Located on a secluded beach off Xpu-Ha Bay (half an hour from Tulum, Mexico), Hotel Esencia is a 29-room boutique hotel that’s making a name for itself as a tastemakers’ haven (the hotel recently hosted the wedding of fashion designer Jason Wu). In 2014, entrepreneur Kevin Wendle bought the 50-acre estate (once a residence and hotel belonging to an Italian duchess) and embarked on a two-year renovation overseen by creative director C. S. Valentin and architects Gabriel and Alfonso Nunez. The hotel’s design elements include whitewashed guest rooms outfitted with custom Mexican handwoven rugs and bed throws as well as common lounge and dinner areas with original midcentury furnishings and art by artists and designers such as Pablo Picasso and Le Corbusier. Here’s a look inside.
Photography courtesy of Hotel Esencia.
Above: The hotel was originally built as a hideaway home for Duchess Rosa deFerrari, and today the property is reimagined as a luxury boutique hotel with 29 newly renovated rooms, suites, and villas.
Above: The hotel’s owner, Kevin Wendle has installed his own collection of 1950s artwork and furnishings (by Picasso, Le Corbusier, Charlotte Perriand, and Serge Mouille, among others) throughout the guest rooms and hotel salons.
Above: The furniture, handwoven rugs, and bed throws, all designed for Hotel Esencia, pay homage to midcentury design and Mexico art.
Above: Most of the hotel rooms have their own plunge pools.
Above: A guest bathroom connected to an outdoor plunge pool.
Above: A garden suite with double beds covered in white linens. The modern handwoven rugs seen throughout the hotel were custom-made for the hotel by Mexican artists.
Above: A whitewashed seating area, featuring a built-in sofa paired with midcentury furnishings and modern pillows.,
Above: The organic spa uses ingredients harvested from the waters of the Caribbean and soil from the Mayan jungle.
Above: A health club is available for active guests.
Above: A view of the Esencia pool and the beach from the hotel lobby.
Above: The hotel has two pools; one for adults-only and one for families.
Above: The hotel offers two pool villas to accommodate large groups. The villas feature eight bedrooms (all with en-suite bathrooms), fully equipped kitchens, laundry areas, and a spacious indoor/outdoor living area.,
Above: An indoor/outdoor living area in one of the hotel’s pool villas.
Above: A live-edge wood headboard runs the length of two double beds, and red blanket throws add a dash of color.
Above: A built-in sofa and a desk can be spotted in the extra room of a large suite. The poster bed curtains offer privacy and act as a mosquito barrier.
Above: An outdoor built-in daybed with red cushions offers a quiet place.
Above: A traditional hammock.
See our Mexico Design Travel Guide for more hotels, and check out these luxury hotels for more inspiration.
- The Ludlow Hotel: Downtown NYC’s Most Glamorous New Clubhouse
- Velvet Goldmine: Maximalist Glamour at Hôtel Providence in Paris
- Honey, I Shrunk the Ritz: The New Marlton Hotel in Greenwich Village
