Just a few miles North of Tulum, Mexico, lies the small bay of Punta Soliman. It’s not just any bay, though, but an Italian family’s love affair dating back to 1993.

At that time, Tommaso Marchiorello’s father discovered this small, reef protected cove and immediately fell in love with its tranquility. He built a small house, a place for many holidays with his family. He soon expanded the house with a small beachside restaurant and 20 years on his once home has grown to become Jashita Hotel, an intimate boutique hotel (and only hotel in the bay).Tommaso tells me he is no hotelier by profession to which I reply that all it takes to run a successful boutique hotel is to be a good host, which he clearly is: always around making sure everyone is happy, he is also a great source of information for local activity as he has spent a good part of the last 20 years here and practically knows every single fish around. Follow his advice and take a paddle board to see see the manta rays, snorkel the reef or take Jashita’s boat to the nearby Mayan ruins.Jashita managed to maintain the special atmosphere of a family residence: a lavish, eclectic mansion with antiques Italy, Morocco and even Indonesia, it is meticulously well maintained. Rooms are contemporary and spacious, with the palapa covered tower suites with their roof top lounge terraces offering the best views over the serene bay.And of course there is the restaurant, offering a fantastic blend of Mexican and Italian food (try the below Ceviche or the Calamari al Diablo), as well as some of the best croissants for breakfast I have had in a long time.You, too, will undoubtedly fall in love with Punta Soliman. Thank you, Tommaso, for sharing this love story with us.