Halfway along the sun-drenched coast of the Riviera Maya lays Xpu-Ha, a gorgeous stretch of jungle-framed beach that’s home to Hotel Esencia. Once the home of an Italian duchess, the boutique retreat is spread out over 50-acres of lush beachfront, worlds away from the hectic beaches of Cancun to the north.
Adding to the hotel’s luxury cachet in 2020 is the arrival of a new Presidential Suite, a beachfront bungalow with wraparound terrace and its own private patch of Caribbean-facing sand, complete with a private beach palapa. Two master suites also boast their own private plunge pools, while the hotel’s spa now boasts an infrared sauna, waterfall Jacuzzi and two Swiss showers, which alternate between hot and cold for an invigorating post-beach splash.
The hotel debuted a new Champagne bar and new-look suites last year and will unveil its renovated Villa Yum Ha, the hotel’s signature escape, later this year.