Waldorf Astoria Costa Rica Punta Cacique — Hotel in Sardinal

My husband and I just stayed at this location 8/26-8/30. Reading the comments had me truly worried about our visit but I can attest that this hotel is absolutely beautiful and has so much potential.

TLDR: Great service, beautiful hotel and the most amazing staff. Concierge needs a little bit of fine tuning. I implore you to try this hotel with an open mind, to forget what you’ve had at other WA and just take it for what it is…. PURA VIDA, pure food, pure experience and simple life and I can promise you’ll enjoy it as much as me and my husband did.

I will say the one negative first and the rest is great: concierge needs to get better at communicating and fully closing the loop with guests. Clarifying that you have done what you said you were going to do.

Staff were extremely friendly and attentive. Didn’t encounter one person who didn’t want to help or go out of their way to help. Shoutout to Hass who helped golf cart us around and helped with our bags!! You’re so awesome.

Pool: so many to choose from! Absolutely beautiful pools and always clean. The pool side staff were constantly checking in and making sure everything was up to standard. The food and drinks by the pool were amazing! W I wish they would make one of the main pools an adult only pool instead of the pool in the back by the fitness centre.

Dining: Food was delicious. I have seen some negative reviews regarding food but honestly unsure why. The pricing is pretty comparable to other WA (we’ve been to quite a few to compare).Very farm to table style food which is delicious. I like that they have kept their menu true to Costa Rican cultures.

The food at La finca was delicious, we ate both from the tasting menu and off the regular menu and the food was phenomenal! The pasta is so fresh and delicious. I think about that lobster ravioli every-night! Edward and Chef Miguel are amazing and have so much passion for their job. Definitely sit at Edward’s table!

Breakfast at Tico Tica was also delicious, simple but fresh. Always had an abundance of fresh fruits, coconut water and mimosa. Great service from everyone. Super attentive! Special mention for Joseph, David, Pamela, Sofia! They worked with so much passion and smiles! They made our mornings so positive. You can tell they take pride in their jobs and work hard. Dinner at Tico Tica was good, recommend Casado. Alvero was great.

Peacock Alley was our favourite place to hang out at night! Some amazing cocktails and mocktails! Great vibe and better people. The staff are so so amazing and just wholeheartedly some of the best people I met on this trip. Special shout out to: Denis, Byron, Alirinda, Kari. They were so amazing. I recommend the Tunis and my husband recommends the Smoked Old Fashioned.

Activities: So much stuff to do!! We don’t have kids but they had an awesome kids club and a separate teens club(which I was so jealous of and at times my husband and I would go play ping pong in there when no one was using it) The gym is so beautiful and has an actual squat rack which is not common at hotel gyms! Probably one of the best hotel gyms I’ve seen. There was a free daily activities schedule was consisted of snorkelling, kayaking, volleyball, football soccer and so much more. The guide was so awesome and friendly. Saw mixture of rays and turtles. Great access to the beach. Beach was great! Beautiful sand and super clean. There are beach vendors on the beach as it is public land but they didn’t bother us at all, we just that we weren’t interested and went about our day.

Spa was beautiful and a restful experience.

Construction: construction is still happening mainly as you’re coming to the hotel so it didn’t really affect us.

Last big shoutout to Anna, Leona & Juan (tico tica manager) amazing people, take so much pride in their job! Super friendly and you can see the love and passion they have for their staff, job and hotel.

The staff really made this beautiful hotel even better, everyone was just so happy and full of life. Really lived out the Pura...

Just finished a 5-nt stay here, as well as other nights around Costa Rica, including Peninsula Papagayo (PP). We had a very fun trip. Waldorf was a big part of that.

High points: The pool scene is incredible. Gorgeous view of bay/ocean; 11 pristine pools; a nice water slide perfect for kids up to ~10 yrs old. Our room was spacious. With balcony, it felt 2X the size of a regular hotel room. With the exception noted below (bad odor), it felt luxurious: a marble console under the TV; a huge shower with two rain spouts and a normal shower; a bath on the balcony; etc. The valet and transport team was exceptional. Great guys all around. Can’t say enough good things about them. They are the reason for my five-star review of the service while other areas of service missed. Teens club was well equipped for our boys with ping pong & pool tables. Our boys tried to get the Switch working but had trouble with the TV. The main TV has a PS5 but our boys aren’t as familiar with PS5. Anyway…plenty of games in there. Activity desk at the beach was well stocked with free gear: snorkel, kayaks, SUPB (?), etc. We snorkeled 2-3 times and kayaked. Both very fun. Saw a sea turtle and octopus in the water. Big highlights. The place didn’t feel ultra-crowded. Plenty of space. Fantastic. My wife and I spent a night at the adult pool and hot tubs. Only people there. Pool was awesome. Hot tubs were nice, but jets weren’t working; button to start them appeared broken. Overall condition of the property was fantastic. With the exception noted above, everything worked well and was gorgeous. Location on Playa Penca was spectacular. Soft sand. Good snorkeling and visibility. Ultra-convenient. Concierge (Ricardo) was helpful in arranging pickleball for our family at the club in town. He made it simple/easy and was available as needed.

‘Mid’ Points: The resort is very vertical. Use elevators and transports as often as needed and you will have no problem. It just took us a day to figure that out. The property is not that “jungle-y”. We stayed at PP for 2 days, and it was much more jungle oriented. So…if you need that vibe…there’s not a lot of it at the Waldorf. The adult pool had more. Maybe more will grow in over time. But…clear views of the beach and ocean. The breakfast buffet was so-so. It had unusual brunch items that just didn’t taste great, but what do I know…. We had breakfast at PP and it was, candidly, better. More fresh stuff. The Waldorf buffet was not that much better than the HGI buffet we had in San Jose. So…don’t expect to be blown away. Prices were - understandably (?) - quite elevated. With service & tax, I paid ~$50 for 7 average sized scoops of ice cream (two mediums and a large) for my sons and me. The Banana and Dulce de Leche scoop was maybe actually worth $7. The other flavors weren’t. Pastries were $12-13 a pop. But…we’re on an isolated peninsula at a high-end resort. The presentation was also quite good, so…I get it. Just plan for it because it might raise an eyebrow. For what it’s worth, I stocked up on drinks & peanuts at MaxiPali in town after Pickleball one night and probably saved $1000. Word to the wise. While the teens club was well stocked with games, tables, consoles, etc. there really wasn’t any programming to speak of for our boys. If there was, we didn’t know about it.

Low points: Our room had an unmistakable odor that was nauseating upon room entry. Smelled like the resort went for ambient aroma but missed big and/or something died in our room. Brought it to the resort’s attention on day 2-3, but nothing was done. Frankly it was quite disappointing and is the main reason for only four stars. Hallway noise was quite high b/c no carpet and we were right by housekeeping’s office. So…carts, talking, etc. was notable. Housekeeping schedule was just so-so. Non-beach/pool activity is minimal. No golf/tennis/pickle on site.

All in all, great time. Wanted to give 5 stars. Just a few things...

So here we are—just about halfway through our stay at the stunning new Waldorf Astoria in Costa Rica, and while I’m not ready to slap a final rating on it just yet, I’ve got plenty of early impressions to share. (Heads up! I had to choose a star rating to publish this review, but this isn’t my final verdict. I’m only halfway through my stay and will update once the full experience is complete).

First off, let’s talk about vibes: think luxury jungle escape meets tropical tranquility. The resort is operating at around 35% occupancy, which means no fighting for lounge chairs, zero poolside chaos, and a surprisingly peaceful atmosphere. Honestly, we’ve seen more couples than kiddos, though it’s clear the property is gearing up to be a family-friendly destination.

Now, let’s get to the service—it’s been exceptional. From the moment we rolled up, the team has been nothing short of delightful. Valet, housekeeping, golf cart drivers, restaurant staff—you name it. Every interaction has been friendly, genuine, and incredibly helpful. It’s the kind of hospitality that feels warm, not robotic.

Food-wise, we’re just getting started. So far, we’ve sampled: • Tico Tica for a light continental breakfast (lovely start to the day), • Vida, poolside for breezy lunches (no waiting, ever—major win), • Copo y Cono for sweet ice cream indulgence after dinner (yes, dessert deserves its own shoutout), • And one sit-down dinner again at Tico Tica, which was good—but I’m saving my big foodie verdict until we try the signature restaurant, La Finka, later this week. That’s when I’ll really know if the culinary magic lives up to the Waldorf name.

Let’s talk rooms. Word on the (tropical) street is that Hilton Honors members are getting automatic upgrades to ocean-view rooms—which is a great touch. We’re Diamond members and while we were hoping for a next-level upgrade, we were told none were available at check-in. Fair enough… but several days in, no one’s followed up, even though they said they would. Not a huge deal (we’ve unpacked, we’re comfy), but a little extra communication would have gone a long way.

Now let’s talk spa. We weren’t even planning to visit the spa until we got a surprise five-minute sample massage poolside from Michael, who has magic hands. Laura and Michael clearly know their way around some stressed-out shoulders. Enter Andres, a world-class charmer (and spa whisperer) who convinced us right then and there to book the full experience. And thank goodness he did. The spa? A dream within a dream. Truly a serene oasis tucked inside what is already paradise. We felt transported.

Shoutout to Jennifer, the kindest and most patient spa attendant you could ask for. She made sure we were hydrated, relaxed, and absolutely spoiled from start to finish. If you come here, don’t miss the spa. Trust me.

The only hiccup so far? Golf cart wait times. This resort is huge, and unless you’re down to take a nature hike every time you want to get somewhere, golf carts are your go-to ride. Unfortunately, we’ve had three separate instances where we were told, “Your cart will be here in five minutes,” and… it wasn’t. Each time ended up being a 12–15 minute wait, which isn’t ideal—especially when the mosquitos start clocking in during evening hours. Whether it’s a staffing issue or a communication mix-up, we’re hoping that part gets smoothed out soon.

But hey—mid-stay hiccups aside, this place is beautiful. Eleven pools, zero stress, instant drink service, and postcard-worthy views in every direction. The potential here is massive, and so far, it’s delivering on most fronts.

I’m excited to see how the second half of our stay plays out. More meals, more moments, and hopefully a bit more follow-through on that upgrade promise. Final thoughts and rating coming soon… but for now, it’s pura vida...