JW Marriott Opens Its First All-Inclusive Resort, on Costa Rica's Pacific Coast
JW Marriott has opened its first all-inclusive resort anywhere in the world. JW Marriott Costa Elena Resort & Spa sits above the sheltered bay of Playa El Jobo in Guanacaste, on Costa Rica's northern Pacific coast, with 415 rooms, 15 restaurants and bars, 17 pools and a 16,000-square-foot wellness area. Marriott announced the opening on October 6.
The resort stands on the site of the former Dreams Las Mareas and is operated by Mullen Hospitality Management, which has run all-inclusives for decades. Bruce Rohr, who leads the JW Marriott brand globally, has described the opening as more than an entry into a new category: the aim, he has said, was a resort built around well-being and presence, where guests slow down rather than simply have everything included.
A design drawn from the legend of Sibú
The resort takes its cue from Sibú, the figure of creation and harmony in the Bribri and Cabécar Indigenous traditions of Costa Rica. Architecture firm Phiba by DCM led the design with local architects, artists and artisans, and the story begins in the lobby under a handcrafted walnut oculus conceived as the aura of Sibú. Across the property, open-air spaces frame the bay, and an art collection curated by Indiewalls draws on the materials and handwork of the Pacific coast.
Rooms, swim-outs and the Griffin Club
Rooms are laid out with a residential, villa-like feel and generous terraces, and the Presidential Suites have separate living areas. Some ground-floor suites open directly onto semi-private swim-out pools. A collection of Mindful Rooms and Suites is set aside for guests who want a quieter, more personal stay.
Inside the resort sits the Griffin Club, the first of JW Marriott's next-generation resorts-within-a-resort. The stay is planned before arrival with a well-being concierge who arranges dining, spa time, activities and in-room preferences. Guests check in through a private arrival lounge and have a personal assistant, well-being guides, a lounge open around the clock, their own pool with concierge service and a private stretch of beach. A Yámi Companion takes care of unpacking, laundry and turndown, and Griffin Club guests get priority on restaurant reservations and pool cabanas. The Griffin Club Presidential Suite has indoor and outdoor living spaces facing the coast.
Fifteen places to eat and drink
The food draws on Costa Rica's regions alongside Italian, Mexican and Japanese kitchens. Leal is the culinary hub, inspired by the traditions of Guanacaste: guests can roast their own coffee or sit down to a seven-course tasting menu that moves through the country's provinces.
Casado is a wood-fired coastal grill on a deck above the pool, and Puerto Limón cooks the Afro-Caribbean food of Costa Rica's other coast. Luciano pairs Italian pasta-making with Costa Rican craft, Santos works with nixtamalization and wood-fire roasting for its Mexican menu, and the Japanese venues split in two: chef-led teppanyaki at Namuyaki and raw, coastal dishes at Boga.
Borbón, under a sculptural red flower that fills its ceiling, runs a cocktail list built on botanicals. LaGloria is the brand's first root beer stand, a nod to the nine-seat stand J. Willard Marriott opened in Washington, D.C., in 1927, and serves artisanal root beer, craft sodas and comfort food. An on-property JW Garden grows the herbs, edible flowers, fruit and vegetables that turn up on menus, at chef's table dinners and in the cocktails.
Spa by JW and the Mindfulness House
The 16,000-square-foot wellness area brings together Spa by JW, a fitness center and the brand's first Mindfulness House, all shaped around Sibú and the four guardians of earth, water, fire and air. It also looks to the nearby Nicoya Peninsula, one of the world's Blue Zones, known for the longevity of its residents.
Spa treatments use volcanic clay, native cacao and other ingredients from Costa Rican tradition. The signature rituals include a four-element Sibú ritual, hydrotherapy, a sunset sound bath and cacao ceremonies. The Mindfulness House stands beside untouched forest in the shade of a native Guanacaste tree, open to the outdoors, with daily sound healing, Reiki and self-guided practice.
Pools, families and the coast
The 17 pools, among them an oceanfront infinity pool, make up what Marriott calls the largest poolscape in Costa Rica. Children have the Family by JW Club, with nature walks, yoga, story time and family movie nights. A weekly night market brings in local artisans, traditional food, music and dance, and at sunset the Sacred Fire Soiree gathers guests around a fire. Beyond the resort there are sunset hikes, kayaking, yacht charters, deep-sea fishing and diving along the coast.
Rates start at $900 per person per night, based on double occupancy.
