About this hotel
General information
Hotel Esencia occupies a 50-acre estate on Xpu-Ha bay, one of the few undeveloped stretches of the Riviera Maya, where sea turtles come ashore each year to nest. The property began life as the private hideaway of an Italian duchess; her Main House is still the centrepiece, with footpaths leading through gardens and jungle to just 47 suites and 4 villas.
The mood is closer to a stylish friend’s beach house than a resort: mid-century furniture sits alongside Mexican antiques, and service is discreet and highly personal. The estate has three restaurants, a beach bar, coffee and juice bars, the organic Esencia Spa, heated pools, a gym and a tennis court. The hotel runs its own helicopter and helipad, and hosts weddings and private events.
Location
The hotel sits directly on the beach at Xpu-Ha in Quintana Roo, midway between Playa del Carmen and Tulum: Tulum is about 30 minutes by car and Cancún about 50 minutes. Transfers from Cancún International Airport are arranged by car or by the hotel’s own helicopter, a flight of around 25 minutes that lands on the estate.
Spa
Esencia Spa is regarded as one of Mexico’s finest. Facilities include a traditional temazcal sweat lodge with rituals led by a shaman, an infrared sauna, steam rooms, a sensory deprivation float tank, an ice chamber, Swiss showers, a cold plunge pool and a hydromassage tub. In its “Mayan organic kitchen”, therapists blend treatment products from local herbs, plants, oils, spices and honey, and NuEra Tight radiofrequency therapy is offered for face and body sculpting.
Sports & leisure
The gym, under a thatched ceiling, is equipped with Technogym, Woodway treadmills and The Mirror virtual trainer, and complimentary sunrise yoga is held every morning. There is a US Open-standard tennis court that doubles for pickleball, as well as heated pools. Water-sports gear is free to use: a hidden mangrove lagoon a short walk up the beach is ideal for snorkelling, kayaking and paddleboarding, and a turtle reef lies just off the shore. The hotel arranges diving on the barrier reef and in cenotes with PADI certification, kiteboarding, golf on a Robert Trent Jones course, excursions to Tulum, Chichén Itzá, Río Secreto and the Sian Ka’an reserve, trips to Mérida and Valladolid, and helicopter tours of the Yucatán.
For children
There is a children’s pool, and babysitting is available on request. Several suites connect, which suits families travelling together.
Restaurants & bars
Dining ranges from Japanese precision to the produce of the Yucatán, with complimentary coffee and pastries in the morning and afternoon tea.
- Taiyo — poolside Japanese cuisine with Mexican accents and an omakasé bar where the chef sets the menu each evening
- Beefbar Esencia — steakhouse in the Palm Garden serving premium beef, including Wagyu and Kobe
- Mistura — beachfront palapa with Mexican-Mediterranean seafood built on Yucatán ingredients
- Coffee Bar & Juice Bar — Mexican-grown coffee, juices, smoothies and bowls at Mistura
- Beach Bar — two-storey palapa on the sand for signature cocktails
Room service is also available.
Swimming
The hotel has its own semi-private white-sand beach on Xpu-Ha bay, flanked only by private homes. The water is calm and turquoise, and a reef begins just metres from the shore, with turtles and tropical fish to snorkel alongside.
Rooms
47 suites and 4 villas are scattered through the gardens around the Main House and along the beach; even the entry category is a full suite. White interiors mix Mexican tradition with contemporary design, and terraces, rooftop pools and outdoor showers look onto the jungle or the Caribbean.
Every room has air conditioning, a large Wi-Fi-connected TV, a Bluetooth speaker, a Nespresso machine, a safe, a walk-in closet, fine European linens, a daily fruit basket, a beach bag and signature sandals, free Wi-Fi and twice-daily housekeeping.
Jungle Suite
A quiet suite in the tropical gardens a few steps from the sea, with a king or two queen beds, an in-room double bathtub, a double shower and a dining terrace with sofa. Sleeps 3–4 depending on layout.
Jungle Suite with Plunge Pool
A garden suite with a plunge pool — indoors or on a terrace solarium — plus a rain shower room, a large bathtub and an outdoor dining terrace.
Rooftop Wellness Suite
A duplex on the top floors with a private fitness studio (The Mirror or a Peloton, Technogym weights), a king bedroom and a rooftop terrace with heated pool in the tree canopy. Sleeps 4; connects to the suite below to form a mini-villa for 8.
Master Ocean Suite
One of nine suites in or beside the Main House, facing the pools and the sea, with a king bed, a large terrace or balcony and a private heated plunge pool. Each is individually decorated; sleeps 2–4.
Beach Suite
A suite 20 metres from the water with a beachfront terrace, a double shower with ocean views and an in-room double bathtub. Sleeps 3.
Master Jungle Suite
An apartment-sized jungle suite near the beach with a grand bedroom, a second bedroom or living room/office, two bathrooms, a double bathtub and an extra-large plunge pool set in the greenery.
Master Beach Suite
One of two suites right on the beach, with windows on three sides and a private heated plunge pool — on the ground-floor terrace or beside the walk-in shower upstairs. Sleeps 3; can connect to a neighbouring suite.
Pool Villa
A two-bedroom, two-level villa hidden in the garden, with a media room, a fitness studio, several terraces and a courtyard with hammocks and a full-size pool.
Yum Ha Villa
A four-bedroom colonial-style villa on a 15-acre plot next to the hotel, three minutes’ walk from the beach, with living and dining rooms, a Mexican kitchen, garden terraces, a butler and housekeeping. Sleeps 8.
The Esencia Suite
The principal suite of the duchess’s house: an ocean-view bedroom, a domed living room, a den or second bedroom, two bathrooms and an 80 m² rooftop terrace with the hotel’s largest plunge pool and 360-degree views.
Presidential Bungalow
A Caribbean-style beachfront bungalow on its own plot, with a king bedroom and plunge pool facing the sea, a living area that converts to a second bedroom, two bathrooms, a wrap-around terrace and a private stretch of beach with palapa.
The Esencia Mansion
A four-level private villa with four bedrooms on separate entrances, three pools, a fitness studio off the master suite, a 20-seat screening room and a rooftop terrace with 360-degree views. The helipad and a tennis court are steps away.
Photos are for illustrative purposes only. Actual room layout, furnishings, décor, views and amenities may differ from those shown and may vary between rooms of the same category. Hotel and room descriptions are based on information provided by the property and are believed to be accurate at the time of publication, but are not guaranteed. The hotel may renovate or change its rooms, facilities, restaurants and services at any time without notice. The final details of your stay are confirmed at the time of booking. See our Terms of Use.