HONEYMOON 7

07 Esencia

YUCATAN PENINSULA, MEXICO
Style Less-is-more luxe
Setting Tropical Caribbean seaside
Why you’ll love it A 50-acre private estate on the Mayan Riviera, formerly owned by the Duchess of Ferrari, Esencia does cosseting luxury with none of the uptight formality that ordinarily goes hand in hand with five-star hotels. Indulge your senses in a Deluxe Ocean View suite: you can watch the sun rise over the sea from your giant bed and watch it set again while you sip cocktails on your terrace.
True romance Have a couples’ treatment in the Aroma Spa, or, if you’re feeling at one with the universe, celebrate life with a Full Moon Prehispanic Ritual. This ancestral ceremony takes place on the beach and involves a temazcal, playing the shells, and ‘showering in the sea’.
Worth getting out of bed for Budding Cousteaus will want to explore the underwater world (Esencia has its own scuba-diving instructors). Inland, there are incredible Mayan temples to tempt you away from the pristine white beach.
The bottom line $525–$2,800 a night, including breakfast; excluding 10 per cent service and 12 per cent tax.