18 June 2026 |
The scene included New York luminaries, a mariachi band, and muchas margaritas
When he was 31, Mark Twain ventured to Hawaii as a newspaper correspondent. Upon discovering the lush landscapes of Maui, the Missouri native ended up staying for five weeks instead of the preordained one. “I never spent so pleasant a month before, or bade any place goodbye so regretfully,” he wrote.
One imagines that Kevin Wendle felt a similar Twain-like enchantment when a real estate agent showed him a more dilapidated version of Hotel Esencia in 2014. While he was living in Los Angeles working as a top-level television producer (Wendle was behind Miami Vice, 21 Jump Street and Fresh Prince of Bel Air), he always dreamed of owning something akin to the glamorous Hotel Bel Air. As he moved on to become a media scion, as an early founder of CNET, EOnline, and Fox, he became a consummate host who enjoyed inviting his friends to his various homes around the world.
Wendle no longer works in media, but he has become a dedicated hotelier. Hotel Esencia, which formerly belonged to an Italian heiress from the Ferrari family, is located on 50 miles of secluded jungle and beachfront property in the heart of Riviera Maya. It is a jewel of a property that boasts of 47 rooms and four villas (including an awe-inspiring mansion designed by Giancarlo Valle and artistic director Juan Carlos Gutierrez). The hotel has five restaurants and bars and a dreamy spa inspired by the Mayan goddess, Ixchel. Its roster of guests read like the world’s best dinner party: Lupita Nyong’o, Inez & Vinoodh, Drew Barrymore, and Marcel Dzama are all fans.
From left: Kevin Wendle, Linda Fargo, Andrew Taylor
When it came to celebrating the hotel’s 12th anniversary this past weekend, Wendle knew he wanted to mark the occasion in style. He invited friends from New York and beyond—including Bergdorf Goodman’s Linda Fargo, a regular visitor of the hotel, to co-host.
The evening’s dress code called for fiesta colors, and guests such as beloved Polo Bar maître de Nelly Moudime and content creator Charlotte Groeneveld happily abided in slinky floor length frocks. The carnivalesque atmosphere, brilliantly imagined by Gutierrez, took place in the Palm Garden. A man on stilts, a sword swallower, a contortionist, a magician and a four-piece Mariachi band were among the evening’s entertainment. Overhead a raft of rainbow-colored ribbons twirled in the breeze, while guests played darts, took photos, and sipped on the house’s signature grapefruit and rosemary margaritas. During a pre-dinner toast, Fargo, in a Naeem Khan dress and glamorous floral headpiece, thanked Wendle for bringing everyone to paradise.
And even though we were worlds away from the Big Apple, the evening’s good vibes became electrified after a handful of New Yorkers watched the Knicks win the NBA championship. After dancing until midnight at the hotel’s chic speakeasy bar, it was time to take a dip in the mansion’s rooftop pool. The ultimate showman, Wendle had pulled out all the stops to create a beautiful evening for all to enjoy. Much like Twain’s lament, no one wanted it to end.
