The story goes that over three decades ago, Rosa, the Italian Duchess of Ferrari was so bewitched by the sugar-white beach and turquoise waters of Xpu-Ha – a sandy Arcadia 50 miles south of Cancún – she bought a 12-acre piece of land that fronted the Caribbean and backed onto thick native jungle. Here, she built herself a sprawling holiday bolt-hole that she later turned into a hotel. Fresh from an 18-month renovation by its new owner Kevin Wendle, the spruced up Hotel Esencia is a world away from the nearby mega-resorts that crowd the Riviera Maya, but it stubbornly retains the escapist vibe that so enchanted Rosa. Working with in-house creative director C.S. Valentin (ex-Miu Miu and Olivier Theyskens) and architects Gabriel and Alfonso Nunez, Wendle has invested each of the Esencia’s 29 rooms and public spaces with a striking, mid-century quality that combines Charlotte Perriand and Pierre Jeanneret furniture with custom hand-woven Mexican wool rugs, 1950s artwork with a Botero and Picasso thrown in casually. The room of choice is the Rosa Suite – the Duchess’s former bedroom opens onto an enormous terrace with ocean views and a private heated plunge pool. Meanwhile, the organic spa features Reiki and massages that involve restorative herbs and ingredients from the Caribbean and jungle.
ADDRESS
Carretera Cancún – Tulum km 265
Playa Xpu-Ha
Quintana Roo 77750
Mexico
-
Exclusive: Thom Yorke and artist Stanley Donwood reminisce on 30 years of Radiohead album artAs the pair’s back catalogue of album sleeves, paintings, musings and more goes on show at Oxford’s Ashmolean, Radiohead singer-songwriter Yorke and his longtime collaborator Donwood talk exclusively to Wallpaper’s Craig McLean
-
Out of office: the Wallpaper* editors’ picks of the weekThis week, our editors have been privy to the latest restaurants, art, music, wellness treatments and car shows. Highlights include a germinating artwork and a cruise along the Pacific Coast Highway…
-
An instant modern classic, the new Hyundai Inster is an all-conquering, all-electric city carSmall EVs are making big waves as the tech continues to evolve. Hyundai shows everyone else how to do it
-
This spa in the Riviera Maya stays open until midnight. Here’s what happens after darkRosewood Mayakoba’s Akbal Series proposes a new kind of night out
-
At Rubra, thrilling tropical cuisine comes courtesy of the youngest World’s Best Female ChefAt chef Daniela Soto-Innes’ exceptional restaurant in Mexico’s Punta de Mita, the cooking is as ambitious as the view
-
Head to Puerto Escondido, a hot spot of eco-friendly hotels for the architecturally adventurousAs a bucolic cluster of beach towns evolves on Mexico’s Oaxacan coast, there’s hope that Puerto Escondido can prove a guiding light in responsible tourism; Eric Millman went to find out more
-
Six hotels where you’ll find the winter sun this FebruaryFrom intimate seaside inns to lush tropical resorts, here are six Wallpaper*-approved winter sun escapes
-
Vipp Todos Santos wins Wallpaper* Design Award 2025A new guesthouse from the Danish design brand brings a Scandinavian aesthetic to a desert location in Mexico
-
Wallpaper* Design Awards 2025: meet the travel winners transcending destinationsDiscover the Wallpaper* Design Awards 2025 travel winners – the year’s places to stay, dine, drink and join – and watch our video to find out why they won
-
Take a trip to San Miguel de Allende, the Mexican City attracting a flourishing creative crowdSan Miguel de Allende is home to a bold young crowd of talent that’s thriving off the city’s brightly-hued heritage
-
Six brilliant bars for your 2025 celebrations, hot off the Wallpaper* travel deskWallpaper’s most-read bar reviews of the year can't be wrong: here’s inspiration for your festive and new year plans, from a swanky Las Vegas lounge to a minimalist London drinking den
