Page 67 - quebec
P. 67
friends for a few years, the Duchess de-
cided to make her villa the centerpiece
of Esencia, my absolute favorite Riviera
Maya hotel. As befits the region’s past,
the hotel’s entrance was impossible
to find when I visited shortly after the
opening.
On a recent visit, a highway sign clearly
signaled the exit and I braced for disap-
pointment. My fears were unfounded,
however. The peaceful retreat of the past
remains elegant and serene.
The Duchess wisely chose one of Mexi-
co’s finest architects, Gabriel Nuñez, to
design a home to complement the jungle
and sea setting. Dense palms shade the
path to a simple white building topped
with a red tile roof. Within, sparse fur-
nishings, pieces of driftwood, bowls of
fruit and a few photographs give a sense
of sophisticated simplicity.
Right angles are nonexistent as walls,
ceilings and floors curve into each other.
In the rooms, simple remote-controlled
shades cover windows over large desks
facing the sea. Beds are dressed in white
linens and a few pillows add a touch of
color.
The organic spa is equally sparse, but the
therapists are among the best I’ve ever
met. Ditto the restaurant, where the
Guatemalan chef prepares endless com-
binations of seafood, fruits, chilies and
veggies in an incomparable array of cev-
iches. Everything I’ve tasted there has
been divine.
A few other equally luxurious spots have
held on to their immaculate beaches
and swaths of unspoiled jungle. The Bel-
mond Maroma resort opened as simply
Maroma in 1995 and quickly became the
darling of travel magazines and fashion
photo spreads.
Like Esencia, Maroma’s style is fashion-
ably simple, relying on pure while build-
ings, natural wood shutters and lots of
windows open to sea views. The Viceroy
Riviera Maya, which opened as Ikal del
Mar in 2005, was the first Riviera Maya
hotel to embrace the jungle, burying
spacious villas with private plunge pools
with dense palms and vines filled with
birdsong.
Sunrise at Sian Ka'an
Wine Dine & Travel Summer 2014 67

