Photo Credit: Tanveer Badal
It starts with a blank canvas, an empty white page, a bare wall. Then come lines, words, walls and windows as the masters try to create a work of art – a piece, a story, a hotel that makes a statement.
When art collector and entrepreneur Kevin Wendle purchased the Hotel Esencia in 2014 he added eleven new accommodations and edited the design of the twenty-nine existing bedrooms and suites back to a nearly blank canvas. The surfaces shine a pure white that mirrors the way the hot sun overexposes the famed sand beaches of the Xpu Ha region of Mexico. The deep brown wood edges the doors and walls like the frame of a finished work. Wooden accent pieces are arranged around the room in a manner both aesthetic and functional. Spots of color create artistic splatters in the form of flower arrangements, unique local art pieces and abstract designs on pillows and duvets.
Photo Credit: Tanveer Badal
Fifty minutes south of the tourist section of Cancún, opposite the island of Cozumel, the Hotel Esencia sits on the eastern tip of the Yucatán Peninsula as the pinnacle of unpretentious refinement and luxury. From the private white send beaches to the open yoga studio to its varied restaurants and bars, the hotel’s offering reflect the cool yet classy vibe of the décor. Hotel Esencia’s newest restaurant, Mistura, features a Peruvian and Japanese fused menu created by master chef, Dimitris Katrivesis, who embodies artistic expression from the colorful, tasty dishes gracing white plates to the tattoos peeking out from his white sleeves.
The lush green jungle and crystal blue Caribbean create the perfect backdrop for the newly expanded Hotel Esencia. The doors of the central hotel open to the garden paths the meander along the coast and through the trees, connecting the jungle and beach rooms and suites to the spa, gym, restaurants and bars. The hotel works in conjunction with nature from the minimally invasive construction techniques of the new structures to the locally sourced food featured on the many food and drink menus.
Photo Credit: Tanveer Badal
Hotel Esencia offers a variety of accommodations from single rooms to three bedroom villas either nestled under the canopy of trees or along the white sand beach. Guests are provided even more options when it comes to refreshments and activities. From fine dining at Mistura to the juice bar that transforms into a cocktail lounge as the sun makes its way access the sky, Hotel Esencia strives to provide traditional favorites with a global flare and offers an array of dishes to please variety of appetites and provide guests the energy they need to enjoy the hotel’s many amusements. Within twenty minutes of the hotel are the Robert Trent Jones 27-hole golf course and the Mayan ruins of Tulum, or guest can experience the local wildlife by snorkeling the reef just outside the hotel or by hitting the swank nightclubs on the Riviera.
Hotel Esencia’s crowning achievement is that it presents its guests with not only a blank canvas but also the tools and freedom to shape the holiday of their dreams.
