PUNTA CACIQUE, Costa Rica--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Apr 22, 2025--
Punta Cacique, a visionary luxury resort and residential development on Costa Rica’s pristine Cacique Peninsula, in the province of Guanacaste, proudly announces the grand opening of the Waldorf Astoria Costa Rica Punta Cacique, the first Waldorf Astoria in Costa Rica. This premier property marks the beginning of a multi-phase project that will introduce a series of resorts, residences, and wellness-driven amenities, redefining what it means to visit and live at the nexus of luxury and authenticity within the expansive 600-acre development.
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Waldorf Astoria Costa Rica Punta Cacique Resort
Strategically located just 25 minutes from Liberia International Airport, which services more than 15 airlines and nearly two million passengers annually (a more than 20-fold increase since 2000), and nestled between the vibrant beach towns of Playa Del Coco and Playa Hermosa, Waldorf Astoria Costa Rica Punta Cacique offers guests and residents an unmatched blend of luxury and connection to local culture.
The property features 188 luxurious resort rooms (including 40 suites) and 40 private residences, all thoughtfully designed to harmonize with the landscape. Every guest room on the property offers breathtaking views of the Pacific Ocean and the spectacular coastline. Beyond the guestrooms, guests and residents can enjoy a multi-tiered pool, idyllic beachfront with cabanas and loungers, six distinct restaurants showcasing local ingredients, and a 17,000 square foot wellness sanctuary featuring a spa, gym, and movement studio. Dedicated kids’ and teen clubs provide engaging offerings for younger travelers.
The Punta Cacique Community
Revolution Places—the hospitality and real estate arm of Revolution LLC, a D.C.-based investment firm led by AOL Co-founder, Steve Case—first purchased the land in 2006. Revolution spent more than a decade searching for the right partners to develop the property before teaming up with Waldorf Astoria, the globally respected hospitality brand that in recent years has doubled down on delivering exceptional resorts and branded residential communities.
“When you arrive at Punta Cacique, you know immediately that you are in a special place,” said Steve Case, Chairman and CEO of Revolution Places. “The luxury and comfort level of the Waldorf, coupled with its track record of incredible service, made them the perfect partner to help unveil Punta Cacique.”
“Punta Cacique will offer the best of both worlds to guests and residents who come to Costa Rica seeking immersive luxury in a Blue Zone setting,” said Neal Herman, President of Punta Cacique. “This resort presents an opportunity to stay in a luxurious environment with unique amenities while also remaining deeply connected to the real Costa Rica. With easy access to nearby beach communities and beyond, Punta Cacique will serve as a basecamp, connecting guests and residents to exploration across the country.”
Waldorf Astoria Costa Rica Punta Cacique Residences
The Waldorf Astoria Costa Rica Punta Cacique Residences, designed by Garnier & Garnier, RoblesArq, Gensler, and EDSA, includes 20 estate homes and 20 condominium residences. With the condominium building sold out and nearing completion, the next phase—a limited collection of four- and five-bedroom estate homes—has officially launched, with the first deliveries scheduled for this summer. Each home is fully furnished and thoughtfully designed with expansive spaces, private pools, spacious outdoor terraces, and stunning ocean views. Residents will have full access to the resort and exclusive use of community amenities.
“Growing up in Hawaii, I saw firsthand how the economy evolved from agriculture to tourism, and how that transformation strengthened Hawaii’s economy and increased the value of resort real estate,” added Case. “Guanacaste is now on a similar journey, offering a rare chance to invest in an extraordinary and accessible destination, while it remains an emerging opportunity.”
To explore available residences, please visit waldorfastoriaresidencescostarica.com
Costa Rica in Demand
Brimming with wildlife, beaches, and rainforests, Costa Rica is world-renowned for its natural beauty. But what makes this Central American country 2024’s Travel& Leisure’sDestinationof the Year, and an increasingly popular hub for North American expats, goes far beyond geography. Costa Rica has emerged as a global leader in sustainability, thanks to its vast protected lands and strong commitment to sustainable travel.
Costa Rica’s year-round alignment with Central Standard Time makes it especially convenient for North American travelers, allowing for minimal jet lag whether visiting for vacation, remote work, or both. In the Guanacaste region, visitors enjoy a tropical savanna climate with a sunny dry season from December to April and a lush green season from May to November. With temperatures consistently ranging from the mid-70s to low 90s Fahrenheit (24–35°C), Punta Cacique offers a warm, inviting atmosphere throughout the year.
Beyond its natural appeal, Costa Rica boasts exceptional infrastructure. The country runs almost entirely on renewable energy, offers reliable high-speed internet and mobile coverage, and is served by two international airports—San José (SJO) and Liberia (LIR). Well-maintained roads and a reliable healthcare system further enhance peace of mind. The region’s extraordinary biodiversity—home to 5% of the world’s species—adds to its allure.
Despite its growth, Costa Rica has steadfastly preserved its genial and unhurried spirit. "Pura Vida" is more than a saying; it’s a way of life. At Punta Cacique, guests and residents can experience this ethos firsthand. Whether staying for a brief vacation or a longer stay at a residence, Punta Cacique offers a launchpad to the natural and cultural wonders of Costa Rica.
About Punta Cacique
Punta Cacique is a premier luxury resort and residential community located in the Guanacaste region of Costa Rica. Spanning 600 acres of oceanfront and hillside terrain, Punta Cacique is designed to offer a seamless blend of world-class hospitality, sustainable development, and convenient access to a wide range of authentic Costa Rican experiences. Anchored by the Waldorf Astoria Costa Rica Punta Cacique, the community will feature a curated collection of luxury resorts, private residences, and thoughtfully integrated amenities. Just 25 minutes from Liberia International Airport and adjacent to the vibrant beach towns of Playa del Coco and Playa Hermosa, Punta Cacique is a gateway to both relaxation and adventure on Costa Rica’s storied Gold Coast. Learn more at punta-cacique.com.
About Revolution Places
Revolution Places invests in unique real estate and hospitality opportunities that promote new models for travel and tourism based on healthy lifestyles, sustainable luxury, and appreciation for the natural environment. Revolution Places is part of Revolution LLC, a D.C.-based investment firm led by AOL Co-founder, Steve Case. Learn more at https://revolution.com/entity/places/.
Waldorf Astoria Costa Rica Punta Cacique Resort is the first property to open in the luxury Punta Cacique community
WASHINGTON (AP) — Becky Pepper-Jackson finished third in the discus throw in West Virginia last year though she was in just her first year of high school. Now a 15-year-old sophomore, Pepper-Jackson is aware that her upcoming season could be her last.
West Virginia has banned transgender girls like Pepper-Jackson from competing in girls and women's sports, and is among the more than two dozen states with similar laws. Though the West Virginia law has been blocked by lower courts, the outcome could be different at the conservative-dominated Supreme Court, which has allowed multiple restrictions on transgender people to be enforced in the past year.
The justices are hearing arguments Tuesday in two cases over whether the sports bans violate the Constitution or the landmark federal law known as Title IX that prohibits sex discrimination in education. The second case comes from Idaho, where college student Lindsay Hecox challenged that state's law.
Decisions are expected by early summer.
President Donald Trump's Republican administration has targeted transgender Americans from the first day of his second term, including ousting transgender people from the military and declaring that gender is immutable and determined at birth.
Pepper-Jackson has become the face of the nationwide battle over the participation of transgender girls in athletics that has played out at both the state and federal levels as Republicans have leveraged the issue as a fight for athletic fairness for women and girls.
“I think it’s something that needs to be done,” Pepper-Jackson said in an interview with The Associated Press that was conducted over Zoom. “It’s something I’m here to do because ... this is important to me. I know it’s important to other people. So, like, I’m here for it.”
She sat alongside her mother, Heather Jackson, on a sofa in their home just outside Bridgeport, a rural West Virginia community about 40 miles southwest of Morgantown, to talk about a legal fight that began when she was a middle schooler who finished near the back of the pack in cross-country races.
Pepper-Jackson has grown into a competitive discus and shot put thrower. In addition to the bronze medal in the discus, she finished eighth among shot putters.
She attributes her success to hard work, practicing at school and in her backyard, and lifting weights. Pepper-Jackson has been taking puberty-blocking medication and has publicly identified as a girl since she was in the third grade, though the Supreme Court's decision in June upholding state bans on gender-affirming medical treatment for minors has forced her to go out of state for care.
Her very improvement as an athlete has been cited as a reason she should not be allowed to compete against girls.
“There are immutable physical and biological characteristic differences between men and women that make men bigger, stronger, and faster than women. And if we allow biological males to play sports against biological females, those differences will erode the ability and the places for women in these sports which we have fought so hard for over the last 50 years,” West Virginia's attorney general, JB McCuskey, said in an AP interview. McCuskey said he is not aware of any other transgender athlete in the state who has competed or is trying to compete in girls or women’s sports.
Despite the small numbers of transgender athletes, the issue has taken on outsize importance. The NCAA and the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committees banned transgender women from women's sports after Trump signed an executive order aimed at barring their participation.
The public generally is supportive of the limits. An Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll conducted in October 2025 found that about 6 in 10 U.S. adults “strongly” or “somewhat” favored requiring transgender children and teenagers to only compete on sports teams that match the sex they were assigned at birth, not the gender they identify with, while about 2 in 10 were “strongly” or “somewhat” opposed and about one-quarter did not have an opinion.
About 2.1 million adults, or 0.8%, and 724,000 people age 13 to 17, or 3.3%, identify as transgender in the U.S., according to the Williams Institute at the UCLA School of Law.
Those allied with the administration on the issue paint it in broader terms than just sports, pointing to state laws, Trump administration policies and court rulings against transgender people.
"I think there are cultural, political, legal headwinds all supporting this notion that it’s just a lie that a man can be a woman," said John Bursch, a lawyer with the conservative Christian law firm Alliance Defending Freedom that has led the legal campaign against transgender people. “And if we want a society that respects women and girls, then we need to come to terms with that truth. And the sooner that we do that, the better it will be for women everywhere, whether that be in high school sports teams, high school locker rooms and showers, abused women’s shelters, women’s prisons.”
But Heather Jackson offered different terms to describe the effort to keep her daughter off West Virginia's playing fields.
“Hatred. It’s nothing but hatred,” she said. "This community is the community du jour. We have a long history of isolating marginalized parts of the community.”
Pepper-Jackson has seen some of the uglier side of the debate on display, including when a competitor wore a T-shirt at the championship meet that said, “Men Don't Belong in Women's Sports.”
“I wish these people would educate themselves. Just so they would know that I’m just there to have a good time. That’s it. But it just, it hurts sometimes, like, it gets to me sometimes, but I try to brush it off,” she said.
One schoolmate, identified as A.C. in court papers, said Pepper-Jackson has herself used graphic language in sexually bullying her teammates.
Asked whether she said any of what is alleged, Pepper-Jackson said, “I did not. And the school ruled that there was no evidence to prove that it was true.”
The legal fight will turn on whether the Constitution's equal protection clause or the Title IX anti-discrimination law protects transgender people.
The court ruled in 2020 that workplace discrimination against transgender people is sex discrimination, but refused to extend the logic of that decision to the case over health care for transgender minors.
The court has been deluged by dueling legal briefs from Republican- and Democratic-led states, members of Congress, athletes, doctors, scientists and scholars.
The outcome also could influence separate legal efforts seeking to bar transgender athletes in states that have continued to allow them to compete.
If Pepper-Jackson is forced to stop competing, she said she will still be able to lift weights and continue playing trumpet in the school concert and jazz bands.
“It will hurt a lot, and I know it will, but that’s what I’ll have to do,” she said.
Heather Jackson, left, and Becky Pepper-Jackson pose for a photograph outside of the U.S. Supreme Court in Washington, Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)
Heather Jackson, left, and Becky Pepper-Jackson pose for a photograph outside of the U.S. Supreme Court in Washington, Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)
Becky Pepper-Jackson poses for a photograph outside of the U.S. Supreme Court in Washington, Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)
The Supreme Court stands is Washington, Friday, Jan. 9, 2026. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
FILE - Protestors hold signs during a rally at the state capitol in Charleston, W.Va., on March 9, 2023. (AP Photo/Chris Jackson, file)
