Tulum’s Hotel Esencia Secures Spot on World’s 50 Best List

TULUM, Mexico – In a landmark move, the renowned World’s 50 Best organization, which annually bestows accolades upon the finest restaurants, chefs, and bars worldwide, has unveiled its inaugural edition celebrating the 50 best hotels across the globe. Remarkably, four of these gems are nestled in the heart of Latin America. Standing tall among the Latin American honorees is the One&Only Mandarina, gracefully perched in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, securing the eighth spot on the global roster. It’s lauded as a “luxury without limits on the Pacific shores.” Following closely is another Mexican gem, Chablé Yucatán in Chocholá, seizing the 13th position, described as a “Mexican oasis of glamour and relaxation.”

Two other Latin American establishments that have made their mark on the list are Hotel Esencia in Tulum, Mexico, and Rosewood São Paulo in Brazil. The former takes the 19th spot, celebrated as a “boho beach chic space with an aristocratic touch,” while the latter grabs the 27th spot and the crown for the best hotel in South America.

World’s 50 Best revealed that its rankings were formulated based on the firsthand experiences of 580 jury members assigned by regional division heads. Each juror voted for a list of seven preferred hotels, culminating in the final ranking. These judges hail from various walks of life within the hospitality sector, ranging from hoteliers, travel agents, and journalists to experts in the nomadic lifestyle.

William Drew, the Director of Content at William Reed, explains the multifaceted success of such a list, stating, “The way it drives the hotel business is significant, and, somewhat less empirically, the way it fosters cultural discovery, encouraging travel to new parts of the world that might otherwise go undiscovered.” Below, we delve into what you need to know about the featured Latin American hotels.

One&Only Mandarina

This exceptional hotel eschews traditional rooms in favor of 105 villas, each with an initial price tag of $1,300. One&Only clinched the title of Best Hotel in North America this year. Its gastronomic offerings significantly contributed to its top 10 positions, with its kitchen under the expert guidance of Chef Enrique Olvera, the proprietor of Pujol in Mexico City, which is this year’s ninth-best restaurant globally. Additionally, the resort boasts a spa offering rituals inspired by ancestral methods, featuring curanderas who utilize native plants, herbs, and pre-Hispanic indigenous practices.

Chablé Yucatán

This hotel boasts 40 luxurious rooms designed with wellness in mind and houses a spa that is the world’s first to be built around a cenote, an underground pool of natural origin that the Maya reveres. The menu at its flagship restaurant, Ixi’im, is curated by Jorge Vallejo, the chef of Mexico City’s Quintonil, a perennial inclusion among the world’s top 50 restaurants. Room rates begin at $770.

Hotel Esencia

A luxurious boutique hotel, it was once the vacation residence of an Italian duchess, situated on Xpu-Ha Beach in Tulum. This is the kind of establishment that boasts a private heliport. In 2022, it unveiled the Mansión Esencia: a four-bedroom property with three private pools and a 360-degree terrace. The hotel offers water sports, sunrise yoga sessions, and a spa that draws inspiration from Mayan healing rituals and phytotherapy. Beyond its opulence, it’s recognized for its conservation efforts related to marine life, native plant species, and animals. Prices start from $1,100.

Rosewood São Paulo

The largest in terms of room count among the four Latin American honorees, Rosewood São Paulo offers 180 rooms, with an initial price of $700. Art and environmental stewardship define this establishment. The hotel houses a collection of 450 artworks created in collaboration with 57 local artists, including sculptures, paintings, drawings, tiles, and textiles. It also boasts Brazil’s most extensive recycling project, over 250 trees exceeding 14 meters in height, a renewable energy plan, and a water filtration system that produces bottled glass water for guests’ consumption.

Here is the complete list of the 50 best hotels in the world, according to 50 Best:

1. Passalacqua, Lake Como, Italy
2. Rosewood Hong Kong
3. Four Seasons Hotel Bangkok at Chao Phraya River
4. The Upper House, Hong Kong
5. Aman Tokyo
6. La Mamounia, Marrakech, Morocco
7. Soneva Fushi, Maldives
8. One & Only Mandarina, Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
9. Four Seasons Hotel Firenze, Italy
10. Mandarin Oriental, Bangkok
11. Capella Bangkok (Nikka Award for Best New Hotel)
12. The Calile, Brisbane
13. Chablé Yucatán, Chocholá, Mexico
14. Aman Venice
15. Singita Lodges, Kruger National Park (Flor de Caña Eco Hotel Award)
16. Claridge’s, London
17. Raffles Singapore
18. Nihi Sumba, Indonesia
19. Hotel Esencia, Tulum, Mexico
20. La Sirenuse, Positano, Italy
21. Borgo Egnazia, Savelletri, Italy
22. The Connaught, London
23. Royal Mansour, Marrakech, Morocco
24. Four Seasons Hotel Madrid
25. Aman New York
26. Maybourne Riviera, Roquebrune-Cap-Martin, France
27. Rosewood Sao Paulo
28. Capella Singapore
29. Le Bristol, Paris
30. Park Hyatt Kyoto
31. La Reserve, Paris
32. Gleneagles, Auchterarder, Scotland
33. Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc, Antibes, France
34. Cheval Blanc, Paris
35. Four Seasons Astir Palace Hotel Athens
36. Soneva Jani, Maldives
37. The Newt, Bruton, United Kingdom (Best Boutique Hotel Award)
38. Amangalla, Sri Lanka
39. Hoshinoya, Tokyo
40. Desa Potato Head, Bali
41. Eden Rock, St. Barth
42. The Siam, Bangkok
43. Kulm Hotel, St. Moritz, Switzerland
44. Atlantis The Royal, Dubai
45. Oberoi Amarvilas, Agra, India
46. Nomad London
47. The Savoy, London
48. Equinox New York
49. Six Senses Ibiza
50. Hôtel de Crillon, Paris