An eco hotel on the Cornish clifftops

Scarlet is somewhere in love with nature. And out of a deep awe for our clifftop place, we try and live here in a balanced relationship with the natural coastal ecosystem. It’s a simple way of living that’s about slowing down, using less and appreciating more.

Nature-inspired design

To take in this natural location, each of our 37 bedrooms views out over this incredible composition of sky, sea and land. Each room is open to the changing colours of the living landscape. And if you glance at certain seashells, seaweeds and sunsets, you’ll glimpse that warm scarlet colour for which we’re named. We hold this rich, surprising colour as a reminder of nature’s deep beauty.

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A balanced relationship

We draw upon this coastal environment’s natural qualities in our daily living. Take how we don’t use air conditioning, since we have the cooling sea breezes that come to us from the Atlantic. We don't use chemicals to filter the outdoor pool — reeds and algae can cleanse just as well. But we also try to return nature’s generosity, giving back to the ecosystem where we can. One way we do this is by lining our roofs with sea thrift, providing more native plant for local insects.

Reclaiming materials

A truth: when you spend a lifetime by the coast, you take on parts of the beachcomber’s mindset. When building Scarlet, we chose to carefully search for things that could be reused. One of our most treasured finds? The vertical wooden posts found around Scarlet’s gardens were, in a previous life, a nearby harbour’s old coastal erosion barriers.

Thinking forward

Built even with the faraway future in mind, Scarlet can also be carefully deconstructed to leave minimal trace. The raw building materials for Scarlet’s wooden frame, copper cladding and aluminium roof structure–even the membrane of the sea thrift roof–can all be recycled.

Green thinking in every Scarlet detail

By treating environmental concern as a key principle (rather than as a secondary afterthought), we could weave new environmental technologies deeply into Scarlet’s core design.

Careful energy usage. We source electricity from suppliers who draw upon 100% renewable sources, though we’re also committed to use as little energy as we can. For instance, low-energy LED lighting turns off when no one is nearby. Our hot tubs don’t bubble to reduce energy consumption— also allowing you to clearly focus on the soothing sound of the sea below.
New eco technologies. Scarlet Spa’s indoor pool is kept warm by a sophisticated solar system that works even on cold winter days. Heating is generated through a biomass boiler. And we designed the plumbing system to collect “grey water”–waste water from showers and baths—and use it to flush toilets.
Car charging service. Scarlet features universal Type 1, Type 2 and Tesla Connector charging ports. Our valet service will handle car charging for you. Tell us when you’re planning to travel and we’ll ensure your car has a full battery for your departure.
Help us reduce waste. We carefully source fine soaps from local Cornish makers. To reduce waste, we invite you to take these soap bars to continue using at home. In your room, you’ll find a small, organic cotton bag for safe soap transport.
Fresh tea and coffee brought to your room. This decision often surprises people. We’ve chosen to remove the in-room tea tray. Why? It uses huge amounts wasteful single-use plastic sachets. (And in most hotels, you can’t even say it’s all for a good of coffee.) Our solution? Call us at any time for a tea or coffee, made fresh and brought straight to your room.

Guest giving scheme

Each booking at Scarlet includes a £5 donation to our Community Fund. Your donation will support the work of Cornwall Wildlife's Trust's largest ever nature recovery project.