On October 6, 2026, Marriott announced something the luxury hotel world had been waiting years to see: the opening of JW Marriott Costa Elena Resort & Spa in Costa Rica, the first all-inclusive resort to ever carry the JW Marriott name. The property had quietly been welcoming guests since September 10, but the formal announcement made it official. JW Marriott, the wellness-minded luxury brand with more than 130 properties around the world, is now in the all-inclusive business.
This is a genuine first, not a rebrand of a concept the chain has tested before. No JW Marriott anywhere on earth had ever operated as an all-inclusive until this one. And at a moment when the top end of the resort market is shifting decisively toward the all-inclusive model, the debut of JW Marriott Costa Elena tells you exactly where luxury travel is headed.
JW Marriott Costa Elena by the numbers
The figures that explain the property and the buzz around it:
1 — the number of JW Marriott all-inclusive resorts in the world. This is it.
415 — guest rooms and suites, with a residential, villa-inspired design, terraces, and generously sized interiors.
15 — restaurants and bars across the property, spanning Costa Rican, Italian, Mexican, and Japanese-inspired cuisine.
17 — swimming pools, including an oceanfront infinity pool.
44,000 — the square footage of the resort’s poolscape, described by Marriott as the largest resort poolscape in Costa Rica.
16,000 — the square footage of the spa, which houses the brand’s first-ever Mindfulness House.
768 — the U.S. dollar nightly rate for two, all-inclusive with taxes, found in an early-October rate check for a November stay.
2014 — the year the building dates to. Rather than new construction, developers Mullen Real Estate Capital totally reimagined the former Dreams Las Mareas Costa Rica property, which is operated by Mullen Hospitality Management.
130+ — the number of properties in the JW Marriott brand portfolio globally, making this all-inclusive debut a notable departure for a brand of that scale.
30+ — the number of hotel brands in Marriott Bonvoy’s portfolio, of which JW Marriott is the wellness-focused luxury flag.
2022 — the year Marriott signed a separate JW Marriott All-Inclusive project in Costa Mujeres, Mexico. That property has yet to open, which is why Costa Elena holds the “first” title.
Where it is
JW Marriott Costa Elena sits above the secluded bay of Playa de El Jobo in Guanacaste province, on Costa Rica’s northern Pacific coast. Guanacaste is the country’s driest, sunniest region, known for its beaches, tropical dry forests, surfing sites, and waterfalls, with wildlife that includes howler monkeys, wild cats, sea turtles, and hundreds of bird species.
The design leans hard into place. The architecture was overseen by the firm Phiba by DCM, developed in collaboration with local architects, artists, and artisans. The property incorporates traditional Costa Rican design alongside architecture drawn from the Bribri and Cabécar Indigenous peoples, and the resort’s story is inspired by the enduring legend of Sibü, a symbol of creation and harmony in those Indigenous traditions. The art collection was curated by Indiewalls and built from locally inspired materials and handcrafted works.
What a stay costs
The all-inclusive rate question is the first thing every traveler asks, and an early answer exists: a rate check in the first week of October put a night for two at $768, all-inclusive with taxes, for a November stay. That figure lands the property squarely in the upper tier of Costa Rican luxury all-inclusives, but below the stratospheric pricing of the Caribbean’s top ultra-luxury openings.
What the rate buys matters as much as the number. Fifteen dining venues, seventeen pools, a 16,000-square-foot spa, and programming that runs from cacao ceremonies to private yacht charters are all folded into the stay.
For the math on whether this category of resort earns its price, see our breakdown of whether luxury all-inclusives are worth it.
The rooms: 415 keys, swim-out suites, and Mindful rooms
The 415 accommodations follow a residential, villa-inspired layout rather than a conventional hotel stack. Rooms, suites, and terraces are designed with generously sized interiors, and select ground-floor suites open directly onto semi-private swim-out pool areas. Presidential Suites include separate living areas for guests who want apartment-scale space.
Two room concepts are specific to the JW brand. The resort offers a collection of Mindful Rooms and Suites, accommodations designed around rest, reflection, and overall well-being. And the next-generation Griffin Club, the brand’s elevated resort-within-a-resort tier, gives its guests a private arrival lounge, a well-being concierge consultation covering dining, activities, wellness, and room preferences before check-in, a personal assistant and dedicated guides during the stay, a 24/7 lounge, a private pool and beach area, and priority access to dining reservations and pool cabanas. Griffin Club families get a dedicated Yámi Companion who can assist with unpacking, laundry, and turndown service.
If you are weighing room categories at this price point, our analysis of whether luxury hotel suites are worth the money is a useful companion read.
The Mindfulness House and the wellness program
Wellness is the thread that runs through the entire property, and it is the reason JW Marriott, of all Marriott brands, was the one to go all-inclusive first. The brand’s identity is built around well-being, and Costa Elena pushes that further than any previous JW.
The centerpiece is the Mindfulness House, a dedicated wellness sanctuary and the first of its kind for the brand. It sits within a 16,000-square-foot spa offering that includes the signature Spa by JW, a fitness center, and treatments built on local ingredients and practices such as sound healing, Reiki, and cacao ceremonies. Combined with the Mindful Rooms and the Griffin Club’s well-being concierge, the resort is essentially a wellness retreat that happens to have seventeen pools and a private beach.
Bruce Rohr, vice president and global brand leader for JW Marriott, framed the opening as more than the brand’s entry into the all-inclusive category: an all-immersive experience rooted in well-being, presence, and meaningful connection, built on thoughtful design, enriching experiences, and intuitive service.
Eating and drinking: 15 venues
Fifteen restaurants and bars is a serious number for a 415-room resort, and the lineup is built for range rather than repetition. The cuisines span Costa Rican, Italian, Mexican, and Japanese-inspired concepts, and the culinary program includes a seven-course tasting journey inspired by the country’s provinces.
One detail worth noting: JW Marriott Costa Elena includes a root beer stand inspired by Marriott’s beginnings, a nod to the company’s origins that gives the dining lineup a signature the bigger brands rarely attempt. For a brand making its all-inclusive debut, food is where the concept lives or dies, and fifteen venues is the kind of depth that lets a week-long stay avoid repeating a single restaurant.
What you actually do there
The programming at JW Marriott Costa Elena splits three ways: wellness, family, and adventure. Adults can book water sports, sunset hikes, kayaking excursions, private yacht charters, deep-sea fishing, and diving. The Family by JW club runs nature walks and hands-on discovery of the local environment alongside children’s yoga, guided meditation, and mandala-inspired art. And once a week, a night market brings together local artisans, traditional cuisine, live music, dance, and storytelling to celebrate the Guanacaste region, a cultural anchor that gives the resort a sense of place beyond its gates.
Why this opening matters
Costa Elena is not an isolated bet. It arrives as luxury brands across the industry move into all-inclusive in the Caribbean and Latin America. Park Hyatt opened Riviera Maya as its first all-inclusive; W debuted in Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic; Hilton’s Waldorf Astoria has been shifting toward all-inclusive concepts in the region. JW Marriott’s entry, through a 415-room flagship in Costa Rica’s most established resort province, is the biggest brand yet to make the move.
The timing also matters. The property has been welcoming guests since September 10, 2026, and the October 6 announcement lands at the start of the booking window for the winter high season, when Guanacaste’s dry, sunny weather is at its best. For travelers planning Costa Rica trips now, JW Marriott Costa Elena is a genuinely new option in a market where the top all-inclusive tier has been dominated by a small set of familiar names.
For context on how the very top of the resort market looks when money is no object, our Joali Maldives overwater villa review covers one of the properties this resort will inevitably be compared against.
Frequently asked questions
When did JW Marriott Costa Elena open?
Marriott announced the opening on October 6, 2026. The resort had been welcoming guests since September 10, 2026.
Is this really the first JW Marriott all-inclusive?
Yes. No JW Marriott property anywhere in the world had operated as an all-inclusive before Costa Elena. A JW Marriott All-Inclusive project in Costa Mujeres, Mexico, was signed in 2022 but has not yet opened.
How much does JW Marriott Costa Elena cost?
An early-October rate check found $768 per night for two, all-inclusive with taxes, for a November stay. Rates vary by date and room category.
How many rooms, restaurants, and pools does it have?
415 rooms and suites, 15 restaurants and bars, and 17 pools, with a 44,000-square-foot poolscape Marriott describes as the largest in Costa Rica.
What is the Griffin Club?
The next-generation Griffin Club is a resort-within-a-resort tier with a private arrival lounge, well-being concierge, personal assistant, 24/7 lounge, private pool and beach area, and priority dining and cabana reservations.
What is the Mindfulness House?
A dedicated wellness sanctuary inside the resort’s 16,000-square-foot spa, and the first of its kind for the JW Marriott brand.
Sources
- Marriott / JW Marriott announcement via Hospitality Net (October 7, 2026)
- La Revue des Hotels (October 7, 2026)
- Recommend travel trade (October 2026)
- Travel Market Report (October 6, 2026)
- Hotel Management (October 2026)
- The Points Guy (October 7, 2026)
- Caribbean Journal (October 6, 2026)
- The Hotel Spotter (October 10, 2026)
- Hotel Online (October 8, 2026)
For more exceptional stays around the globe, see the best hotels in the world for 2026.
