I think it’s a combination of my Type A Personality, busy London life and an addiction to social media but for some reason I find it so hard to just to switch off and relax. Even on holiday I’m always dragging Mr S here and there, attempting to see everything and keep my FOMO in check. Mr S on the other hand loves nothing more than kicking back and allowing the world to go by – sitting on the beach or by the pool – he’d happily read his book for hours! And a relaxing visit to The Scarlet Hotel was the perfect opportunity to indulge Mr S, away from distractions and just enjoying the gorgeous landscape of Mawgan Porth in Cornwall.
As soon as we walked in to the hotel, I was in love…there’s no reception area just a light and modern lobby with comfortable patterned sofas….
And stunning modern artwork; gorgeous paintings and unique sculptures by local South West artists.
But your eye is immediately drawn to the floor to ceiling windows and an incredible infinity pool…
Which seems to melt right into the ocean and sky beyond….
A harmony of blues which sets you at ease straight away. The Scarlet is always a hotel I’d dreamed of staying in but it always seemed so far away for a UK break. However, Mr S and I decided to bypass the six hour train journey and flew from Gatwick into Newquay. It was so easy and the flight was less than an hour, with the hotel being only five minutes from the airport.
With no reception desk there’s not too much rigmarole over check-in just a warm welcome and we were taken immediately to our room. Straight away it struck us how friendly the staff were and the lack of formality made us feel as if we’d been welcomed into someone’s home.
Our room was categorised as ‘Just Right’ which implied it would be rather cosy, but actually it was very spacious.
The architect had clearly optimised the space that he had with an open plan bathroom that was still semi-private as the shower and loo are behind frosted glass in a sort of wet room.
The bathroom was decorated in zen-like neutral tones with gorgeous sparkling mosaics on the wall and Oula products made with local Cornish ingredients; the soap is also locally sourced and handmade and the tissues are made from sugar cane.
The bedroom interior is also neutral with a few scarlet splashes and lots of wood and accents that hark back to nature and wildlife highlighted by the light flooding in through floor to ceiling windows…
Best of all we had our own terrace leading out to the cliff top…
…Mr S couldn’t quite switch off yet as Tottenham were playing an important game…Actually though we were in a remote area and I had trouble getting signal on my phone, the wifi was still excellent and I didn’t have to go cold turkey on my social media addiction.
But actually Twitter was the last thing on my mind as we admired the incredible view and rugged Cornish cliffs.
And I noticed that every room at The Scarlet has it’s own outdoor space.
I was also able to admire the unique architecture of The Scarlet Hotel. As you can see plenty of glass was used in the construction so that views can be seen from everywhere in the hotel and the structure itself is far from the usual English country retreat. The Scarlet is also totally eco-friendly and dedicated to sustainability which is clear in the make up of the room – for example towels are made with organic materials and only changed when requested, all guest rubbish is recycled, key cards reused and there is no fridge or coffee-making the facilities in the room. At first glance this may seem against the norm of luxury hospitality but actually it saves a lot of energy and tea and coffee is free of charge in the public areas and made fresh at any time. Every night filtered water is placed in the room in reusable glass bottles so you won’t go thirsty either.
And there’s lots of areas where you can hide away or sit by an open fire for your tea and coffee such as the light bright reception lounge.
Or whilst taking a shot of pool in the library.
Or the Cloister Garden in warmer weather.
But our favourite spot for a coffee was the Retreat lounge which was kind of like a crow’s nest at the top of the hotel…
With the most incredible view from the adjacent terrace…
And more stunning artwork. Once again throughout the hotel the eco-friendly ethos is hugely evident, lights have movement sensors and only come on when necessary, a biomass boiler heats the hotel and aerators reduce the amount of water used.
There’s also a cosy bar which serves cocktails and Cornish coffees. With our flight arriving just after 2pm, Mr S and I were definitely peckish for some lunch and with the restaurant closing at 2.30, the bar is another option for a light bite.
With a glass of Sauvignon Blanc ordered for me and a Cornish lager for Mr S we soon got cosy in one of the bar’s booths.
Honestly, I think we were smiling from ear to ear the whole weekend, we really thoroughly fell in love with Cornwall. The hotel is completely adult-only and as it is mostly couples on romantic breaks, the atmosphere is so quiet and tranquil. However, if you don’t want to leave your four-legged friend at home, they are totally dog friendly or you can ‘borrow’ the hotel dog Jasper to take for a walk locally.
With salads, soup, pastas and sandwiches available, and a big meal planned for the evening we both went for smoked salmon sandwiches and crisps – just look at how thick that butter is, a proper English sandwich.
Followed up by a selection of home-made ice creams and sorbets.
After lunch it was a ten minute walk down the hill and to the beach…
There’s not much in Mawgan Porth other than a local shop, a cafe and a pub but the landscape is just stunningly beautiful and totally unspoilt. And if you’re looking for more life the bigger towns of Newquay and Padstow aren’t far away or there’s Watergate, just a fifteen minute drive.
Beats the crowded beaches any day!
And as stood and watched the few children playing and dogs gamboling, I thought just for a moment, what if we escaped the big smoke and lived here one day with our own family. Mr S throwing sticks to the dog and the children splashing in the shallow water…
Anyway enough dreaming as we had an appointment to get to back at the hotel’s spa.
I’ll tell you a bit more about the spa in my next post but tonight we’d planned a very special experience for before we went out. We hurried back to the room to get into our swimwear, robes and slippers before checking in with the spa reception. Just outside from the spa is the outdoor pool, it’s completely natural and filtered by a reed bed. Now, though it was totally stunning, it’s not heated and in the chilled March air there was definitely a more appealing option…
The hotel’s gorgeous wood-fuelled hot tubs which sit right on the cliff edge. There’s only two hot tubs servicing the hotel, so make sure you book in advance as there’s limited availability. It’s £20 but you get full service and someone to bring you drinks from the bar.
There’s also the sauna on the other side which we used the next day.
There’s something so wonderful about taking a dip in a hot tub when it’s cool outside.
With your shoulders safely under water as you sip a chilled glass of champagne.
As the sun sets on one of the world’s most beautiful places…
PIN FOR LATER:
The Scarlet
Mawgan Porth
TR8 4DQ
01637 861 800
Our stay at The Scarlet was complimentary.