Tents. At this huge 22 acre resort, the Time Out Tent is just one of the many options you can book (you can choose to stay in your own caravan, reside in one of the varying Safari style tents, or even book a luxury lodge).

I had told my husband and kids that we were going camping this weekend. But as we arrived, it was clear from the wide eyes and smiles all round, that ‘camping’ undersold this experience somewhat… Yes, we are be staying in a tent. Yes, we have canvas roof and walls. But we also have a fully fitted kitchen, separate sleeping areas with a double bed and a bunk bed, there is a TV, a sofa and electric sockets. This is a camping tent but on steroids!

Think cosy interiors, outdoor fire pits and amazing views of nature. All complemented by access to the Love2Stay site’s two pools, immaculate bathroom and showering facilities, saunas, hot tubs and activities galore. This is a true glamping experience; a stay amongst nature with adventure on tap, but with lots of extra touches for adventurers like us, who also appreciate life’s little luxuries.

Our Time Out Tent

Everything in our Time Out Tent is useful or comfortable. Often both. It is a delight to look around to see just how much has been fitted into this tent where we will be spending our weekend. It is crafted from Isabella material (the very best material, as I am told by my more knowledgeable camping-savvy friends), and the tent itself is the size of a small cabin. It is all rustic charm from the outside and looks both inviting and adventurous.

There is a front decked area, half open with a fire pit for marshmallow roasting and large bean bags on which to relax. The back half of the decking is covered with secured zipped canvas ‘doors’ which open to reveal a porch style area complete with picnic table – this would act as our dining room or much-appreciated additional living space. The canvas coverings can be drawn back from the dining area to fully expose the deck in nice weather. Each tent comes with firelighters, kindling and logs supplied to get your fire pit roaring, too.

Walking from the porch area and into the inner sanctum via even more sturdy canvas doors with satisfyingly chunky zips, (it all feels very secure and heavyweight), we are greeted by a main open plan living area with heater, sofa, TV and lighting and a kitchen area with a fridge/freezer, cookware and utensils, stovetop, toaster and electric kettle. The tent comes with towels and bedding/linens included, so all the ‘home comforts’ are already taken care of. It can sleep up to five guests, as there is one bedroom with a double bed and a second with a practical triple bunk – perfect for families like ours, where extra space is always appreciated. There’s convenient parking right on the pitch, so you can pull straight up to the tent’s ‘door’ – great for a hassle-free stay.

Although the Time Out Tent doesn’t come with a hot tub, many of the other accommodations do – plus you have access to three large outdoor hot tubs located by the Bio Top outdoor swimming pool. There also isn’t a bathroom (because, well, it is still a tent), but it is only a short walk to the immaculately kept and extremely large bathroom / washing and showering block. Love2Stay Shrewsbury has one of the best of these I have seen, the sinks and showers are top notch, the water was always hot when we went and there’s plenty of plugs and mirrors. It’s constantly attended and cleaned, and it shows in how immaculate these facilities were throughout our stay.

The Facilities

As quirky as the tent itself is, Love2Stay is a park which has been designed to get you involved and we were eager to take part in the adventures on offer. The overall offering here is fantastic.

One of my favourite areas in the site is to be found by walking to the rear of the coffee shop and pizzeria. Here you’ll find a wonderful beach and paddle area / splash pool. Crystal clear and gently lapping at the shore, the water in the splash pool is heated 1st April – 1st Nov and is surrounded by a surprisingly large and idyllic man-made beach area. This means you get all the fun of the seaside experience without leaving the camp site. There are many reclining sun beds – yes, I did laze away a few hours in the sunshine, whilst the kids happily played. During a particularly sunny weekend, like the one we enjoyed, you’ll be hard pressed to differentiate between Love2Stay and a beach break abroad!

The outdoor natural Bio Top swimming pool is also a massive hit. The pool is free of chemicals and filtered through a reed water garden. It is cold, of course, but there is lots of fun to be had in daring each other to take a dip and timing how long we could stay in for a swim, (this became a bit of a sport in its own right!). We spotted plenty of hardier folk than us enjoying the pool for an early morning swim and we didn’t feel the need to wear wetsuits, though some did and it would seem advisable for longer swims in the pool. The aforementioned outdoor hot tubs sit alongside and are great for a lazy relax in the sun.

There’s also an excellent outdoor children’s play area for sliding, climbing and swinging which includes a barefoot sensory trail and a 400m trim trail, and a grassy sports field with goals for playing your own games. There’s a state of the art gym (which looked great, albeit we didn’t try it out), a dog walking area and dog agility course, plus a large on-site cinema. The cinema shows two to three family films a day, (the cinema costs an extra £5pp per film), in a large hut, with a mini stadium style layout of wide tiered wooden steps and squidgy cushions as your seating. It’s a cute and quirky set up we all enjoyed, and the little bags of popcorn we were given to eat whilst enjoying the film went down a treat too.

My boys’ favourite activities were the more adventurous ones and the Activity Centre had plenty of options to choose from, including water sports and a woodland school to help children connect with nature. In the woodland school, the boys enjoyed tie dying t-shirts – there’s no worries about mess in the woods(!) – before we headed off to try out the assault course.

The maximum group size to take part on the assault course is 12 people (and a minimum age of 8 years old), but we were lucky to have the course to ourselves and the full attention of our two instructors; both ex-military and they were fantastic with my children. It costs from £12pp and it is excellent value. The wooden obstacles are varied; from simpler nets, beams and mud traps to large scale climbing walls. Helmets are only needed on the larger obstacles (these are provided) and it’s advised full length trousers and trainers/sturdy shoes are worn due to the climbing elements. There’s something for all ages and fitness levels and the instructors are top-notch. Full of expertise, they really did gradually build the kids’ confidence on the larger, trickier obstacles, so that by the end they were both beaming with pride at what they had achieved.

Next we headed to the small lake, where you can book (for an additional cost) a range of activities including kayaking, paddle boarding and fishing. We decided to try stand up paddle boarding (from £18pp) and it was a great family activity. After a safety briefing from the team and being fitted with our life vests, we headed out on the water. After a while paddling on our knees, we all managed to stand up – with some instruction and encouragement from some of the site team who were also on paddle boards and in the water to help us. We had great fun on the lake, paddling alongside the friendly ducks and wildlife, and although my ten year old did fall off, he was quickly back on and back to it. Lasting just over 45 minutes, it’s lots of fun and (also a great core workout for the adults, too!).

Food & Drink

Although the kitchen facilities in our Time Out Tent were plenty adequate for our self-catering needs, we did try the on-site cafe and the on-site pizza restaurant. (Note: there are some items like eggs and milk sold at reception, but your best option for stocking up is to head to one of the nearby supermarkets including Sainsbury’s Local, Co-op, M&S and Asda, which are all within a few minutes’ drive). The food we brought in was no match for the pizzas we enjoyed at the on-site pizza restaurant however, as these were a massive hit with the boys. Made in a huge wood-fired pizza oven from Tuscany while you wait, there’s not tons of choices of topping but my, are they delicious!

Breakfast ticked all the boxes for my husband, James, and I – the Full English is amazing and ingredients are sourced from local suppliers. Breakfasts are served on Monday to Sunday from 8:30am to 11.30am. You can also get coffees, other drinks and snacks at the very well stocked on-park coffee shop, which is the perfect place for a pastry or savoury at any time of the day. The Coffee Shop is open from Sunday – Thursday 8:30am – 6pm (food served until 5:30pm) and Friday and Saturday 8:30am – 8pm (food served until 7:30pm) and has indoor and outdoor seating.

Plus, there is a communal outdoor kitchen area with a fire pit, barbecues and woodfired pizza oven you can use yourself if you wish. Love2Stay have every option covered.

Verdict?

If you’re looking for a great glamping or touring adventure, Love2Stay is a fantastic option. This holiday park is extremely clean and well maintained, the facilities are plentiful and modern, plus the accommodation types are so varied that there is something for everyone.

If you are looking for a family stay amongst nature, filled with those little extra touches of luxury, Love2Stay is the perfect destination for your next family trip.