(Press
'Jet Set Reports
on 16 April 2008')
It’s not your usual Mayan resort, this magical private estate, in fact most people that arrive to the area have never even heard of it. But Esencia is without hesitation one of the best hotels you’ll find in Playa del Carmen with a non-chain spirit of an independent luxury hotel located on a 50-acre private beach estate. The former-home of an Italian Countess, today this aristocratic resort is privy to chic wedding parties and in-the-know honeymooners that arrive along a private drive leading to hacienda-style estate with smooth white walls and terracotta roof.
With no quirky theme or trendy minimalism, Esencia's lobby is laid in white concrete floors with ebonized furnishings alit in colorful upholstery and views to the outdoor resort area with grassy lawn and sexy pool area that stretches-out to the sea. Esencia is home to Sal y Fuego Restaurant, one of the best hotel-based eateries on the coast, in a thatch-roof dining room with outdoor terrace offering a menu of seafood, meat and salad specialties. In-house Aroma Spa isn’t as large at Rosewood’s or Banyan Tree’s, but far more intimate and personal in rustic treatment spaces with soaking Jacuzzis and two Mayan-style domed steam rooms with walls of glass facing the tropical gardens.
Review posted on 23 September 2010
