The popular Waldorf Astoria Los Cabos Pedregal closed over the summer to undergo the final stage of its full renovation, and it’s about to reopen, which is exciting… sort of.
Here’s how Maria Valeria Nowotny, Hilton’s VP of Operations for Resorts, Luxury, and Lifestyle Hotels, Caribbean, Mexico, and Central America (that’s quite a job title!), describes this:
“The reimagination of Waldorf Astoria Los Cabos Pedregal was guided by a deep respect for its storied legacy and the rich cultural heritage of Mexico to ensure a singularly authentic luxury experience. Every detail was thoughtfully considered, and the culmination of this transformation will propel the resort to a thrilling new era further solidifying the property as the preferred luxury destination for discerning travelers while visiting Los Cabos.”
The refresh looks great. I wouldn’t say there’s anything earth shattering here, and the rooms are still relatively simple, but it’s perfectly nice for a beach resort.
Here’s the thing I struggle with, though. In the past, this was such a great way to redeem Hilton Honors points, given what a good value luxury redemptions represented with the program. But here’s what’s frustrating — Hilton Honors points have been devalued to the point that it’s even hard to get excited about redeeming points anywhere.
In recent times, we’ve seen Hilton Honors’ top properties go from costing 150,000 points per night, to costing 200,000 points per night, to costing 250,000 points per night. Based on my valuation of 0.5 cents per Hilton Honors point, redeeming points here isn’t even a good deal anymore, as it’s the equivalent of “paying” $1,250 per night!
250,000 Hilton Honors points per night?!?
We’ve seen so many loyalty program devaluations in recent years, but I really think Hilton Honors took it a step too far with its recent changes, especially when combined with the lack of program promotions.
