Hilton's luxury flag is doubling down on the idea that a five-star resort should feel like somewhere, not anywhere. Two Waldorf Astoria properties on opposite ends of the Pacific — Costa Rica Punta Cacique and Los Cabos Pedregal in Mexico — have been shaped, deliberately, by the landscapes and cultures around them.
Start in Costa Rica. Punta Cacique sits above Playa Penca, a quiet stretch of coast in the Guanacaste region, and its design nods openly to the Chorotega people, whose presence here goes back centuries. Terraces step down toward the ocean, rooftops are planted with living greenery, and the build favours natural materials over glass-and-steel gloss. The spa keeps the theme going: the 120-minute Solar Reverie Ritual pairs traditional massage with native medicinal herbs and a guided solar meditation, built around the link between the natural world and wellbeing.
Food is where the region gets under your skin fastest. Guests can take private lessons in ceviche and traditional tamales, follow local coffee from bean to cup, or work through tasting menus built on jungle-foraged ingredients — a direct line to Guanacaste's farms, forests and Pacific waters.
Over in Baja California Sur, the arrival at Los Cabos Pedregal is half the experience: guests enter through the Dos Mares tunnel, a private passage cut through the mountain, before the Pacific opens up in front of them. A multi-year renovation has sharpened the design while keeping the rugged cliffside character, and the resort's 112 rooms and suites come with handcrafted details, private plunge pools and dedicated concierges. The top pick, the three-bedroom Beachfront Presidential Suite, adds its own pool and direct beach access.
Dining leans hard into Baja. At the cliffside El Farallon, seafood like scallops and black abalone is served with the ocean as the backdrop, while Mar y Leña does a contemporary take on Mexican cooking — grass-fed lamb picanha among the standouts.
The two properties are separated by a few thousand kilometres, but the pitch is the same: personal service plus a strong sense of place. Neither is a generic resort with a local souvenir shop bolted on — the indigenous heritage, ingredients and wellness traditions are written into the architecture, the treatment menu and the dinner table.
Why does this matter for travellers? If you've been eyeing the Pacific coast of either country but want something with a clear identity rather than an interchangeable luxury box, both resorts now offer a defined answer. Costa Rica suits travellers chasing nature, coffee country and a slower rhythm; Los Cabos is the pick for dramatic terrain, big-name dining and a more polished, resort-heavy strip. They also pair neatly for a two-stop Pacific itinerary if you've got the time and the air miles.
