Hotel Esencia, Xpu Ha

At the end of last year, in the depths of the late November winter, Dan and I headed off to warmer climes on our belated honeymoon to Mexico. We’d spent months planning our little getaway for a couple of weeks, with a picture of Tulum’s beach on our desks at work as our constant inspiration.

Flying into Cancun, we decided to break up the short drive down the coast to Tulum with a little stop off first (half way down) at this secluded little oasis of a hotel located right on the incredible Xpu-Ha beach on the Riveria Maya.

Welcome to Hotel Esencia…

This boutique-style hotel was originally the private home of an Italian duchess that has now been turned into this luxurious hacienda-style 50 acre property. Sprawling candle-lit jungle paths intertwine to lead you to one of 29 utterly private suites and secluded villas.

With two beautiful pools flanking the mosaic-tiled restaurant and bar (and home to the best avocado fries I’ve ever tasted), the star in the Hotel Esencia’s crown really is its location.

Set on the stunning natural beach of Xpu-Ha, one of the Riveria Maya’s more ‘untouched’ beaches, the mix of the bright white sand and the crystal calm sea is really quite breathtaking.

Absolutely everything about this hotel is set up for the ultimate in relaxation and so for three nights and four days that’s exactly what we did. Our days and nights consisted of lazing and strolling on the beach, taking advantage of the complimentary sunrise yoga sessions under the palapa, drinking too many margaritas at the beach bar and fresh coconuts by the pool and eating far too many portions of nachos (with a side of avocado fries of course).

I also highly recommend a visit to the Spa within the grounds; an idyllic part of the hotel that uses ancient Mayan customs to cultivate beauty, balance and peace. It’s pricey – so be warned! – but a full body massage and a dip in the jacuzzi will leave you feeling completely restored.

(^The famous avocado fries – this picture does them no justice but they are SO good and I’m still hunting for a London-based restaurant that serves anything like these!^).

Toasting to our first stop of the honeymoon from our little plunge pool, we headed off the next morning ready to explore further down the coast down in Tulum (and I’ll share all our tips and photos of this in another couple of posts later this week).

I would highly recommend a stay at Hotel Esencia if you’re ever on the East Coast of Mexico – just beware of the extra charges they apply to all of your bills everywhere in Mexico, it’s an annoying addition that starts to eat into your budget after a while so allow extra for it!

As always I would love to hear from you if you’ve also stayed here or have any other wonderful Mexican hotel recommendations.

LMNH x