Hotel Esencia review: a secret retreat and day trips to Chichén Itzá

The Yucatán Peninsula, in the south-east of Mexico abutting Belize, is home to the ancient Mayan people. Covered in sprawling, dense jungles, the region is distinctly unusual in its geology due to the Chicxulub impact crater from the asteroid that wiped out the dinosaurs – shifting tectonic plates, forcing the seabed up to the surface and creating a thin layer of limestone which crumbles away all over this area creating sinkholes known locally as cenotes. There's more on these gateways to the underworld here, but for now we venture into the coastal province of Quintana Roo.

The bustling town of Puerto Aventuras sits on the Riviera Maya, a coast dotted with hotels big and small, on the road south of the hub of Cancun and about 30 minutes north of the confluence of hippy chill and party in Tulum.

Hotel Esencia is nestled off this artery – barely a sign marking its presence, it is intensely private – a secret retreat. Indeed, the tall, white haciendas that compromise the accommodation have no numbers, dense plants encroaching over their paths masking their presence until you are right upon them. How do you remember which is yours? A ribbon, the colour of your choosing, will be tied around a tree so you can find your way home.

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Why come here?

The hotel's central path twists onwards like Kukulkan, the mythical Mayan serpent god, through these jungled, dense masses of green to a palm-dotted, open space. A sprawling lawn dotted with trees leads to a large white house in which, remarkably, all the surfaces are white, polished to reflect the light, including sofas built from the floor creating a seamless structure, the room existing even stripped of all its decor and furniture. Hotel Esencia is all smooth, soft-edged and rounded across interiors, gorgeous pebble-surrounded pools, and paths: organic and ergonomic. The colour scheme is royal blue and stark white from staff uniforms to cups and saucers, perhaps reflecting the Caribbean sea at its edge.

The accommodation   

Rooms are exquisitely eccentric – timeless with an aesthetic that pulls from the space age style of the mid century to the Wall Street warehouse chic of the '90s. It's a cocoon, a futuristic feeling pod that somehow feels totally now at the same time. The white-on-white-on-white could be almost medical, sterile but for pops of colour – red lines on all the linens, a striking blue and black drape across the bed, the jade green jungle visible through every window, a chrome chair. 

The feature you didn't know you needed but now must have – a plunge pool – which sits, recessed, between shower and bedroom. It should be said there is a sense of movement in the room, of no hard surface or stops due to the continuous white that covers floor, walls, ceiling and furniture – curved where floor meets wall, or where the wall segues to the walk-in shower. Rooms are separated with sliding doors and fans are made from vintage, well-polished propellers.

Things to do

The property has a long stretch of private beach. The relentless work of the waves turns coral and seaweed into silk over millennia which means the sands here have the unique property of being cool even in the tropical heat of the midday sun – meaning no awkward hop, skip, ooh and ahh as you make your way to the just-cool waters of the Caribbean from one of the thatched private beach cabanas (all served promptly via a handy button). 

A little down the beach, past the turtle nesting site, a 10-minute walk from the property, sits a private cenote, much larger than most and connected to the sea via a tunnel. Manatees frequent it to feed and a guide will take two of you to snorkel with them; it's cool, quiet and very stilling.

It's worth dragging yourself away from your sun-lounger to make the two-and-a-half-hour drive inland to visit the incredible ancient Mayan site of Chichén Itzá. This 1,500-year-old pre-Columbian city is one of Mexico's most celebrated and special places and features at its heart the icon that is the temple of Kukulkan, the aforementioned flying serpent god. Through its various sections, you'll get a glimpse of the scale at which the Mayan people existed, worshipped their gods, sacrificed their champions, played sport and understood maths and astronomy. It gets busy (and hot) so it's worth getting there at opening time. A word to the wise… lots of people will try and flog you tickets and parking, but keep driving till you get to the official car park and ticket office. 

As a post-cultural reward, stop in at La Tía De Kaua on the 180 road, 20 minutes or so from Chichén Itzá. A famous spot throughout the region, this is one of a handful of places offering traditional cooking with live fire. The "must-order" dish is "poc chuc", thinly sliced pork cooked on a hot metal dome over the fire served with tortillas, salsa made with vegetables roasted in the embers and a bowl of silky black bean soup.

William Leigh was a guest of Hotel Esencia. Carretera Cancún-Tulum km 265 Xpu-Ha, Quintana Roo 77750 Mexico; hotelesencia.com 

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