Travel Tuesday: Hotel Esencia Xpu-Ha Mexico

Hubs and I spent a few glorious days at Hotel Esencia earlier this month. I read reviews and did my due diligence, but I was still gobsmacked when we arrived. Hotel Esencia is located outside Tulum, so we flew through Atlanta into Cancun. Our travel agent arranged for a private transfer to pick us up at the Cancun airport and drive us the ninety minutes to Hotel Esencia. Of course the natural backdrop of the Mexican coast is beautiful, but the design and aesthetics of the resort are indescribable. I took lots of pictures trying to capture the overall feel of the place, but I think you just have to visit and see for yourself.

Warning: the resort is a splurge. We only stayed three nights. Worth every penny!

Hotel Esencia: The Happiest Resort

Some scaly friends…we named them Ben and Ashley

I spent many hours on these chairs devouring The Resemblance by Lauren Nossett. Definitely worth a read! You can purchase here: https://amzn.to/3LYv5mh

I’m happy to report that the food and service are just as incredible as the views.

Have you ever seen a prettier breakfast table?

The hotel consists of only 51 rooms. Despite being at capacity during our stay, we never had to compete for pool chairs or a beach setup. The entire property is peaceful and serene. In case you’re wondering, this is what the forecast looks like in early March.

Weather

The highlight of the trip for me was the manatee excursion arranged by Hotel Esencia for Ben and me. This is not your typical vacation excursion…we simply met up with a guide on the beach at 11:00 one morning and walked about ten minutes down the beach to a spring fed lagoon that is home to a family of manatees. Just Ben, me, our guide and these amazing mammals. Encountering them in their natural habitat is something I’ll remember forever. You’ll definitely want to ask about this experience when you stay at Hotel Esencia.

Manatees

Three days in paradise were exactly what we needed. I know that scheduling a trip without the kids is tough (thank you to my wonderful in-laws and friends who helped out so Ben and I could make this happen), but we are always grateful we make it happen. Explore the resort here: https://hotelesencia.com/

I have to brag on myself for a minute and announce that I packed for this trip without having to check a bag! Since we only had three nights away and knew we’d be dealing with customs, we decided to carry on only in an effort to expedite our airport time. Several VIP products helped with this task. First up, the hat clip I mentioned in my Galentine’s post. I can now 100% confirm that it’s a game changer. (We actually flew again last week for spring break and I saw lots of these clips in use at the Atlanta airport).

Hat Clip

Get the clip on Amazon here: https://amzn.to/3Gm6nsH

A hat clip would be a cute little Easter basket gift.

The other star of the show is my clear TSA bag for liquids.

Clear Bag with Monogram

Available here in my own little shop: https://emerybodie-llc.myshopify.com/products/monogrammed-vinyl-bag

I have several of these bags and they would also make a cute Easter surcee.

Ben and I have so many places on our vacation bucket list that we rarely go to the same place twice for our adult getaways. Hotel Esencia is the exception to that rule. We will be back. I’m not sure we’ll make it until next spring before our next visit. I heard November is a great time to go….