Hotel Esencia

The whole property is exquisite! Food was amazing, drinks were refreshing! Mauricio our personal concierge was the best and made my birthday unforgettable with decorating our room and all the special gifts and touches. Kennedy and Omar were amazing treated us like family. Everyone working there was super friendly and helpful. Views unforgettable! The whole trip unforgettable!! This place was so clean, not a leaf on the ground or beach! I told everyone about this place and we will definitely be back!! Thank you Hotel Esencia!!!

I’m not sure where to begin as I was just so overwhelmed with happiness during my recent visit to this magical hotel. The beach is absolutely stunning with white sand and relaxing cabanas. The spa is the nicest spa I’ve ever been to. They have steam rooms, infrared sauna, cold plunge and multiple jacuzzi where you can relax in privacy. The staff is incredibly nice and warm. The food was delicious, they have 3 restaurants on the property and each one is exquisite. It’s the perfect getaway I highly recommend and I can’t wait to go back.

We stayed here twice before the new owner, Kevin Wendle, bought it in 2014 and invested millions to transform it from an exclusive hideaway with 29 rooms to an exclusive playground with 49 rooms including six beautiful beachfront suites. Along with rates that more than doubled, he also added an upscale gym, exquisite steakhouse with wood-burning oven for meats, veggies and very tasty pizzas, and a sushi restaurant. We booked the beachfront suite at $2900++ per night. We wanted the master beachfront suite instead but was $900 more. Why? Same suite but with a small plunge pool and patio. The food served at the restaurants is best-in-class. However so are the prices. Salads are $35, ahi tartare $75 and breakfast for two averaged $160. We booked through Virtuoso which includes breakfast so if you do book, make sure to use them. Figure on $500-$600 daily for lunch and dinner. Plus wine. I had the opportunity to talk to Kevin about a few issues at the resort, cost of food being one of them and he told me that he imports a lot of the food and the costs keep going up. Perhaps that is one reason why the food is so good. Now mind you we knew the rates up front and loved the property before. Now that it was rated 5-star by Forbes, we splurged. We were there during spring break and there were a lot of families with babies and kids. I asked Kevin about this since I always remembered the property as an adult hide-away and not for kids. He told me that for two weeks during spring break and Thanksgiving holiday, kids rule. I will make sure to come back in February or April next year. Our beachfront suite was literally 20 steps to the ocean. The suite itself is white, white and white that features a dual shower, plenty of closet space and small patio. There are no drawers but Kevin assured me they were available on request. You have an option of beach level or second level. We had the beach level but it's close to the main sidewalk where the workers come and go. The second level offers better views and two lounge chairs but then there are the steps. The beach huts remain the same as before and hopefully they will offer an adult section on our next visit. Service on the beach was spotty. Another nicety added was afternoon tea with pastries at 4:00-6:00 which is served in the main house which also features the library filled with books and board games. Overall, it's nice to have an individual owner like Kevin invested in the property that can make updates as needed to bring the best guest experience. I view Hotel Esencia like a fine bottle of Cab, it will only get better as it matures. I'm looking forward to my return trip next year and popping open the cork.

All the beautiful photos you see here don’t fully capture this lovely slice of paradise. The palm jungle greets you on arrival like a warm hug and you don’t see concrete everywhere like at other big block hotels, this is so different! Once we arrived at the main house I wanted to pinch myself seeing all of the authentic works of design. I was told by my lovely concierge Esmeralda that this was once the private villa of an Italian duchess and is now owned by a Hollywood producer. And you feel like you’re a guest in his aristocratic beach home, it’s not overdone but simple and just a feast for the eyes. From there she brought us to see the beach, what looked like miles of unblemished white sand with a warm gentle surf. Though I heard that the hotel was almost full we felt like we had it all to ourselves at certain points of the day. And the food! So many dining options from sushi to tacos to the freshest fish to brick oven pizza, the quality of which rivals anything I’d order at a popular big city restaurant, and in many cases better. But what really makes it work here is how you FEEL, the people working here genuinely care about what they do and checked in with us often, but not in an overbearing way. We had a couple of special requests and the answer was always yes without hesitation. Thank you Hotel Esencia, you are a true gem and we will be back for sure.

One of a kind hotel and experience. From the moment we arrived at the property we noticed the beautiful and relaxing atmosphere that is unique to Esencia. The rooms are beautiful and well maintained. The hotel is excellent for couples and families. During our stay there were families with babies, toddlers and teenagers. Our five year old daughter made lots of friends and enjoyed the pool and the activities they had for children. The service is excellent and the three restaurants are superb. The beach is unlike any other in the area. Hotel Esencia is a secluded, welcoming paradise and a hidden gem.

Prior to my stay, I believed that the perfect beach vacation did not exist. I had been looking for that elusive destination for years because I've always had such exacting criteria: beautiful/safe beach, intimate/boutique feel, private, luxurious (but not over the top), exceptional food and service, kid friendly (pool, sitters, sand toys, etc.), lots of amenities and attractions on property and closeby, AND easy to get to from Montana. So imagine my delight when I found Esencia!! Every detail of our stay was impeccable and I truly felt relaxed for the first time in years! Not only does this resort check all of my boxes, it sets the new standard for "5 Star Service". My children were so thrilled with every little thing--from the palm-frond critters made by Augustin at lunch to the hermit crabs that the staff helped them find at night. And when they would both fall asleep in my lap at dinner (exhausted from a full day of play), the staff were quick to pull up a sofa with pillows so I could continue eating and they could continue sleeping (they also carried my heavy purse all the way home from the restaurant since my hands were full with slumbering babies). I have yet to visit a place that is more accommodating to children--and weary parents--so this vacation was worth every peso and more! Don't even get me started on the healing power of a massage with Carla!! Lastly, although there were lots of guests staying at Esencia when we were there, I often felt like we had the place to ourselves and that everyone there was exclusively caring for my family. Who could ask for anything more!?! Everyone was so kind, helpful and polite... and we miss them all already! A return trip is certainly in our future.

What a paradise! Feels like you’re on private island, away from it all with the most beautiful white sandy beach and world-class food and service that rivals any other luxury hotel I’ve ever been to. They really deserve all the awards they’ve won. Apparently this hotel was originally a private villa and it still feels like you’re staying at some aristocratic family home with so many beautiful decorative details and interesting art and architecture everywhere. Almost all the suites are set apart from each other in two story bungalows, if not in the main original villa. None of the rooms is far from the beach and they are all immersed within the most majestic palm jungle. We even saw beautiful wild peacocks strutting around along with many other exotic birds and animals. Definitely not like the massive all-inclusive hotels — this is really the definition of a private, ultra luxury boutique hotel. The warm and loving staff, the extraordinary spa, the quality of the rooms and the sumptuous dining options are what sets this apart from any other hotel in Mexico. I’ve been wanting to come here for so many years and it’s a bit pricey but you definitely get what you pay for here. We booked an entry level category room and it was larger and more luxurious than I expected so don’t hesitate to book that if you’re on a budget. Ours had both a plunge pool and a bathtub plus a huge shower and private terrace where they surprised us each morning with fresh hot coffee and warm little treats. Everyone was just so nice, they made us feel like VIPs. There are 3 restaurants, all different with so many dining options and all so good that I could have stayed here for weeks. I highly recommend their Mexican seafood grill overlooking the sea; go for the fresh fish, the tacos, the tamarindo shrimp, and the ceviche, and we had the best sushi from their Japanese restaurant delivered to us right on the beach whenever we wanted…heaven! Their dinner restaurant Beefbar is beautiful and yummy with live music there almost every night we were there. Highly recommend the tuna with crispy rice, the Kobe beef nigiris that they torch for you right at the table, and their brick oven pizza which we discovered the last night. And saving the best for last, the spa! If you go here do not miss this once in a lifetime experience. Your body will thank you!

Mayan spa is the absolute BEST. Worth staying here for that alone. Afternoon tea with the iguanas on the veranda is also a great touch. Lots of privacy. The outdoor showers and hot tubs are great...not a fan of the hot tubs in room, but I think kids would appreciate. Great bath products/book selections in rooms too. Sushi and tacos are wonderful, but I think that Beef Bar need to improve...we ate several dishes that missed the mark. The food overall is also unbelievably expensive....however the service is well done.

This place is flat out amazing. Relaxing, peaceful and if you are looking for luxurious accommodations and top-notch service, this is place. We visited in mid-February for the second time and our experience was even better than our first visit, which I didn't think was possible. We had a wellness suite with a rooftop plunge pool and the room was more than we expected. As for the resort itself, it is run like a well-oiled machine, and you can tell the staff really want to make this an unforgettable experience for the guests. Big thank you to Kennedy and Omar for their amazing beach service. These guys worked so hard and always had a smile on their faces. Food and restaurants were great, and we had two amazing spa treatments. We will return again! Thank you Esencia.