Cornish gem with plenty of sparkle
The Scarlet Mawgan Porth, Cornwall B&B for 2 from £240
IN THE beautifully wild gardens of The Scarlet in Cornwall, strange things are afoot. Or rather strange objects abound.
On closer inspection, these turn out to be beehive-shaped dens kitted out with board games, blankets and colourful flags to alert staff when couples occupying them feel the need for a cream tea (or something stronger).
If there’s a better place to snooze after lunch on a Saturday afternoon, I’d like to see it.
Fancy a post-nap stroll on the sand? It’s just a short wander down to the vast expanse of Mawgan Porth beach via steps at the end of the hotel garden to where legions of surfers do battle with the pounding waves. Lessons are easy to arrange.
Back inside the light-filled Scarlet, things move at a much statelier pace than the raging Cornish sea. You can take your pick from a host of lounges or dining options. The restaurant has fabulous views and serves a modern menu at breakfast, lunch and dinner, where you can be as health-conscious (or not) as you like. Too lazy to change into your clothes? Not a problem – sir and madam are very welcome to have lunch in their robes.
We opted for more traditional garb to enjoy the set menu in the evening, which came accompanied by three wines, each perfectly matched to the food. Afterwards, we stumbled through to the swanky wood-panelled lounge where it would have been rude not to have a nightcap or two.
The spa, meanwhile, is a soothing sanctuary of steam rooms, plunge pools and treatment areas. After a massage I was led into a dark room full of canvas cocoons suspended from the ceiling and invited to enjoy deep relaxation while swinging gently from the rafters. A great early evening indulgence is to book a hot-tub in the clifftop garden. The superattentive staff will happily bring you a bottle of something cold to sip as you bliss out. You will be disinclined to wander far from this Cornish idyll, but you should make an effort to walk along the coast to Bedruthen, home to legendary ‘steps’ – huge rocks set along the wave-blasted beach. But it needn’t detain you long. You can be there and back before the hot-tub bubbles go flat.
The place: Cosy, modern, kooky. Epic views. Oh, and it’s adults-only.
The accommodation: Split over five levels, we had a room overlooking the gardens and beach.
The food: Super seafood and a wonderful wine list. They serve a mean afternoon tea, too.