Hotel Esencia
Xpu-Ha

epic for all ages

For when your family is a mix of ages or you’re just looking for a destination that ticks all the boxes…these hotels and resorts know a thing or two about family-friendly travel.

the Low Down

Hotel Esencia is a majestic 50-acre estate at the midpoint between Tulum and Playa del Carmen in Mexico. Originally built as the private home of an Italian duchess, Hotel Esencia is a place where the traditions of the past come together with a cosmopolitan sense of how to live well today. This aristocratic oasis sits where the Yucatán jungle dissolves into the pristine sands of Xpu-ha, one of the only remaining undeveloped shores of the Mayan Riviera. The Main House remains the hotel’s centerpiece, around which footpaths lead to only 45 suites and 3 villas where guests enjoy genuine privacy and fabulous hospitality. This little slice of paradise, ‘away from it all’, is ideally situated far from huge resorts and the roar of pleasure boats, the immaculate bay of Xpu-Ha is a natural haven where each year sea turtles make their nests.

the Peaks Promise

Each booking will receive a private Mezcal/Tequila tasting experience as well as family lagoon experience and room upgrade upon arrival, early check-in and late check-out (subject to availability).

The Best Room For You

The Kit

The hotel has cots available as well as baby-monitoring kits

Babysitting Cost

Babysitting services cost $25 per hour for up to 2 children + 330 Mexican pesos for their transportation. If there’s more than 2 children, 2 babysitters are required to hire.

Top Facilities

The hotel has a great kids club during high occupancy seasons so enquire before booking also paddleboard, snorkel, and even see a family of manatees that live at the lagoon

  • They have a brand spanking new U.S. Open-standard tennis court nestled between the jungle and the sea.
  • Perfect destination for honeymooners thanks to the serene comforts of this timeless mansion.
  • Whether it’s your kind of thing or not back home, you can enjoy complimentary sunrise yoga along with their state-of-the-art Technogym equipped fitness centre and plenty of complimentary water sports gear.
  • Work up a sweat and an appetite for complimentary afternoon tea, the hotel also has a coffee bar, juice bar and complimentary morning coffee and pastries.
  • Suites have delightfully added details such as nespresso machines, complimentary beach bags and Havaiana sandals
  • Spend lazy days on the awe-inspriing beach front where you can spend the day lounging underneath a cabana watching the waves
  • The suites are superbly spacious and snazzily designed, watch the sunrise from your gigantic comfy bed or head out to your private terrace which is decked out with comfy sun loungers and modern furnishings
  • Accommodation:
    Home to 45 suites 3 villas, the private terrace and sitting area of the rooms offer a peaceful view on the trees canopy or an impressive panorama of the Caribbean.
  • Location:
    Hotel Esencia is located fifty minutes south of Cancún and thirty minutes north of Tulum by car. Perfectly secluded from the world around it, the property is surrounded on the north by the primitive Mayan jungle and on the south by Xpu-Ha cove, often referred as the most beautiful stretch of the Mayan Riviera.
  • Getting there:
    The hotel is about an hour from Cancun airport, as well as Cancun FBO. Sat in the middle of Playa del Carmen and Tulum, 25 minutes from Playa del Carmen and about 40 minutes from Tulum. Private transportation to/from the airport is available with their own trusted luxury transportation provider. If you want a little more style upon arrival, they have recently added a new helicopter pad to the property, they can arrange a 15–20-minute helicopter transfer through the hotel concierge.
  • What to pack:
    Think chic, tropical attire and of course bathing suits!
  • Restaurants:
    Beefbar Esencia – A true epicurean experience thanks to a menu based on simplicity, the finest high- quality ingredients, and a selection of exceptional meat cuts from Australian Black Onyx, Wx Wagyu beef and Certified Japanese Kobe beef.
    Mistura Xpu-Ha – A refined and authentic Mexican gastronomic experience under a towering beachfront ‘palapa’ with spectacular 180-degree views. Offering a creative selection of seafood dishes and specialties from the grill, with the best ingredients of Mexico’s Yucatan peninsula and beyond. This sea-to-table experience now features a roaring new open fire grill.
    Café Esencia – Situated between the pools and the beach, The café is a picturesque spot to start one’s day. With an emphasis on seasonal ingredients and apt updates to coastal staples from Latin America and around the world. Enjoy casual family dining options – salads and sandwiches, fresh fish, tacos, and ceviches – the perfect complements to siesta and surf.
    Taiyo – a Japanese dining concept with a Mexican twist but rooted in classic Sushi tradition. In Addition to a curated casual lunch and dinner menu, Taiyo features an Omakase bar offering our guests an elevated and unique nightly dining experience, based on the freshest ingredients available and the chef’s suggestions.
  • Spa:
    Esencia Spa offers treatments inspired by traditional Mayan healing rituals, as well as facial treatments from all-natural skincare brand Tata Harper. At the east end of the 50-acre private estate surrounded by lush Mayan jungle is Hotel Esencia’s Spa and Health Club, which overlooks the estate’s cenote and exuberant jungle. The spa journey begins with a traditional Mayan kitchen laboratory where therapists tailor bespoke, restorative programs, using the purest ingredients harvested from the waters of the Caribbean and soil from the Mayan jungle.
  • Signature Activities:
    Situated squarely between Tulum and Playa del Carmen, Mayan archaeological sites, underground cenotes and some of the Riviera’s best nightclubs, all are only 20 minutes away. For an adventure only steps off the hotel’s beach, there is a reef sanctuary for sea turtles and colourful exotic fish – one of the region’s best kept secrets. Concierge is at your service to arrange a multitude of activities from scuba diving, horseback riding, deep-sea fishing, and golf as well as excursions to Mayan ruins and guided tours of underground rivers locally referred to as cenotes.

All rates are subject to 19% taxes +10% service charges

Rates include:

Coffee/tea/pastry delivery service every morning and afternoon tea (with snacks) every day in the main house from 4-6pm. Additionally, yoga classes every morning as well as the use of the water sport equipment (paddle boards, kayaks, snorkelling gear). They also just introduced a new private tennis court where guests can make reservations to play whenever they would like (equipment included).

Average Temperature & Rainfall in Days

Visa Cost

Tourist visas are valid up to 180 days and can be applied for online. For more information click here.

Top Tip

Don't miss out on the clifftop Mayan ruins of Tulum which are just half an hour away

Local Currency

The local currency is the Mexican peso

peak season

A year-round destination with about 300 days of sunshine a year, however if you’re looking to avoid it, most rainfall is between June - October.

Location

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