JW Marriott has opened its first all-inclusive property, JW Marriott Costa Elena Resort and Spa, All-Inclusive, on Costa Rica’s Guanacaste coast, marking the luxury brand’s entry into the all-inclusive category for the first time.

The basics: size, location and opening date

The 415-room resort opened on September 10, 2026, at Playa El Jobo in La Cruz, inside the Costa Elena resort-residential community in Guanacaste province, according to Marriott’s own property listing and multiple trade reports including Hospitality Net and Caribbean Journal. The property sits on a large tract of tropical forest along Costa Rica’s northwest coast, one of the country’s driest and most reliably sunny regions.

Dining and the Griffin Club

The resort’s all-inclusive dining program spans 11 restaurants and bars covering Japanese, other Asian, Italian, Mexican and seafood cuisine alongside international options, a wide spread for a newly opened all-inclusive property. A Griffin Club lounge operates as a hotel-within-a-hotel tier, following the format JW Marriott and other Marriott luxury brands use elsewhere to offer an elevated, more private experience within a larger resort, though the brand’s own materials have not published full details of what the Griffin Club tier specifically includes at this property.

Meetings, events and activities

The property includes roughly 10,000 square feet of meeting and event space, anchored by an 8,300-square-foot ballroom that can accommodate around 820 people, positioning the resort for weddings and group events alongside standard leisure stays. Activity programming highlighted in the opening coverage includes private chef dinners, guided wellness sessions, beachside painting activities and evening firelight gatherings, framed as culturally immersive rather than standard poolside entertainment.

Guanacaste’s gateway airport and getting there

Daniel Oduber Quiros International Airport in Liberia is the main gateway for northern Guanacaste, including the Playa El Jobo area near La Cruz where the new resort sits, and receives seasonal direct international flights from several North American cities in addition to connections through the capital, San Jose. Playa El Jobo sits in the far north of Guanacaste near the Nicaraguan border, a less developed stretch of coastline than the more built-up central Guanacaste beach towns further south such as Tamarindo and Playa Flamingo, which typically means a longer transfer from the airport in exchange for a quieter setting.

Why a luxury brand entering all-inclusive matters

JW Marriott’s move into the all-inclusive category follows a broader pattern of upscale hotel brands, previously associated exclusively with a la carte pricing, testing the all-inclusive model in Latin America and the Caribbean. Costa Rica has built its tourism brand primarily around eco-tourism, national parks and smaller boutique lodges, and a large-scale, brand-name all-inclusive resort on this scale represents a notable departure from that traditional positioning. Kimpton’s first all-inclusive opening in the Riviera Maya earlier in September 2026 is a direct parallel; see Kimpton opens its first all-inclusive resort for that story. Both moves suggest hotel groups see growing demand from travelers who want a recognized luxury brand’s design and service standard bundled into a single, predictable all-inclusive rate rather than pricing meals and activities separately.

Where JW Marriott sits in Marriott’s brand hierarchy

JW Marriott occupies Marriott’s premium luxury tier, positioned above the standard Marriott Hotels brand but distinct from the company’s ultra-luxury brands such as Ritz-Carlton and St. Regis. The brand is typically associated with larger-scale luxury resorts and convention properties rather than small boutique lodges, which makes Costa Elena’s scale, at 415 rooms and substantial meeting space, consistent with how JW Marriott positions its other properties worldwide even as it becomes the brand’s first all-inclusive entry.

What travelers should still confirm directly

As a newly opened property, published details on specific inclusions, spa treatment menus, and Griffin Club benefits may still be settling in the weeks after opening, and initial guest reviews were not yet available in meaningful volume as of this writing. Travelers considering an early stay should confirm current inclusions directly with Marriott rather than relying solely on the opening announcement, and should expect a newly opened resort to have some early operational adjustments as staff and service systems settle in.

How it fits the region

Guanacaste already has an established base of things to do beyond any single resort, from national parks to beach towns; see things to do in Guanacaste beyond the resort for outings that apply equally to guests staying at this new property or any other resort on that coast.

Sources: Marriott.com official property listing; Hospitality Net, “JW Marriott Costa Elena Resort and Spa Now Accepting Reservations Ahead of Fall 2026 Debut”; Caribbean Journal and Meetings Today opening coverage, September 2026.