JW Marriott Costa Elena Opens Brand’s First All-Inclusive Resort

A first all-inclusive opening for JW Marriott

JW Marriott has opened Costa Elena Resort & Spa on Costa Rica's northern Pacific coast, marking the brand's first all-inclusive resort worldwide. Announced on 6 October 2026, the property overlooks Playa El Jobo in Guanacaste and brings accommodation, dining, wellness and outdoor activities into one destination. Marriott calls the approach an all-immersive experience, emphasising time spent discovering local nature and culture rather than simply spending the day around a hotel pool.

The distinction between an all-inclusive stay and individual activities matters when planning a trip. A resort may offer numerous dining venues and excursions while some specialist experiences carry additional charges or require separate reservations. Travellers considering Costa Elena should use the brand's published opening details as an introduction, then compare the actual terms and facilities attached to the particular accommodation category they book.

Four hundred and fifteen rooms beside the Pacific

The new resort has 415 guestrooms and suites designed with a residential, villa-inspired character. Terraces and open-air routes connect the interiors with wooded hills and the sheltered coastal setting. Select ground-floor suites have access to semi-private swim-out areas, while Presidential Suites offer separate living space. Those options accommodate different holiday styles, from short couples' visits to family stays where additional room and privacy matter.

Architecture firm Phiba by DCM led a design that incorporates regional materials, art and craft traditions. Marriott highlights a walnut feature at the lobby entrance inspired by Sibú, an important figure in Bribri and Cabécar Indigenous traditions. Works selected with Indiewalls provide additional connections with Costa Rican culture. The hotel presents these elements as design references rather than a replacement for genuine encounters with local people.

The Griffin Club offers greater privacy

JW Marriott has introduced the next-generation Griffin Club as a smaller resort-within-a-resort experience. Guests in this category receive a dedicated arrival area, support from a wellbeing concierge before their stay and more personalised service after check-in. A separate pool, reserved beach area and lounge are designed to make the club feel distinct from the main hotel's larger shared facilities and dining programme.

The twenty-four-hour lounge, priority reservations and personal-assistant services are specific to Griffin Club accommodation. Select suites include swim-out access, while the club's Presidential Suite provides expansive indoor and outdoor space. A Yámi Companion may help with tasks such as unpacking and turndown. Travellers should check whether a room carries Griffin Club privileges, as these benefits should not be assumed for every booking.

Fifteen restaurants and bars

The dining programme spans fifteen restaurants and bars, giving the hotel considerable variety for an extended stay. Leal draws on Guanacaste's traditions through coffee-roasting experiences and a multi-course journey inspired by Costa Rican provinces. Casado is a wood-fired coastal grill, while Puerto Limón takes inspiration from the country's Afro-Caribbean food culture. Other options include Italian cooking at Luciano and Mexican cuisine at Santos.

Namuyaki and Boga introduce Japanese-influenced dining, while Borbón focuses on botanical drinks. A nine-seat root beer stand named LaGloria recalls J. Willard Marriott's first hospitality business in Washington in 1927. Herbs, fruit and edible flowers from the hotel's JW Garden are incorporated into parts of the menu. Restaurant hours, booking rules and the inclusion of special tasting experiences may vary with the chosen package.

Wellbeing rooted in Guanacaste

The resort's sixteen-thousand-square-foot wellness area combines Spa by JW, a fitness centre and the brand's first Mindfulness House. Spa treatments draw on locally associated ingredients, including cacao and volcanic clay, while the published programme includes hydrotherapy, sound baths and guided rituals. Marriott says the experience was inspired partly by the natural elements and traditions of Guanacaste, adding a sense of place to familiar spa services.

The Mindfulness House sits beside forest beneath a native Guanacaste tree, with gathering spaces intended for reflection and relaxation. Meditation, sound-healing sessions and self-directed practices appear among the activities described by the operator. These are hospitality and wellbeing experiences, not evidence of medical treatment. Guests with specific accessibility needs or therapeutic expectations should confirm the practical arrangements before reserving a treatment or class.

Seventeen pools and family activities

Marriott highlights seventeen pools, including an oceanfront infinity pool, and describes the collection as the largest poolscape in Costa Rica. That size comparison is the operator's promotional claim rather than an independently established ranking. Alongside the main pools, the resort's Family by JW Club includes nature walks, storytelling, creative activities and gentle movement sessions, providing opportunities for younger guests to explore beyond the beach.

Adults can choose water sports, meditation, fitness and cultural events, while a weekly night market introduces local artisans, food and entertainment. The wider coastline supports guided kayaking, diving, deep-sea fishing and private yacht charters arranged through relevant operators. Weather, equipment and local permissions affect whether these trips can run. Their availability should not be confused with their inclusion in the standard room rate.

A closer relationship with Costa Rica

Costa Elena's location above Playa El Jobo provides access to a quieter stretch of the country's northern Pacific coast. The resort's landscaped grounds and sea views place Guanacaste's wooded hills at the centre of the visitor experience. Marriott has also incorporated locally influenced artwork, regional cooking and garden-grown ingredients, encouraging guests to appreciate the surrounding destination alongside its extensive hotel facilities.

More than nine thousand square feet of indoor and outdoor event space extends the property's role beyond conventional holidays. An oceanfront ballroom and open-air venues are intended for weddings, gatherings and business retreats. Visitors who value a particularly quiet atmosphere may wish to check the schedule of major functions, just as groups hosting an event should establish which facilities will remain shared with other guests.

How to plan a stay

At its October opening, Marriott quoted rates beginning at US$900 per person per night based on double occupancy. That figure is a dated starting reference, not a guaranteed price for a future journey. Room type, dates, taxes and inclusions can change the final cost, especially when considering Griffin Club facilities, specialist dining or activities away from the main resort. A detailed written quotation remains the best comparison.

Costa Elena adds a substantial new option to the Costa Rican luxury market and changes the reach of the JW Marriott brand. Its combination of 415 rooms, extensive dining, wellness, pools and coastal experiences offers a full-scale resort rather than a small secluded lodge. The value of the all-inclusive idea ultimately depends on which parts of that broad programme a particular guest intends to use.