I headed to the Cornish coast for a wellness reset – and it was exactly what I needed’
There’s something about being by the sea – watching the waves crash against the shore, the wind whipping through my hair – that instantaneously makes me feel calmer. It’s been mere moments since arriving at The Scarlet, a luxury adults-only bolthole overlooking the rugged Cornish coastline and I can already feel my spirits lifting and my cortisol levels dropping.
I’m here to try the hotel’s newest wellness offering, a 48-hour restorative sleep break, designed to “rejuvenate your mind and body, and bring you back to feeling your best.” Feeling frazzled and burnt out after a hectic and heavy year, it sounds like just the tonic I need.
What does Restorative Sleep Break include?
As if drifting off to the sound of whispering waves wasn’t soothing enough, the Scarlet’s sleep programme will help you relax your shoulders further with a 90-minute full-body Ayurvedic treatment, a half an hour session in the clifftop hot tub and sleep aiding gifts (including a Neom gift set, an Atlantic blanket and a sleep mask).
You also get a yoga mat in your room should you fancy some slow, stretchy yin before you slide into the crisp, tucked-in sheets, a nightly herbal tea brought to your door and late check out at 12pm, so you can enjoy some extra guilt-free time under the covers.
The package includes a two-night stay with a two-course breakfast each morning, a three-course dinner one evening, full use of the incredible spa facilities (more on that later) and access to the Scarlet’s complimentary wellbeing classes.
Sounds dreamy. Tell me more about the hotel
With cliff-top hot tubs overlooking Mawgan Porth bay, a sauna cabin with pretty portholes to gaze through and a glass-walled indoor pool that looks straight out to the sea, the Scarlet is pure Instagram gold. Perusing the hotel’s social media ahead of my trip (as you do), I wondered if it would live up to my expectations IRL, but I needn’t have worried – it’s every bit as beautiful as it looks on the gram.
The low-rise building features floor-to-ceiling windows and glass panelling to show off its coveted beachside position. It gives the feeling of being surrounded by nature, with sweeping coastal vistas to enjoy from practically every corner of the hotel, from the relaxation lounge to the restaurant. The decor is minimalist and calming throughout, with muted tones, modern furniture and coastal scenes by talented local artists adorning the walls.
As for the rooms, there are 37 across five categories: Just right, Generous, Unique, Spacious, Indulgent. They all boast sea views and some form of outdoor space (a balcony, a private terrace or a swanky rooftop pod), so the sound of crashing Atlantic waves can soundtrack your slumber. My first-floor room was bright and breezy, with natural wooden furnishings, soft palettes and an open-plan bathroom, complete with a generous tub and gorgeous Cornish-made Oula toiletries. Rooms are fitted with TVs, but no plug sockets by the bed prevent middle-of-the-night doomscrolling.
The Scarlet’s eco creds also deserve a mention. Initiatives include solar panels to heat the indoor pool, a biomass boiler run on wood chips, renewable electricity suppliers and natural ventilation instead of air conditioning. There are no single-use tea or coffee sachets or fridges in the rooms, instead room service will deliver unlimited loose leaf teas and coffees directly to your door (speciality coffee is complimentary until 11am).
You mentioned a spa?
The soporific Scarlet spa is the jewel in the hotel’s crown. I spent most of my time here, flitting between an egg chair in the light-filled relaxation lounge (the perfect spot for cosying up with a book and a herbal tea or just having a snooze), the reed-filtered natural outdoor pool for a chilly dunk and the gloriously toasty wood-fired sauna. A particular highlight was wallowing in one of the cliff-top hot tubs at sunset, drinking in the views of the surf and the craggy coastal greenery with a crisp flute of fizz in hand.
Ayurvedic treatments take place in tented lantern-lit rooms , with tailor-made massages, facials and body scrubs, alongside four-hour-long ‘journeys’ on the menu. My sarvanga massage, a treatment involving repeated downward strokes to lull you into a deep state of relaxation, did exactly what it said on the tin. As my therapist worked her way down my arms, legs and back, I felt the tension slowly dissipate from my weary muscles. 90 minutes later, she led me into a pitch-black relaxation space, where I curled up in a suspended canvas pod for a cocooning, womb-like experience. I sidled back to my room feeling stretched out, snoozy and utterly restored.
How’s the vibe?
The adults-only hotel (doggos are welcome) is a lesson in laidback luxury. The setting is sumptuous and romantic but the Scarlet has a decidedly homely, un-hotelish vibe – you could happily rock up to dinner in your fluffy robe without attracting any dodgy looks. There’s no reception desk, but if you hover around for a few moments, a member of staff will swifty appear to assist you. On that note, the team provides slick but friendly service; they evidently love the hotel and the area, and their enthusiasm is infectious.
What’s on the menu?
Breakfast – a two-course à la carte affair served in the high-ceilinged restaurant – is most definitely worth getting out of bed for. Ours began with lurid green juices, divine buttery pastries and cloudy apple juice, followed by classics like brown butter pancakes, mushrooms on sourdough and the full Cornish. It was one of the highlights of our stay – each morning, we arrived pre-9am to nab a coveted seat by the window and savour a long, lazy breakfast with a side of endless sea views.
Come evening, the restaurant offers a daily changing three-course menu of local, seasonal produce, with a vegan tasting menu available, too. Expect thoughtful, delicate starters like celeriac velouté and ricotta tartlet and indulgent mains like onion tarte tatin sprinkled with blue cheese and hake doused in butter sauce. The award-winning wine list is extensive, and the Scarlet’s sommeliers are on hand to provide recommendations. As the goal of my stay was to improve my kip, however, I decided to swerve the vino and stick to flutes of Wild Idol alcohol-free fizz (almost as good as the real thing) and booze-free G&Ts.
If you fancy strolling down to Mawgan Porth for dinner one evening, there’s the MerryMoor Inn for hearty pub grub in a cosy setting, or The Catch, which serves up delicious, unfussy fish cookery.
Anything else?
We all know by now that exercise and sleep are intertwined – evidence shows incorporating some movement into your day can support sleep quality and duration. With this in mind, we took advantage of the Scarlet’s daily wellbeing classes, which include yoga, Pilates and tai chi. The timetable changes on a weekly basis but during our stay, local Pilates teacher Suzannah Ford took us through some gorgeous stretchy flows in the sea-facing studio.
If you can drag yourself away from the spa and fancy getting some steps in, the South West Coast Path is mere metres away. Stroll down to the beach, then continue along the coast to Watergate Bay, a two-mile stretch of golden sandy beach, with hidden coves, dramatic cliffs and lively beachfront restaurants.
Final thoughts: is the Restorative Sleep Break worth it?
That’s a resounding yes. For me, it was the perfect opportunity to get away from it all, immerse myself in nature and enjoy some deep rest and relaxation. It usually takes days for me to settle into a trip, but here, my mind stopped whirring and my shoulder dropped within moments of arriving – even before I stepped into the tranquil spa space.
How did I sleep, you ask? Like a baby. Touches like under-floor heating, low lighting, cloud-like robes and nightly chamomile tea in the room created a cosy sleep sanctuary. Throw in cosseting treatments, fresh sea air and incredible food and it’s the ultimate recipe for R&R. If you’re after a spoiling, soporific seaside stay, you really can’t beat the Scarlet. I’m already plotting my return. A January reset, perhaps?
Make it happen
Though it feels remote, the Scarlet is just a 10-minute drive from Newquay Airport, with direct flights from London. If you’re driving, the hotel offers a valet service and if travelling by train, Bodmin Parkway is a half-hour taxi ride away.
The Restorative Sleep Break starts from £490 per night and includes two night’s accommodation, breakfast each morning, one three-course dinner, a 90-minute sarvanga treatment, a 30-minute hot tub session and sleep gifts to take home. The package is available from Sunday to Thursday. BOOK NOW
If you like the sound of the Scarlet but have sprogs to consider, its sister hotel, The Bedruthan, is an excellent family-friendly alternative just a short stroll up the cliff path. It offers sea views aplenty, plus its own spa and sensory spa garden. FIND OUT MORE
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