Riviera Maya · Mexico
Hotel Esencia
A former duchess's beach estate turned small, unshowy hideaway on Xpu-Ha bay
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Esencia began life as a private seaside estate and still feels like one: a white colonnaded main house facing the beach, a scattering of suites and cottages in the jungle behind, and far fewer guests than the acreage would allow. The stretch of Xpu-Ha beach in front is among the softest and least developed on the Riviera Maya.
Service is personal rather than choreographed, and the kitchen leans on Yucatecan produce and day-boat fish. There is a spa set among the trees, two pools and a handful of secluded villas with their own gardens for families or groups who want the estate feel without the estate price.
Playa del Carmen is a short drive north and Tulum a similar distance south, so it suits travellers who want quiet as a default with the option of the Caribbean coast's busier scenes nearby.
At a glance
What to expect
- Private beach
- Jungle spa
- Two pools
- Beachfront dining
- Private villas
- Yoga and wellness
- Cenote and reef trips
In the Journal
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