Hotel Esencia

"A small hotel on Xpu-ha beach with a dimly lit spa and new Jungle Rooms." - CNT Editors

"Located on Xpu-ha beach, this hotel offers a small, natural beauty with a focus on relaxation and local cuisine, including a restaurant with ocean views." - Michaela Trimble

"Dedicated wellness suites at Hotel Esencia, Quintana Roo, Mexico, each have a steam room and a private gym stocked with fitness gadgets upon request."

"A luxurious hideaway for the international jet set, Hotel Escencia is set 30 minutes north of Tulum and feels a world away from it all. Once the former home of an Italian duchess, it’s now a thoughtful boutique hotel with three restaurants, two pools, and a spa that overlooks a cenote. Set within a secluded 50-acre estate with flourishing tropical gardens, the property’s focal point is the main house, a three-story building known as Casa Grande, set just steps from 45 suites and three private villas, all with private terraces and some with plunge pools and ocean views. The property borders the Xpu-Ha cove to the south, a haven for the area’s sea turtles." - Michaela Trimble

"Often it’s easier for a property to serve the LGBTQ+ community beyond simple certification if the owner or GM identifies as LGBTQ+, Clifford adds. Take Kevin Wendle, the Hollywood exec turned hotelier who owns and runs Hotel Esencia in Mexico’s Riviera Maya, another favorite hotel among Clifford’s clients." - Mark Ellwood