JW Marriott has made its first move into all-inclusive territory, and it chose a dramatic spot to do it: the secluded bay of Playa El Jobo on Costa Rica's northern Pacific coast. The new JW Marriott Costa Elena Resort & Spa in Guanacaste is the brand's first all-inclusive property anywhere in the world, though it prefers the term "all-immersive" — the idea being that wellness, culture and food come bundled with the sun lounger.
The resort has 415 rooms and suites with a villa-like feel, including swim-out ground-floor options and a line of "Mindful" accommodations designed with rest in mind. The headline feature is the next-generation Griffin Club, a resort-within-a-resort where guests get a pre-arrival consultation with a well-being concierge, a private arrival lounge, a dedicated pool and beach, a 24-hour lounge, and even a "Yámi Companion" who handles unpacking, laundry and turndown. There's a Presidential Suite at the top with expansive indoor-outdoor living space.
Food is a serious draw: 15 restaurants and bars spread across everything from Costa Rican and Italian to Mexican and Japanese menus. Leal lets guests roast their own coffee and tackle a seven-course tasting tour of Costa Rica's provinces, while Puerto Limón celebrates the country's Afro-Caribbean coastal flavours. LaGloria nods to Marriott history — J. Willard Marriott's original 1927 root beer stand — with artisanal root beer and comfort food. Herbs, fruit and vegetables come from an on-site JW Garden and end up in cocktails and chef's table dinners.
Wellness is the other pillar. A 16,000-square-foot complex houses the brand's first Mindfulness House, a Spa by JW and a fitness centre, all loosely themed on Sibú, a creation figure from the Bribri and Cabécar Indigenous traditions, and on the nearby Nicoya Peninsula — one of the world's famous Blue Zones for longevity. Expect cacao ceremonies, volcanic clay treatments, sound baths and hydrotherapy, plus kids' yoga and family programming if you're travelling with children. Active types get kayaking, sunset hikes, diving, deep-sea fishing and yacht charters, and the whole thing is anchored by Costa Rica's largest poolscape — 17 pools, including an oceanfront infinity pool.
For travellers, this matters because JW Marriott is bringing luxury-hotel polish to a category that has traditionally been more quantity than quality. It sits alongside Marriott Bonvoy, so points and status can come into play, and it opens up a genuinely upscale all-inclusive option on a coast better known for eco-lodges and surf towns. Griffin Club guests effectively get a boutique experience within a big resort, while everyone else gets a very large, very food-focused property with a wellness slant. It's also geared to groups, with over 9,000 square feet of event space including an oceanfront ballroom.
If Guanacaste's blend of dry tropical forest, quiet coves and Pura Vida culture is on your list, this is now one of the most complete places to base yourself there — as long as an all-inclusive rhythm is the kind of holiday you actually want.
