Design Hotels Announces Opening of The Scarlet

Eco-chic living meets down-to-earth Cornish charm at The Scarlet hotel in Cornwall

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. September 27, 2009

CORNWALL, UK, September 25, 2009 - The just-opened seaside escape was created by three sisters who deliberately chose the unique environment they grew up in to create an eco-luxury hotel. Its 37 rooms are arranged over five levels and each one features its own private outdoor space - either as a balcony, private garden or rooftop pod with huge bean bags for star and sunset watching over the ocean.

Those looking to experience the best of British seaside life can come all year round as Cornwall has a mild climate thanks to the Gulf Stream. There are plenty of things to do - the hotel offers a range of experiences from walking the hotel's dog Jasper on a deserted beach to surfing and food foraging. For the less active, two outside log-fired hot tubs and a natural, reed-filtered swimming pool offer relaxing and unique bathing moments. With a Michelin starred chef, a stylish interior and an innovative spa, the hotel not only has the features of a top-end hotel but a personal, warm feel throughout, from the salt pots hand-made by the General Manager to local Cornish art. Proving that great design and sustainability can go hand in hand, the hotel also boasts an impressive range of green credentials, including solar water heating, natural air conditioning and reptile re-homing - perfect for even the most eco-conscious.

The Experience

Emma Stratton, co-owner of The Scarlet, explains the inspiration for the hotel and name: "Scarlet reflected our boldness, perhaps madness, in trying to build a hotel that might change perceptions of what was possible. We also wanted this hotel to be warm, deeply comfortable and welcoming, very different to the slick but elitist hotels that pass as luxury."

The Rooms

The Scarlet's individually designed rooms are intended first and foremost to capitalise on the dramatic views over the cliff. Rooms come in five categories: Just Right, Generous, Spacious, Indulgent, and Unique, the latter consisting of four rooms with their own private gem gardens influenced by some of the great Cornish gardens. All offer a different type of space, including shell-like viewing pods filled with cushions and accessible via a spiral staircase in the room. Rooms also feature an iPod port, complimentary Internet access and unexpected one-off artworks.

The Spa

Filled with softly lit lanterns the spa offers a magical ambience where guests can swing gently from large cocoon-like pods hanging from the ceiling, or lie and listen to local stories in the relaxation space. Treatments are four hours long and designed to give guests time to relax, and are based on Ayurveda, a system of holistic wellbeing from India. They include massages and inventive 'journeys' using products containing local ingredients such as sea salt, Cornish clay and locally grown herbs. There is also a sauna, steam room, Hammam and meditation room. In winter, guests can retreat to the indoor pool, cosy up in the couples' suite with double bath or storm watch from the spectacular outdoor wood fired hot tubs.

The Restaurant

Ben Tunnicliffe, a Michelin star awarded local chef, offers a daily changing menu using locally sourced home grown produce. A comprehensive wine list features daily selections to complement the dishes, including seared hand dived St. Austell scallops and pan-fried Jon Dory with roasted Cornish earlies - the local new potato. A casual breakfast and lunch and delicious deli menu ensure a relaxed dining experience in the day, but in the evening the ambience in the restaurant changes to something more glamorous. In keeping with their local roots, the hotel also offers a delicious Cornish afternoon tea with scones and cream, available anywhere at any time.

The Design

Designed by the architect team at the Harrison Sutton Partnership, The Scarlet's building merges with the local environment with its curved shapes and organic facade. With a central 'wall' to physically anchor the building to the cliff side, the terrain wraps up against and over the lower bedrooms via a green roof that links the natural fronting ground level to the sea thrift roof beyond. In rejection of the traditional long-corridor hotel plan, the architects clustered bedrooms together in small groups connected by short spaces, some curved in plan, creating a cosy atmosphere.

www.designhotels.com/thescarlet