Sunken into a plush couch in the decidedly tony cocktail bar with art deco design, I struggled to resist the urge to begin humming the Big Band classic "Begin the Beguine."
I was enjoying drinks in the Waldorf Astoria Costa Rica Punta Cacique's Peacock Alley, a lounge designed to both reflect the personality of Costa Rica and to pay homage to the original Peacock Alley at the Waldorf Astoria in New York City.
"There's really not another mixology bar like this in the area," marketing director Mariella Cabezas told me over a Chorotega cocktail. Named for the Indigenous culture of the region, the drink is a harmonious mix of Centenario 12-Year Rum, Costa Rican corn liquor, coffee, vanilla and chocolate truffle, garnished with a corn husk that's dotted with edible gilded corn kernels. "We wanted to take the Waldorf Astoria brand standard and make it our own."
The Waldorf Astoria Costa Rica Punta Cacique, the first Waldorf in the country, opened to guests last year. And its Peacock Alley is perhaps the most standout venue in a parade of notable runners-up at the resort.
Located in the Guanacaste region in the new Punta Cacique neighborhood just to the south of Peninsula Papagayo, the resort is perfect for clients seeking an escape from the hotel sprawl in Guanacaste; it's about a half-hour's drive from the airport on a route that transits not a resort district but a winding mountain road that's, so far, largely devoid of developments.
The resort has multiple outdoor pools terraced down the side of the hill. Photo Credit: Waldorf Astoria Costa Rica Punta Cacique
The location
The resort itself cascades down a hillside to the intimate Playa Penca beach, in secluded Matapalo Bay. The buildings are connected by footpaths lined with local plants, and guests can request golf cart transfers between buildings. Despite the area's hilly terrain, the resort buildings are largely accessible for guests with mobility devices due to a series of elevators.
I found the focal point to be the expansive pool area, which features a number of loungers both in the pool and on the pool deck. There are multiple outdoor pools terraced down the side of the hill, ranging from the family pool to several intimate infinity pools. Tucked away near the fitness center is an adults-only pool complex. The pools have serviced lounges and free cabanas, available on a first-come, first-serve basis.
The resort maintains a small beach services desk; it's worth noting for clients that independent operators not affiliated with the resort also typically sell excursions just off-property on the small beach.
Playa Penca is a swimmable beach (although bathers should always check conditions with the beach staff before venturing out), and there's plenty of good snorkeling along the nearby rocks.
Kayaks and stand-up paddleboards are also available; nonmotorized watersports are free of charge.
Decor in the rooms and suites is distinctly Waldorf Astoria. Photo Credit: Waldorf Astoria Costa Rica Punta Cacique
Rooms, suites and residences
Brand loyalists will notice that the rooms are distinctly Waldorf Astoria, with furnishings in muted creams and comforting wood tones. My one-bedroom suite also had an expansive balcony with sweeping bay views, complete with an outdoor plunge pool and a shower off the living room, plus an outdoor bath and an indoor-outdoor shower in the primary bathroom.
Green rooftops preserve vistas for rooms situated above lower-set buildings.
There are also eight just-finished residences in their own dedicated tower. These are available in one- to three-bedroom units, with indoor-outdoor living spaces, full kitchens, private plunge pools and spa bathrooms.
The residence tower also has a rooftop pool with private service; clients who book residences also receive priority access to resort amenities.
The spa
The resort's 17,000-square-foot spa has air-conditioned indoor lounges and elevated outdoor group class spaces, where I took a sound bath treatment that combined the sounds of ringing bowls with the natural sounds of the surrounding woodlands and creek.
Massages and body treatments range from traditional spa favorites to rituals inspired by Chorotega traditions and local botanicals, including volcanic mud, floral oils and ceremonial cacao.
Specialized treatment rooms allow for treatments performed on a bed of warm quartz sand.
The resort's Peacock Alley, which was designed to both reflect the personality of Costa Rica and pay homage to the original bar in New York. Photo Credit: Waldorf Astoria Costa Rica Punta Cacique
Dining: Local and global flavors
Fresh local seafood is the focus at La Finca, the resort's signature restaurant: think scallops in an aguachile with passionfruit and cilantro with Panamanian chili, or semidried heirloom tomatoes with wild basil and pumpkin seeds. Diners might try squid ink ravioli or local lobster with chorizo butter for the main, but I enjoyed my achiote honey-braised wagyu short ribs.
The property's three-meal restaurant, Tico Tica, offers a good mix of local fare and global favorites. Breakfast might be Costa Rica's traditional Gallo Pinto or the local version of the tamal, which is made with chicken stew. Mixed with corn masa that's filled and tied into a plantain leaf, the tamale is tapped on a hot pan to release its natural oils, a process I learned during a cooking class one afternoon.
Peacock Alley also has a fine selection of sandwiches and small bites, and Tico Tica also services the pool if visitors are craving a midafternoon club sandwich, wagyu burger or empanadas.
I stopped into Buena Nota Cafe, the resort's coffee bar, for a coffee roasting experience with the resort's roast master, who walked me through the process of roasting locally grown coffee beans to my preferred specifications (dark roast). We had a tasting of the different available beans and roasts, and I learned about how the country's terroir gives its coffees a distinctive character. I also learned how to do an expert pourover, with meticulously measured pours of hot water at timed intervals.