We arrived in Mawgan Porth, Cornwall after an arduous six hour drive from London, although you could fly to nearby Newquay airport. The location was pretty impressive; The Scarlet has clifftop views out into the sea. There’s no reception desk once you’re in, just friendly staff milling around waiting to check you in and give you a tour of the place.
Our room, number 31, also had sea views and its own patio which led to the garden and the path down to the beach which was all rather lovely; there was something incredibly relaxing about it all. The room was simple and comfortable and seemed to match the eco friendly vibe of the place. Sticking with that theme, to avoid wastage, there are no tea or coffee making facilities. They happily brought down a cafetière of coffee whenever we needed one (all included) which I actually preferred as it was decent coffee with real milk.
The bathroom was open plan with the bath in the middle of the room making the most of the view (if you don’t mind the odd person walking nearby) with a separate shower and toilet. My only gripe being the toilet door was incredibly exposing, with a large gap down the side and hole in the door instead of a handle. Seeing your partner sitting on the toilet does tend to take the romance out of things!
But Scarlett really is very romantic. There are hot tubs which you can book for half an hour at a time (all included) which are on the clifftop, which is mega impressive. Sitting in that hot tub in the pouring rain with a gin and tonic watching the waves crash against the rocks was pure heaven. There’s also an outdoor sauna pod with views of the sea too plus a very decent indoor pool.
The menu in the restaurant was 3 courses for £44.50 and featured straightforward dishes like scallops with apple puree and black pudding and slow cooked belly and rump of lamp with dauphinoise potato; all beautifully presented. A warm chocolate pie with a mousse-like centre was an indulgent and delightful way to finish. Staff were all super sweet and local to the area which adds to the charm.
The Scarlet truly is a relaxing place to stay – and what’s nice is it sticks to the eco ethos without shoving it down your throat. There’s a chilled out vibe from the minute you get there and that really helps make the whole experience a relaxing one. They even have a hotel dog, Jasper you can take on walks. Cute or what?
Would we stay again? Yes.
Scarlethotel.co.uk
We stayed as guests of the hotel.