The Scarlet - Mawgan Porth - Sept 2012

This was the next part of our road-trip honeymoon in Cornwall. The Scarlett is a luxury hotel in Cornwall which has won many awards, and was very expensive but we treated ourselves for our honeymoon.

It was easy enough to find with our sat nav, although the winding Cornish roads were a bit of a nightmare! It is located on a cliff overlooking the bay of Mawgan Porth. The car park didn't seem to have many spaces and you have to block people in and leave your keys with reception.

On arriving, we found there was no reception! We hung around the entrance hall and someone came out to greet us and sat us down and checked us in. We found out that they don't have a reception because they 'want you to feel like you're staying at a friends house' although it is actually quite a big hotel, so if you needed the staff you just had the do the waiting around the hall bit for someone to come out. We got the keys to our room and went to have a look.

The room was very nice and luxurious, modern with designer fittings. There was an ensuite toilet with wet-room shower, and then the bath and sink were part of the main room with a half wall behind the bed. There was a balcony overlooking the courtyard garden and the beach. The sheets and towels were very soft and sumptuous.

We found the staff helpfull and efficient although not very 'warm'. I think after the first class service we experienced at Ragdale Hall, we found it all a bit sterile.

The food in the restaurant for dinner and breakfast was very tasty. We had a three course meal on one of the nights and the food was delicious and fairly priced. Breakfast service was very relaxed and the view of the bay was very calming.

We found nearby Padstow very pretentous and it was this same feeling that we got at The Scarlett. Although it is an eco, ethical hotel, we found the sheer scale of the hotel and the expensive furniture and fittings jarred a bit with this ethos.

Overall we didn't really enjoy The Scarlett or Cornwall, I can't really fault the staff or the hotel, it was just a general feeling we had that meant we didn't enjoy it. It was a big expense for our honeymoon and we'd rather have stayed at Ragdale Hall, but at least we've now tried a posh Mr & Mrs Smith hotel which I've wanted to try for ages!