JW Marriott Costa Elena Opens as the Brand's First All-Inclusive Anywhere

JW Marriott Costa Elena Resort & Spa is open above Playa El Jobo in Guanacaste, Costa Rica, becoming the first all-inclusive resort under the JW Marriott All-Inclusive brand anywhere in the world. Marriott International confirmed the debut on Oct. 6. The 415-room property is managed by Mullen Hospitality and sits on Costa Rica's northern Pacific coast.

The resort leans hard into wellness and place. Guests get Costa Rica's largest poolscape, with 17 pools including an oceanfront infinity pool, plus a 16,000-square-foot wellness complex that pairs Spa by JW with the brand's first Mindfulness House. Programming draws on Guanacaste traditions and the nearby Nicoya Peninsula Blue Zone, with treatments that use volcanic clay and native cacao.

Dining spans 15 venues. Signature spots include Leal for a Guanacaste tasting journey, Casado for wood-fired coastal grilling, Puerto Limón for Afro-Caribbean flavors, and LaGloria, a root beer stand that nods to J. Willard Marriott's first business in 1927. The culinary program also pulls from an on-property JW Garden of herbs, edible flowers, fruits and vegetables.

Inside the larger resort sits the brand's next-generation Griffin Club, a resort-within-a-resort with a private arrival lounge, dedicated pool and beach area, 24/7 lounge, and a well-being concierge that starts before check-in. Starting rates begin at $900 per person, per night based on double occupancy. For luxury travelers watching Marriott Bonvoy's push into all-inclusive, Costa Elena is the clearest proof yet that JW Marriott wants this category on its own terms.