out and about :: the scarlet hotel

In all this cold weather, I thought it might be nice to share some Cornish sunshine. On a sunny June day last year, I visited the Scarlet Hotel in Cornwall’s Mawgan Porth.

I’ve written about the Danish concept of ‘hygge’ before; that warm, cosy feeling you get when there’s nothing to annoy you and you are comfortable with good friends, enjoying little luxuries. Over 700 miles from Denmark, on the launch of their hotel, a struggle began to find a word that described the ‘rightness’ that sisters Emma, Debbie and Rebecca wanted to achieve. When they talk about their vision for The Scarlet; it seems that ‘Scarlet’ might just be Cornish for hygge:

“…somewhere to escape and recharge; somewhere to remind us why we cherish our friends; somewhere to laugh and enjoy simple pleasures.”

With an adult-only policy, the Scarlet achieves all of this; with its breathtaking views, locally sourced food and Cornish art; its warm welcome, restorative spa and luxurious surroundings; and its ‘wow’ factor architecture, and interiors that provide light, airy spaces as well as warm, cosy corners. (Not forgetting its cliff-top hot tubs, of course!)

Put all of that together with their ‘cherish our world’ ethos and comprehensive environmental policy including everything from rainwater harvesting to a sea-thrift roof, means all of this comes completely guilt-free. And this policy really does run through everything they do – even the suncream a waitress handed me when she spotted me trying to hide my burning shoulders under a napkin (now, that’s good service!), was organic.

After all, isn’t that what great design is all about; creating something that works; that’s ‘right’ – in its environment, for its users, for the future?

Further reading for the especially geeky:

• http://www.scarlethotel.co.uk/blog.asp
• http://thoroughlymodernmilly5.blogspot.com/2011/10/scarlet-hotel-cornwall.html
• http://madamjmo.blogspot.com/2011/11/scarlet-hotel-cornwall.html
• out and about :: the high line