Hotel Esencia
Barefoot luxe
Turtle-nesting beach
Every year sea turtles come ashore on Xpu-Ha to make their nests – and you'll want to join them, if only for Hotel Esencia. This blissful boutique resort is set on the Mayan Riviera's most beautiful beach and its luxurious main building, the whitewashed three-storey Casa Grande, was built to satisfy the whims of a wealthy duchess and her guests. Today, it stands surrounded by a 30-acre estate, with a collection of luxury suites and villas, all with a private terrace that overlooks either the jungle or the sea. Seamless service, miles of beach, expertly mixed cocktails, a spa and only the turtles to pip to the post. Oh, and did we mention the clifftop Mayan ruins of Tulum are just half an hour away?
Facilities
Zimmer
51, including 45 suites, three villas and the Esencia Mansion.
Checkout
Noon, but flexible, depending on room availability.
Weitere Details
Rates exclude breakfast but large selection of à la carte options are available at Mistura for around $80 each.
Also
Fancy a nip of something local? You'll find a sample of small-batch Casa Dragones tequila in your room.
Fitness Center
Kostenfreies WLAN
Wäscheservice
Haustierfreundlich
Zimmerservice
Spa
At the Hotel
Fitness centre, tennis court, organic spa, gardens, DVD/CD library, free WiFi. In-rooms: Flatscreen TV, DVD/CD players, iPod dock, Ipod minis preloaded with music, minibar with complimentary water, soda, juice and beer, internet access and Hotel Esencia's signature bath products.
Our Favourite Rooms
The Rooftop Wellness Suite has sweeping jungle views; watch the sun set from the terrace and enjoy sunrise from your giant bed. The private two-storey, two-bedroom cottages set in the gardens are enormous and wonderful for family holidays: they even have their own full-sized swimming pool, multimedia room, bar and chef.
Poolside
There are two swimming pools (one for families, one adults only) with sun loungers, plus a white-sand beach.
Spa
Overlooking the estate's cenote in a villa with a traditional palapa roof, the organic aroma spa has temazcal and phytotherapy treatments, that use homemade oils and scrubs to soothe and restore. There's also an infrared sauna, steam rooms, ice chamber, cold plunge, hot tub, sweat lodge and sensory deprivation tank to help your healing. If you'd rather destress with a circuit, the gym comes equipped with Technogym equipment.
Packing Tips
Leave your pool shoes at home: you'll find a pair of Havaianas sandals in your room. Bikinis are a must; a swimsuit is probably more practical if you want to try snorkelling or scuba diving.
Kinder
Welcome; the resort has multi-lingual nannies and babysitting can be arranged at $25 an hour. High chairs and cribs provided. Babies under three stay for free. An additional third bed costs $200 a night; $100 for under-12s (+19% taxes +10% service).
Galerie
Food & Drink
Top Table
For lunch, go for a beachside table with a sea view; for dinner, one of the tables overlooking the cenote, an underground freshwater pool that's romantically illuminated by night.
Kleiderordnung
Informal and relaxed; a little dressier in the evening, if you feel like it.
Hotel Restaurant
Casual poolside restaurant Taiyo serves Japanese fare with a modern Mexican twist (think seared Kobe beef, green tea-infused noodles, braised shiitake mushrooms, plus an extensive array of sushi and maki rolls) around the Omakasé bar or alfresco with views over the lapping sea. Michelin-starred Beefbar opens for dinner and dishes up grilled Wagyu beef, smoked ribs barbecued with jasmine tea and mezcal, seared scallops, and dragon shrimp topped with wasabi mayonnaise. But despite its name, there’s something for the veggies, too; salads come topped with Oaxaca’s signature mole sauce and homemade guacamole pairs perfectly with totopos and plantain chips. A menu of Mexican classics (with a Mediterranean twist) is on offer at Mistura, an all-day restaurant set along the Riviera’s sunbleached sands. You’ll also find the Coffee and Juice Bar nestled under Mistura’s palapa-thatched roof, where coffees are made with locally sourced beans and made-to-order smoothies are blended with fresh fruits from Yucatán.
Hotel Bar
Refresh with a cold-pressed juice after a spa session from the made-to-order juice bar at Mistura, sip custom-made cocktails at the Beach Bar, or head for a nightcap at the Speakeasy.
Last Orders
All restaurants and bars close at 11pm; Taiyo starts serving from 1pm, Beefbar from 6pm, Mistura from 7am (the Coffee and Juice Bar opens at 7.30am) and the Beach Bar pours from 11am.
Room Service
Round the clock: hot food is available until 11pm; after the kitchen closes, cold snacks are still available.
Planes
Cancún International Airport is an hour's drive from the hotel. From here, you'll be able to fly to cities all over the US, with onward connections to the UK. It's also served by some charter flights from the UK.
Automobiles
Taxis are inexpensive, but it’s worth renting a car if you want to explore further afield – there are desks at Cancún airport. The hotel is around 20 minutes south of Playa del Carmen, accessible via a small lane running off Highway 307, which links Cancún with towns along the Riviera May.
Worth Getting Out of Bed For
The Yucatán’s comeliest stretch of coast is on your doorstep, so spend some time spread on a towel on Xpu-ha beach. Free sunrise yoga sessions are held daily, the hotel has its own cenote and the thatch-roof spa has soothing organic treatments (cacao scrubs, honey-infused massages, meditation sessions) – plus, kids can get pampered too, with mini facials, wraps and such. There’s a Technogym-equipped fitness room if you want something faster-paced.
The hotel can help you get more intimately acquainted with the region; a tour of Tulum’s clifftop ruins is a must, chased with a chill-out session on the beach below. Chichén Itzá’s sprawling Mayan complex is worth nosing around too. Rio Secreto is a recently unearthed underground river you can trek along for head-turning scenes of stalactite-studded caverns; above ground, lush wildlife-roamed Sian Ka’an offers lazy boat rides, snorkelling, fly-fishing and guided nature hikes.
Watersports fans can find fascinating dive sites and paddleboarding close by. Horse rides feel so much more romantic when you take them beside the Mexican shore, and you can try your hand at catching barracudas, groupers and more on a deep-sea fishing trip.
Earn or Redeem Points with World of Hyatt
This Mr & Mrs Smith hotel participates in the World of Hyatt loyalty program. As a member, you can earn and redeem points and enjoy exclusive benefits for qualifying nights. .
