Have you been stashing away Hilton points or free night award certificates for the perfect vacation? Here's your chance to put them to use: You can currently book a stay at the Waldorf Astoria Costa Rica Punta Cacique, a brand-new luxury hotel set on a hidden stretch of beach, just a short 30 minute drive from Liberia International Airport (LIR).
We just discovered a good amount of standard room award availability for next year, beginning in late February and running all the way into May 2025, for just 120,000 Hilton Honors points per night. With almost every single night bookable over that span, this is a great opportunity to stay at the high-end property before anyone else – the property is slated to open Feb. 1, 2025.
While 120,000 points a night might not sound like a deal, that's as cheap as the Waldorf Astoria Costa Rica Punta Cacique gets through Hilton's program. Scan through the rest of the calendar and you'll see several nights going for 1 million Hilton Honors points … or more.
Critically, that price point also means you can book with a Hilton free night certificate … and this pricey property is a great way to use them. Considering most nights here cost $2,000 or more if paying cash – with several costing north of $3,000 – this is a great deal using Hilton points or free nights no matter how you slice it.
Plus, travelers with any level of Hilton status can book five nights and only pay for four thanks to Hilton's fifth night free on award bookings. That means a five-night stay would cost you 480,000 Hilton Honors points or 96,000 points per night.
Thrifty Tip: Got *amex platinum card*? That comes with complimentary Hilton Honors Gold status, which unlocks a fifth night free on award stays plus free breakfast – a huge money-saver at top-notch Hilton properties like the Waldorf Astoria Costa Rica Punta Cacique.
Read more: Here's Why the Amex Hilton Aspire is the Best Hotel Credit Card
How to Book the Waldorf Astoria Costa Rica Punta Cacique
- There is currently standard room award availability at the Waldorf Astoria Costa Rica Punta Cacique almost every day from late February through mid-May 2025, as of publication.
- That means you can book free nights for 120,000 Hilton Honors points or apply free night certificates earned from certain Hilton credit cards.
- If you have Hilton Honors Silver status (or higher), you can book five consecutive nights and only pay for four – a 20% savings per night.
- This is a brand-new property that is slated to open on February 1, 2025. This is the first time we have seen this much standard room award availability.
How to Search for Availability with the Calendar View
To find dates with standard room award availability at 120,000 points per night, the easiest way is to search with the calendar view. But that's easier said than done, as Hilton doesn't make searching for award nights very intuitive. Here's how.
Head to Hilton.com and search for the Waldorf Astoria Costa Rica Punta Cacique. Click “Special Rates” and be sure to select “Use Points”; otherwise, you'll only see the (exorbitant) cash rates. Here's the important part: Under dates, select “My Dates are Flexible.”
Once you've done that, you'll see a calendar view with all the bookable dates. You can jump from month to month and see which dates will work at these standard award rates.
And as you'll see, there's plenty to pick from.
Current Waldorf Astoria Costa Rica Punta Cacique Award Availability
As of publication, you can find standard room award availability at the Waldorf Astoria Costa Rica Punta Cacique almost every single day starting in late February 2025 all the way through mid-May 2025. There's never a bad time to visit Costa Rica, but this stretch is a particularly good time to go since it's traditionally the driest time of year.
Scan through the calendar (make sure you select “my dates are flexible” when entering your dates at Hilton.com) and you'll see the dates that are bookable.
Here are the dates with standard room award availability for 120,000 Hilton points per night as of publication.
A Look at the Waldorf Astoria Costa Rica Punta Cacique
Using 120,000 points per night is solid – especially if using Hilton free night certificates, the fifth-night free benefit, or some combination of the two. But what exactly are you getting with a standard room type at this property?
Since this hotel isn't open yet, we'll have to go by what we can gather from Hilton's website but it looks nothing short of amazing. From what I can tell, the rooms here are anything but standard.
Standard nights here book into a “Tropical View” room with a fully-furnished private balcony and a freestanding soaking tub. With floor to floor to ceiling patio doors, you can alternatively soak in the view from your king-sized bed.
Guests can choose between cooling off in the multi-level infinity pool or hitting the private beach. With the resort set on the side of a cliff, every room should have a good view regardless of whether or not it's deemed an ocean view.
This resort is also expected to have all the amenities you'd expect from a hotel at its price point including a spa, gym, and multiple dining options.
Bottom Line
There is currently a good amount of standard award availability at the brand-new Waldorf Astoria Costa Rica Punta Cacique. With the hotel set to open on Feb. 1, 2025, we're seeing nearly wide-open award rates at 120,000 points per night starting in February through mid-May, 2025.
If you've been saving up Hilton Honors points or free night award certificates earned from a credit card like the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card this is an excellent chance to get good value from them on a tropical vacation early next year.
All hotel photos courtesy of Hilton