How We Booked Costa Rica for a Family of 4 Using Credit Card Points
How We Booked Costa Rica for a Family of 4 Using Points and Miles
Costa Rica completely ruined every other family vacation for us… in the best way possible. 😂
Between the monkeys, the beaches, and our stay at the Andaz Costa Rica Resort at Peninsula Papagayo, this became one of those trips I’d happily book again.
The girls were happy. We were relaxed. And I didn’t feel the need to drag everyone away from the resort every morning just because we were in another country.
Sometimes the itinerary can just be: boat ride, beach, lunch, pool. I’m very comfortable with that.
The best part? We used points and miles for our flights and hotel, which made a trip like this much easier to fit into our budget.
Below are our booking details, what we spent, what we loved about the Andaz, and a full-day excursion to consider if you want some adventure mixed in with your resort time.
Want to start learning how to do this for your own family? Explore our favorite beginner travel rewards cards.
MCM may receive compensation if you use our links.
How We Booked Our Flights to Costa Rica
We repositioned to Jacksonville and flew American Airlines into Liberia, Costa Rica.
Leaving from another airport adds a little extra planning, but it can open up better options when you’re trying to find flights for four people.
For the outbound flight, we transferred rewards to a American Airlines during a transfer bonus. We used 74,000 points and miles, plus $188 in taxes and fees, for all four of us.
For the return, I found American Airlines flights into our home airport using another partner rewards program. Those flights cost 54,000 points and miles, plus $243 in taxes and fees, for our family.
Our flight total: 128,000 points and miles + $431 for four people.
Being flexible helped us make this booking work. I always compare a few airports and booking options before deciding where to use our rewards.
These were our actual booking costs. Award prices, availability, and transfer bonuses change, so confirm your flights are available before transferring rewards.
Where We Stayed: Andaz Costa Rica Resort at Peninsula Papagayo
The Andaz was exactly my level of bougie. 😂
Beautiful views, jungle all around us, wildlife everywhere, and plenty to keep the girls entertained without us having to leave the property constantly.
Waking up to monkeys outside our balcony was a pretty strong start.
But what I loved most was how easy it felt to spend time there as a family. We could have a slow morning, head to the pool or beach, and enjoy the day without needing a reservation or a detailed plan for every hour.
Some of our favorite parts:
Multiple pools.
Complimentary kayaks and paddleboards.
The boat shuttle to the Andaz Beach House.
Wildlife around the property.
Wonderful service—special shoutout to JJ for taking care of us.
What We Paid for Four Nights
We booked four nights at 30,000 hotel points per night.
That was 120,000 points total and $0 out of pocket for the room.
Cash rates during our stay were around $1,000 or more per night.
And that is why I love having points.
A hotel can be gorgeous, but I’m still going to have a very hard time paying thousands of dollars for four nights. Being able to use rewards changes which places feel realistic for our family.
Our award rate was what we booked at the time. Check current pricing and availability before planning your own stay around that number.
Don’t Skip the Andaz Beach House
The Beach House was one of our favorite parts of staying here.
Taking the boat over made it feel like a little outing without having to organize an actual excursion. Once there, we had the beach, pool, kayaks, paddleboards, giant chess, and cornhole to keep everyone happy.
This is the kind of day I want on vacation.
The girls have things to do. We get to relax. Nobody needs to be rushed along because we’re supposed to be somewhere else in 20 minutes.
Give yourself time to enjoy it instead of treating it like a quick stop.
A Full Adventure Day Tour
The Full Day Adventure Tour packs a lot into one day: waterfalls, horseback riding, ziplining, hot springs, and a jungle waterslide that deserves its own warning. 😂
Transportation directly from the Andaz makes the logistics easy. No rental car or figuring out how to get between activities.
What the Day Looks Like
Plan on an early start and a full day away from the resort:
Pickup: Around 7:30 a.m. from the Andaz.
Return: Around 5 p.m.
Drive: Approximately 2.5 hours each way.
That’s a long day, especially with kids, so this is one to follow with dinner and absolutely no ambitious evening plans.
The Activities
The excursion included:
Ziplining through the jungle.
Horseback riding.
A cultural experience.
Waterfalls.
A tractor safari ride.
Hot springs.
A sauna and mud bath.
The jungle waterslide.
The waterslide involves wearing special leather “diapers” because of how fast it is. So if you’re picturing a leisurely float through the jungle… adjust those expectations. 😂
After all that activity, the hot springs are a welcome chance to slow down. Having everything organized together also takes the work out of fitting several different experiences into one day.
How to Fit It Into Your Stay
Give this a full day, then leave the next day open for the Beach House or pool.
An adventure day followed by a day of doing very little at a gorgeous resort? That’s a balance I can get behind.
What Our Costa Rica Trip Cost
Here’s the approximate breakdown for our family of four:
What we used or paid Round-trip flight s128,000 points and miles + $431Four nights at the Andaz 120,000 hotel points + $0 for the room, Food on propertyAround $1,000
Those listed cash expenses came to approximately $1,431. That isn’t an all-inclusive trip total; budget separately for transportation, activities, and any other expenses.
The excursion is also separate—it isn’t included in our family’s costs.
Food is something I would plan for at the Andaz. Using points for the room doesn’t mean you won’t spend money once you get there.
But covering the flights and hotel with rewards took a huge amount of pressure off the rest of the budget.
We estimated that a comparable trip could have cost around $8,000–$10,000 or more, based on the flights and hotel rates we were comparing.
How We Earned the Points
Most of our rewards come from spending we already have and welcome offers after meeting the requirements.
We still have groceries, bills, school expenses, and soccer. We’ve just become more intentional about how we pay for eligible purchases and which rewards we’re earning along the way.
It takes planning. But when that planning helps us book four nights somewhere like this, I’m pretty happy I took the time to learn.
If you’re researching your first card, explore our favorite beginner travel rewards cards here.
How I’d Plan Four Days at the Andaz
I would keep this simple. There’s enough to enjoy at the resort that you don’t need to fill every day.
Day 1: Arrive and Settle In
Fly into Daniel Oduber Quirós International Airport (LIR) and arrange your transportation ahead of time.
The drive to the Andaz took about 45 minutes.
Have lunch, explore the property, and enjoy whatever time you have left in the day. Arrival day doesn’t need to do more than that.
Day 2: Adventure Day—or More Resort Time
If the Volcano Mega Combo Tour sounds like your family’s kind of day, this is where I’d put it.
If you’d rather spend the day at the pool, that is also a perfectly good vacation plan.
You do not have to book an excursion just because one exists.
Day 3: Beach House Day
Take the boat over and give yourself time to stay awhile.
Between the beach, pool, paddleboards, and kayaks, there’s plenty to do without constantly moving on to the next thing.
Day 4: Enjoy the Resort
Leave some time for whatever everyone wants to do again.
Another swim. More beach time. Looking for wildlife. A slow breakfast.
Some of our favorite family vacations have been the ones where I stopped trying to make every day a big event.
Would We Go Back to Costa Rica?
Absolutely.
The Andaz was beautiful, the girls had plenty to do, and we got the mix of family time and relaxation I’m always hoping for when we book a trip.
It’s still one of the places I bring up when someone asks where we’ve loved traveling with our kids.
And yes, I would happily go back for more pool days and monkeys outside the balcony.
Want to start working toward your own family trips? Browse our favorite beginner travel rewards cards and see which options fit your spending and travel goals.
Editorial disclosure: Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, hotel, airline, or other entity. This content has not been reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed by any of the entities mentioned.
