PLAYA XPU-HA,
Mexico -- Private homes dont usually figure as the centerpiece of a
resort development, but when youre planning a small, upscale
property, the guidelines are different.
Thats what
Houston-based ProHotel decided when it set out to construct its
second hotel in the Riviera Maya, the Esencia. The first, Ikal del
Mar, opened in 2002.
ProHotel found
something uncommon in the resort industry: a three-story, nine-room
home built in 1994 for an Italian duchess, complete with a Catalan
dome roof made of brick and a salon and dining room.
The property was
so beautiful, with guest suites that were so breathtaking, that it
was natural to convert it into a luxury property, said Samir Saab,
principal of ProHotel, which manages both properties.
The Esencia, to
open in February, is located on a two-mile stretch of beach at
Playa Xpu-Ha, about 46 miles south of Cancuns airport.
The 50-acre
resort features 29 guest rooms and suites with custom furnishings,
plunge pools, oversized bathrooms, private terraces and walk-in
closets.
The resorts most
luxurious unit, called Rosas Suite, has a balcony, a private
solarium and original furnishings created by local
artisans.
Also available
are 5,000-square-foot, four-bedroom units that feature media rooms
with LCD screens and surround sound, satellite cable TV and DVD and
CD players.
The units also
have a living room, kitchen and the services of a personal butler
and chef.
The hotels
restaurant, Sal y Fuego, will specialize in seafood and organically
grown foods, with a focus on Meso-American cooking, a native method
whereby meats or seafood are simmered in banana leaves below the
earth. In the evening, the restaurant will serve wine from four
continents.
The resorts spa,
Aroma, will offer treatments based on fito-therapy, which involves
herbs and botanical extracts. Yoga and meditation classes will also
be offered, and the fitness center will have exercise
equipment.
Saab said
ProHotel aims to create distinct identities for each of its
properties.
Ikal appeals to
couples looking to unplug and experience nature and the local
culture with all of the sophisticated creature comforts, he
said.
Ikal is a
creation of ethnicity, of the Mayan culture taken to a
sophisticated level in a tropical-forest setting. Ikal is romance,
privacy and tranquility for people who want to decompress and get
totally unplugged from their everyday life.
In contrast,
Esencia is geared more toward the traveler who is looking for a
minimalistic yet elegant experience that he or she can share with a
significant other, friend or family.
Rates start at
$375, double occupancy. For more information, call (877) 528-3490
or visit www.hotelesencia.com.
To contact
the reporter who wrote this article, send e-mail to [email protected].