Essence at the Fives Beach

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Essence at the Fives Beach | Playa del Carmen, Mexico | Virgin Atlantic Holidays

Playa del Carmen, Mexico

4.5 stars

Looking to create your own memorable moments in Mexico... well we're sure the Essence at The Fives Beach deserves a spot in your Wishlist! Sitting on a picture-perfect beach in Playa del Carmen the stunning Essence at The Fives Beach delivers all your holiday desires. Starting with their generous all-inclusive plan that offers global cuisine and impressive cocktail lists in 10 trendy restaurants and bars, that's enough to keep any foodie happy! You have a choice of inviting pools, beach club, dreamy spa and a kid's club playhouse, where little ones will be entertained for hours thanks to the energetic activity programme. Phew! Plus there's a great selection of rooms to choose from too. How does all that sound? It's clear to see a holiday here combines a blissful beach break with something a bit more 'extra'... it's no wonder it’s proving popular with fun-loving couples and families.

Amenities

Tennis
Babysitting service
Kids Club
Bar
Evening Entertainment
Internet Access
Restaurant
Room Service
Spa
Swimming Pool
Beachfront location

Explore the local area

Perfectly sat on the white sand coast of the Caribbean Sea in Playa Del Carmen. Transfer time from airport: 35 minutes.

Hotel Information

Room Information
Room Upgrade Information

663 air-conditioned rooms. All with a balcony or terrace with pool or garden views, air-conditioning, LCD flat-screen television or smart TV, WiFi, coffee maker and daily stocked mini-bar.

With features of contemporary coastal style, Deluxe Rooms have a large balcony or terrace with garden views, and either 2 double beds or 1 king- size bed, sleeping maximum 4 adults or 2 adults and 2 children.

All Inclusive includes: a welcome drink upon arrival. Meals and drinks at 10 bars and restaurants, plus casual dining options in the open-air eateries. Domestic and international premium liqueurs. Personal concierge in pool and beach areas. 24-hour room service.

Hotel details

Dining

14 restaurants and gourmet corners including Flavours (family-friendly buffet restaurant with International dishes, open for breakfast and dinner), Lizzards (healthy delights and natural ingredient-based cuisine, open for lunch), Natura Day Club & Grill (adult-only, grill restaurant, open for lunch), La Brasserie (Bistro restaurant serving the best of International cuisine, all-day dining), Oka (sushi bar, open for dinner), Mestizo (authentic Mexican gastronomy, open for breakfast and dinner), Arezzo (adult-only restaurant, Tuscan cuisine, open for dinner), Sea Olive (Italian dishes, open for dinner), Koh Thai (Thai cuisine, open for dinner). Pop up food corners including pizza slices, Mexican bites, burgers and sandwiches and other pop up delights. 4 pool bars and 4 signature bars. Coffee shop*.

Fun and Games

7 outdoor pools. Spa*. Gym. Outdoor tennis courts. Basketball court. Running and jogging circuit. The Beach Club with loungers and sun beds. Aluxitos Play House (4-12 years) offering fun supervised activities for kids, ranging from fitness classes, arts and crafts and tennis lessons. Interactive cooking class*. Joy & Wellness Programme (variety of activities designed to refresh and renew both body and mind. These include yoga classes, sport activities, evening entertainment and cooking classes).

Entertainment

Daily and nightly entertainment.

Handy Stuff

Butlers in the pool and beach areas. 24-hour room service*. Dry-cleaning/laundry services*. Babysitting service available*.

Resort Fees

Guests staying in the Mexican state Quintana Roo are required to pay a travel tax of $11 per adult (over 15 years old). The payment can be made prior to travel, upon arrival or during your stay, as the tax will be imposed upon departure. There is also an additional Environmental Sanitation Tax of $4.25 USD per room, per night that will be added to your hotel bill (payable locally, subject to change).

Additional Information

* Denotes local charge.

Trip advisor rating

4.5/5

18,248 reviews

Location
Sleep Quality
Rooms
Service
Value
Cleanliness

Excellent

72%

Very Good

15%

Average

Poor

Terrible

“Perfect accommodation, resort and staff”

Sep 20, 2025OwenBo

We arrived three hours late due to our flight being delayed, however the staff were warm and welcoming still. They took my details double checked there records and guided me through the whole check in process. Next was the bell boy who, on the way to the suite, explained key points of the resort and what to expect. We got to the suite and gave me a full tour of my accommodation. During the stay everything was excellent. The resort staff could not do enough for me. I had a special request on my last day and they fully fulfilled this for me. This was my first time staying all inclusive and in Mexico. I would fully recommend this resort.

“Lovely hotel, shame about the food”

Sep 20, 2025Sue D

We went to this hotel for the same two weeks last year and enjoyed it so much we returned again this year. The hotel and grounds are great and the staff are wonderful ( especially Alajandra, Koko, Martin and Israel). Unfortunately the restaurants let it down this year. The main buffet restaurant was only open for breakfast which meant the only option for lunch was burger or pizza on the beach. Occasionally the Healthy Eating restaurant was open. For the evening the Brasserie and Mexican have been merged as have the Italian and Mediterranean and the Thai and Japanese. All with greatly reduced menus. The website is still showing the full menu for each restaurant. As they are not all open every evening it often meant waiting up to an hour for a table. One evening in the Brasserie my husband ordered duck pate for a starter. he got two squares of toast, each one about two inches square and the pate was so thin you could see the toast through it. He then had the ribeye steak which was quite thin and was served with two very small baby potatoes which when he cut them open were black and inedible. The only other veg with it was a shallot cut in half. I had the duck breast which was very chewy, and this came with one Brussel sprout, one green bean and one very small broccoli floret . they were all raw and I couldn't even cut them. I could go on about other meals but I think you get the picture. All other guests we spoke to said the same thing about the food and lack of choice especially for children. We spoke to our rep. who made a note of our complaint and said she would pass it on to the travel company. We were really disappointed after last year being so good. This is not what is expected of a five star hotel even in the low season. We will not be returning any time soon

“A fabulous experience!”

Sep 15, 2025OnAir34490000032

I cannot understand any negative reviews associated with this resort . We went as a family of 7 and a baby and it was amazing! The grounds are fabulous, the staff are polite and extremely friendly and the rooms clean. The food was the best I have encountered on any all inclusive as far as quality. We will be back for sure!

ATOL protection for your entire holiday

Book with confidence knowing your holiday is financially protected

Protection for your Package Holiday

Some of the flights and flight-inclusive holidays on this website are financially protected by the ATOL scheme. However, ATOL protection does not apply to all holiday and travel services listed on this website. Please ask us to confirm what protection may apply to your booking. If you do not receive an ATOL Certificate then the booking will not be ATOL protected. If you do receive an ATOL Certificate but all the parts of your trip are not listed on it, those parts will not be ATOL protected. Please see our booking conditions for information, or for more information about financial protection and the ATOL Certificate go to: https://www.atol.org/about-atol/atol-certificates.

This product offers you combinations of a hotel and flights at an inclusive price. This product enjoys the protection of the Package Travel, Package Travel and Linked Arrangements Regulations 2018.

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