Hotel Esencia, Tulum, Mexico

April 11, 2018/Nat

Zach and I have been backpacking in Cinque Terre, dog sledding in Alaska, helicoptering in Grand Canyon, surfing in California, rock climbing in the Bahamas, I could go on but you get the gist. Well, this was not that trip. The most adventurous we got was the gym. And even that was brief. For four days in Tulum, we did a whole lot of nothing and I’ve never been happier. After a particularly stressful year and in-between Zach leaving his old job of twelve years and starting his new gig, we escaped last-minute to Mexico, which was perhaps was the best part- the spontaneity of it all. If there’s a place to do nothing, this is it.

My friend spent her 40th at Hotel Esencia and raved about it. After hearing her experience and doing some digging myself, I was sold. I mean, this restaurant decor alone was enticing enough for the Instagrammer in me.

We’ve been to many areas of Mexico (the Palmilla is a favorite) before but Tulum has been on my list for awhile and I’m so glad we finally made it happen. Like the Palmilla, Hotel Esencia is a splurge but since we hadn’t been on a true vacation for just the two of us in about four years and we’d missed Zach’s 40th birthday trip (due to Oliver’s surgery and Zach’s interview process), we decided we’re worth it.

It’s a boutique hotel, off-the-beaten-path (technically between Tulum and Playa del Carmen), which is our kind of place. It drives me nuts to have to get up early and reserve a pool chair or play stalk the table game at lunch and, call me crazy, but a packed elevator that gets off at every floor isn’t exactly conducive to relaxing. As I said on my Instagram Live tour while there, we’re not the come home with friends type of vacationers. Civil? Sure. Polite? Of course. But pulling up a chair, putting you in my phone book and planning future outings? No. I’m there to check out. The less interactions, the better.

There’s only about 40 rooms at the entire resort and, even at 80% capacity, it seemed empty. There was never anyone at the pool (most preferred the beach and even that seemed sparse) or the gym and hardly anyone at the spa, bar or lunch. The most we ever saw people was at morning yoga (which we didn’t do!) and dinner. You get around by golf cart (and by “get around”, I mean the staff picks you up with one when you arrive and leave the hotel, the rest of the time, you’re on foot because everything is within a a two-minute walk) so there’s no noise or pollution, there’s plenty of places to curl up or hang out, it’s landscaped so well that you just feel alone in your own tropical, jungle paradise.

Every morning, we woke and lounged in bed, delighting at not having to jump up to feed a baby, prep for a preschooler or head to work, we’d take our time (what’s that like?) and then make our way to the juice bar for a smoothie and sip it in the treehouse over looking the beach.

We’d then make our way to the gym for a quick workout cause why not? We had the time! Plus, the more we sweat, the more we could eat.

We did margs at every lunch, which is one of my better decisions to date.

And can we please talk about the food? Omg, the food. So fresh, so simple, so good. It proves, once again, how much we, as Americans, mess up Mexican food.

After every lunch, we promptly posted up at the beach or pool and passed out. There was some reading as well but even that was too taxing at times.

I wish I could say we played a whole game of croquet but even that seemed aggressive in our extreme state of relaxation. The spa was more our speed. And with each treatment room having it’s own personal open-air hot tub, it was well worth the visit.

Even the boutique was impeccably designed and curated.

The juice bar by day turns cocktail lounge at night with great music, waves crashing , comfy couches… this may have been one of my favorite parts. After a relaxing and fun day, cleaning up, getting a drink before dinner in this oasis really set the tone for an incredible evening.

Followed by an exquisite meal at the pool.

We did manage to go into town one night, which I highly recommend as it’s so fun to shop and sip your way along the strip. Everything has such a cool, hip, sexy, open-air vibe. We ate at Gitano, which was phenomenal. (Hartwood and Arca were also suggested but booked.) If you’re looking to go into town every day or night, Esencia might not be the place for you. It took about 45 minutes and was equally expensive. So, for us, it was one and done but, as much as I want to relax, I refuse to go to a new place and not actually see some of it.