Hotel Esencia
Hotel Esencia does luxury like no other, if they were a friend they would be the type with enviably good taste and faultless charm.
Once the private residence of an Italian Duchess, the space embodies the spirit of its former dweller. Thoughtful furniture is curated by art collector owner Kevin Wendle, set amidst paradisiacal backdrops of luscious green gardens and glinting blue ocean; you visit Esencia to revel in beauty, found both in nature and design.
Rooms blend the contemporary with the traditional, chic hideaways with gleaming white floors and soft structural curves are paired with accents of dark wood and palapa style roofing. At Esencia, the smaller details are what elevate the bigger picture; at check-in, guests are asked what time they would like tea, coffee and pastries delivered to their room before breakfast, and closets open up to reveal a chic handcrafted straw beach bag monogrammed with hotel initials and a pair of Havaianas for each guest, but perhaps the most thoughtful detail is the nightly gifts left on pillows come to turn down.
Days can be as idle or adventurous as you need them to be; eat breakfast in the beachside eatery and tune into the meditative whir of the Caribbean Sea lapping onto white sandy shores, swim in the pristine pools, or pull a book from the impressive library traversing themes of design, art, and fashion, curated by Mexico City-based literary connoisseurs Casa Bosques.
Adventurous or not, guests must visit the hotel's very own cenote and swim with manatees in their natural habitat. Hotel Esencia is able to exude luxury whilst continuing to carve out its own distinct character; a sense of place is key, and this is most present in the spa where guests enter through a herb garden that cultivates ingredients for wellness treatments inspired by Mayan traditions.
Service is impressively attentive but in keeping with the laid-back spirit of the place, waiters bring chilled face cloths and fruit poolside, freshen beach towels discreetly whilst guests eat lunch, and beach cabanas are even equipped with service buttons. Mealtimes are equally casual, the ‘no sign’ policy adds to the home-from-home atmosphere whereby guests can enjoy all the joys of a hotel stay, without the formalities. Dishes are conceived with fresh seasonal ingredients, showcasing the abundant flavors of Mexico whilst nodding to wider cultural influences; designer and friend of Esencia Jasun Wu created his own dish having married at the hotel a few years ago, ‘Ensalada Jason Wu’ is best paired with their signature margarita made with small-batch tequila.
Situated on the Mayan Riviera, somewhere between the nocturnal buzz of Tulum and the mega-resorts of Playa del Carmen, Esencia is much like stepping into a hidden enclave on an otherwise predictable, well-trodden track, discovering the hotel is akin to stumbling upon a well-kept secret, an accolade they intend to keep.
Location: Xpu-ha, Quintana Roo, Mexico
Price from 800€/night
Pictures by Darcie Imbert
