Go overnight

Mal Rogers Visits The Scarlet Hotel In Cornwall

DOMINIC, the young hot-tub caretaker, had gone off to get us a couple of proseccos. So we lay back in the steaming water and from our cliff-top perch watched the Atlantic surge into Mawgan Porth Bay. We could have scrubbed each other with seaweed bags for full algal satisfaction, but we just let the bladderwrack drift by. It was strangely therapeutic to watch it nudge our empty glasses – by now floating upright in the water – towards the edge of the tub.

Dominic, now equipped with two perfectly presented proseccos, arrived back in the nick of time. The wind was almost plucking his parka off his back, but he stuck to his tasks. He served us the proseccos, salvaged the empty glasses, then logged on – in the old-fashioned sense. More fuel was needed in the wood burner under our tub. Hot water surged in, keeping us deliciously warm as a stiff southwesterly whipped around the cliff face.

On this clear winter’s evening the stars were out. As the steaming waters engulfed us we gazed skywards as some half dozen satellites processed across the sky – the nearest to a rush hour we saw all weekend in this secluded corner of Cornwall, in southwesternmost England.

But then the Scarlet Hotel doesn’t do busy. In reception a notice says: “Please pause for a moment. We know you are here and will be with you shortly.” Pause. Hmm, I haven’t paused in a while. Had a bit of a breather, maybe; slowed down; even on the odd occasion chilled. But paused, well, no. All these options are on offer here: relaxation, both organic and organised, is available in spades.

We didn’t have to pause for long at reception. Marcus appeared, dressed in brown yoga-type gear. A friendly young man from Derbyshire, he explained the ethos of the Scarlet. The hotel, grafted expertly on to the cliff face, is some 73 per cent more carbon efficient than a conventional hotel. “Greenwash” is the name environmentalists give to the pretence of embracing ecology. Here at the Scarlet it’s the real green deal: rainwater is harvested; “grey water” is used (basically, your bath water flushes the loo); the building is maintained by recyclable materials. Frankly, the Scarlet does give a damn. “As long as we all do us bit,” Marcus explained, sounding momentarily like someone from Coronation Street.

The interior furnishings of the Scarlet are almost as dramatic as its views. Restaurants and public areas are all modishly minimal, but rich colours, tactile textures and playful retro designs create an overwhelming sense of luxury and comfort. Everywhere is full of lots of sexy, curvy lines – you half expect the bar area, with its rounded booths, to spin around like a fairground ride.

The bedrooms come in five categories: Just Right, Generous, Unique, Spacious and Indulgent. But whichever option your wallet runs to, it will be stylish and cool. All come with views and intriguing spaces – balconies, intimate gardens, shell-like viewing pods, terraces. A honeycomb of nooks and snugs throughout the hotel are also ideal as mini-retreats.

The restaurant provides the only area for a gripe. The service is laid back almost to the point of indolence. We had to wait an eternity for our proseccos. Maybe they were checking it out with Dominic.

But the food, when it did come, was sorcery itself. The menu, the work of Michelin-star-winning local Ben Tunnicliffe, isn’t remotely brown riceish. He serves up fish, beasts, birds, gargantuan desserts and intriguing cheese boards. The “seared hand-dived St Austell scallops, onion puree and peppered satsumas” sizzled with taste. My companion’s roast loin of venison with braised red cabbage and parsnip-and-walnut gratin was as classy and innovative a dish as deer and vegetables could hope to be.

No buffet at breakfast – the ecologically sounder table service has been opted for. Choice is substantial, running from honeyed-plums-in- yogurt to the full Cornish. Leave plenty of time, however: service is once again on the pedestrian side.

The Scarlet could reasonably claim to be surrounded by Britain’s freshest air. To walk along the cliff top on a windy day – that is to say, probably on any day – is to be totally invigorated. If you’re in the mood for more organised therapeutic wellness, holistic, Ayurvedic and meditative treatments are on hand.

You’ll be left thinking that saving the planet shouldn’t be this much fun – definitely not this sexy or decadent.

• WhereScarlet Hotel, Tredragon Road, Mawgan Porth, Cornwall, England, 00-44-1637-861800, scarlethotel.co.uk.
• WhatLuxury ecohotel.
• Rooms37.
• Best ratesLow season (February 12th to May 2nd) from £180 (€200) BB or £230 (€255) with dinner, per Just Right room per night, based on two people sharing. Two-night minimum stay at weekends.
• Food and drinkThe Scarlet restaurant, with a stunning vista along the cliffs, plus bar snacks and room service. Don't miss out on Cornish afternoon tea. Coffee and tea are delivered to your room twice a day.
• AccessTwo bedrooms designed for disabled access; one can connect with the room next door to allow for a carer or companion.
• Child-friendlinessChildren are not allowed.