JW Marriott opens its first all-inclusive resort in Costa Rica
The Costa Elena Resort & Spa opens in Guanacaste on 10 September, the brand's first all-inclusive property and a rare major-group entry in the format for Costa Rica.
The JW Marriott Costa Elena Resort & Spa opens on 10 September 2026 in Guanacaste, Costa Rica — the first all-inclusive property to carry the JW Marriott name anywhere in the world.
It is also one of very few all-inclusive resorts in Costa Rica operated under a major international hotel group, which is the more unusual fact of the two.
Why Costa Rica has resisted the format
All-inclusive resorts dominate the beach economies of Mexico, the Dominican Republic and Jamaica. Costa Rica has largely developed differently, building its reputation on eco-lodges, wildlife and adventure travel — a model that sends visitors out of the property rather than keeping them inside it.
The all-inclusive proposition and the ecotourism proposition pull in opposite directions. One is designed so you never leave; the other exists because of what is outside.
Guanacaste is where that tension is least sharp. The province has the country's driest climate, its most developed beach infrastructure and its own international airport, and it has been the most resort-oriented part of Costa Rica for two decades.
What a luxury all-inclusive is trying to solve
The format has a reputation problem at the upper end, built on buffet lines and wristbands. The premium version attacks that directly:
- À la carte restaurants rather than a single buffet hall.
- Included premium spirits and wine, rather than a tier system.
- Included activities and non-motorised watersports.
- No visible transaction at the point of use — the friction the format is meant to remove.
Whether that reads as luxury or as a compromise depends largely on what a traveller wants from a holiday, and the market for both answers is large.
What it signals
A major group putting its most prestigious full-service brand behind an all-inclusive is a considered bet. It suggests the group sees demand at the top of the format that the existing operators are not capturing — travellers who want the convenience without the associations.
Practical notes
The season
A September opening lands in Costa Rica's green season, when Guanacaste sees its heaviest rainfall. Opening rates are likely to reflect that, and the weather improves substantially from December.
Getting there
Guanacaste's international airport at Liberia is far more convenient for this coast than the capital, and it carries a reasonable number of direct services from North America.
Opening period
New resorts take a few months to settle. Service, restaurant rotations and activity programmes all tend to be rougher in the first weeks than they will be by the following high season — which is reflected in opening pricing.