Scarlet Hotel

This is an attractive hotel with an excellent location on the coastal path. It is a lovely building, sprawling across many floors on the hill. However, it is let down by trying too hard to appear to be a spa haven, rather than creating a place for real people, as well as some facilities issues.
It claims to have no reception, although in practice there is one, just with the desk hidden behind a wall in a cubby hole. They also claim to have mandatory valet parking, except this doesn’t work in practice. Inevitably, not all guests return their keys when they use their car mid-​stay, resulting in cars getting blocked in and the hotel staff being utterly powerless to fix it. This meant we had to squeeze six people into one car after a 11 mile hike along the coast. The hotel gives the illusion of efficiency and competence, of having everything on hand, but falls down when it comes to delivery. This is a theme.
In terms of facilities, I was surprised that there was no actual fitness provision aside from the tiny yoga room and small pool. When trying to check out, we found the lift was broken, so we had to carry all our bags up several floors. Most annoyingly, however, on the second day we were there, the fire door leading to the garden broke, trapping me in the garden after I’d been for a run. The call button didn’t work, and I had to re-​enter through the restaurant, sweaty after a morning run, disturbing other guests’ breakfast. Amusingly, the alternative door the duty manager told me I could have used to get back in proved to only open from the inside and locked us out the following morning. We later saw dog walkers and other guests get locked out by the same door. It is definitely not a place for anyone who might like to enjoy Cornish sunrises or early morning walks!
In the room, the bathroom and bedroom were open plan, including the lavatory/​shower cubicle (an all-​in-​one installation). It was impossible to get up in the night to use the loo or get a drink of water without disturbing one’s partner, and meant that there was very little privacy to use the loo. Again, the hotel puts style over substance.
The restaurant, which is open to anyone who wants to book, does pretty good food. The pecan pie was yummy! However, the root vegetable tart was unnecessarily deconstructed, with a much over-​salted topping, and the Welsh rarebit at breakfast had an unpleasant texture (finely diced fried egg white under the cheese) and the mustard atop it was overwhelming. They also suffer from «food on boards» syndrome. Plus the food is surprisingly unhealthy. It’s a real challenge to get more than a single vegetable portion over a three-​course dinner, or much fruit (unless one very much likes Braeburn apples, which are displayed on various plates around the hotel).
I have stayed at other hotels in Cornwall with similar views and facilities that offer a better experience, but if you want to be in this particular area and are happy to take the hotel’s promises with a pinch of salt, you could do far worse.

When it was my wife’s 30^th birthday I looked around for the best spa hotel I could find in the south west. While there were a few top quality hotels out there, the Scarlet Hotel looked something really special. As it had just opened I had limited reviews to go on I took the plunge (pardon the pun).
The whole place has such a relaxing feel to it and was exactly what I was looking for. You leave your car at the door and you really feel you’ve left it behind. There isn’t a reception, the staff just meet you in an open area at the entrance and you take a seat as they book you in.
As you take in the surroundings the whole place feels open and light. There’s lots of glass and light flows through the whole place. The staff really gave you a sense they were proud of the place and the service levels were second to none. They all dress in very informal outfits and it gives you the confidence to relax and feel you can dress down as you chill out.
The location is amazing, overlooking Mawgan Porth bay which has a beautiful beach. It’s a short, although steep walk down and while close you do feel you’re in quiet surroundings.
The food was brilliant, we sat in the sunshine over looking the beach taking in the rays and gorgeous food. We dined in the restaurant for breakfast and evening meal twice and there was a great range with the menu changing each day.
My wife had two treatments while there and she thoroughly enjoyed them.
The room itself had a beautiful view, with floor to ceiling windows and a small balcony. It was all open plan with the bathroom behind the bed, while that sounds weird it worked really well.
The hotel sells itself as an eco hotel which is a nice concept the only problem for me was the lack of air conditioning. The bedroom got extremely hot and I struggled to sleep as there was a wedding party staying at the hotel and with the window open we got a lot of their noise. It certainly wouldn’t put me off going back, I doubt we’ll be that lucky to have such good weather and unlucky to have that noise in one visit again.

I first heard about this hotel when it first opened a couple of years ago through the sunday times, and couldn’t wait to go so treated my girlfriend to a long weekend, we were so impressed we ended up going back the following year for my birthday!
«So what’s all the fuss about?» i hear you say, «isn’t it just another hotel?». No it’s not, in fact it is quite the opposite, it’s the first 5star eco hotel, with it’s own spa, boutique type bedrooms, 2 pools and a fantastic restaurant.
A weekend away here is like no other… It’s quiet and remote, where no phone signals will be bothering you, yet there is Internet in your room if you desperately needed to contact work. The hotel has many different types of room on offer but the majority are «just right», which if your not fussed overtly about the size of your room is perfect, and every single room offers a view of the sea and a form of outdoor space.
The Hotel is split between many levels being on a hill side, and aside from the beautiful bedrooms, there is many rooms to hide away in with a book, but my favourite by far is the library with an open fire in the winter months and a pool table. There is a lovely bar area over looking the restaurant, and the food is superb, taking as much from it’s local surroundings as possible. If sitting inside reading a book doesn’t tickle your fancy then a mere 100 meter walk will land you straight onto the beach or hill top walks of which the hotel provides maps for.
The Spa area of the hotel is also not to be missed. There are some fantastic treatments on offer, including body massages and mud rubs, but the spa area also includes an indoor pool, an outdoor pool, where the water is filter through weeds and plants and deep relaxation rooms. However a must thing do do are the wood fired hot tubes, perched on the edge of the cliff over looking the beach and sea. They will set you back £15 for 30 mins but it is completely worth it, and champaign is optional!
Outside of the hotel there is a small village, including a pub and a fish and chip shop, and a bus stop where buses running to Padstow and Newquay run every half an hour and are relatively cheap!
If your looking for a place to relax, unwind and forget about your troubles then i don’t think there is anywhere better in the UK. A must try if your in the area or you want to get away!