JW Marriott Just Chose One Beach for Its First-Ever All-Inclusive — and It's Not in Mexico

Marriott's most prestigious brand is opening its first all-inclusive resort, and it skipped Cancun and Punta Cana entirely. The JW Marriott Costa Elena Resort & Spa, All-Inclusive debuts September 10 on the Pacific shore of Guanacaste, Costa Rica — the first property to carry the JW Marriott name in the all-inclusive format anywhere in the world.

The resort takes over the former Dreams Las Mareas site following a roughly $60 million overhaul. The reworked property carries 415 rooms and suites, including 45 in the elevated Griffin Club tier, and spreads across an 885-foot beachfront backed by 17 pools. Dining runs to 11 restaurants and bars, with a spa, fitness center and around 20,000 square feet of meeting space rounding out the footprint.

The move is a notable one for JW Marriott. The brand built its reputation on formal city and golf-resort luxury, and an all-inclusive — where nearly everything is bundled into one rate — is a very different proposition. Marriott is betting that its higher-end travelers want the same predictability that has powered the Caribbean and Mexican all-inclusive boom, just with a more restrained, à la carte-leaning approach to dining and wellness.

Costa Rica is a deliberate choice. Guanacaste has become one of Central America's fastest-growing luxury markets, drawing travelers who want beaches paired with rainforest and national-park access rather than a wall-to-wall party scene. For Marriott, planting its all-inclusive collection flag here signals ambitions well beyond the traditional sun-and-sand strongholds.