Pier Navega Tours and Activities

Hotel Esencia is an absolute gem! Hands down my favorite 5 star property we have ever stayed at. It’s great for both families and couples. Beef Bar restaurant, although very expensive, is unreal and worth every penny! The beach is perfect and the lagoon Manatee tour with Pansqual is a must! A few minor complains are that we were charged a ghastly price for a second round of covid testing after our original flight was canceled so we had to retest. The tests were only advertised as complimentary all over their social media and website. Also don’t expect immediate 5 star service as staffing is quite sparse due to COVID-19 (which is understandable). With that being said I give the property 5 stars without question and would highly recommend to everyone!!

Nice resort limited on what you can do food was great pool was nice fun first all inclusive nice being in the sun

This is a beautiful resort. Our accommodations (casita overlooking the canal) were spacious and spotless. Restaurant choices and food (with a few exceptions) was excellent. The exceptions were the breakfast buffet (very expensive, busy and crowded, with less-than-attentive service), and single meals at both Gaia and Tauro. Our first meal at Gaia was outstanding, and we received excellent service from the manager regarding the less-than-outstanding meal. Meals at Bassano, La Laguna, Fuego, and Hix were all superb, in terms of food preparation/presentation as well as service. We also noted the presence of an above-average number of staff to maintain the property in its excellent condition. We spent the majority of our time on the Nature Trail in the morning, then at the Adult Pool in the afternoons. It was a bit disappointing with the Adult Pool was closed for corporate functions (lots of those held here) The Family Pool at La Laguna is great for kids. The beach was somewhat disappointing, due to both the seaweed and the barriers which have been erected to keep it away from the beach……just not scenic. We did not spend much time there, as a result (but many other people did and appeared to be enjoying it). The sand is lovely (when it is not covered in seaweed!). The staff did a heroic job of attempting to keep the beach free of plants but this really does not seem to be easy to do. We found the staff to be extremely and genuinely welcoming and warm.