On Xpu-Ha bay between Playa del Carmen and Tulum, Hotel Esencia feels more private estate than conventional Riviera Maya resort. Once the home of an Italian duchess, it now offers suites, villas and the Esencia Mansion set between jungle, palms and white sand. Private terraces, an organic spa, pools, tennis and pickleball shape the stay, while Mistura, Taiyo and Beefbar give the beachfront setting a polished, quietly cosmopolitan rhythm, from barefoot lunches to candlelit evenings by the Caribbean Sea. nearby.