JW Marriott Costa Elena Resort & Spa is open in Costa Rica, and it's the first all-inclusive resort JW Marriott has opened anywhere. Marriott announced the opening on October 6, 2026. The resort sits above the bay of Playa El Jobo on Costa Rica's northern Pacific coast, in Guanacaste, with 415 rooms, 15 restaurants and bars, and 17 pools.
If you collect Marriott Bonvoy points, this is now one of the resorts on Marriott's all-inclusive list, so the program's all-inclusive award rules apply here. Marriott's release puts starting rates at $900 per person, per night, based on double occupancy. Here's what the resort has, how an award stay works, and what to check before you book.
What JW Marriott Built at Costa Elena
The building isn't new. It was previously Dreams Las Mareas Costa Rica, and it reopens under the JW Marriott name.
Marriott says the rooms have a villa-inspired feel, with generously sized rooms, suites and terraces. The mix includes JW Marriott's Mindful Rooms and Suites, select ground-floor suites that open onto semi-private swim-out pool areas, and Presidential Suites with separate living areas.
The pool count is the headline for families. Marriott calls it Costa Rica's largest poolscape, 17 pools in all, including an oceanfront infinity pool. Kids get the Family by JW Club, with nature walks, children's yoga, story time and family movie nights.
Griffin Club, the Resort Inside the Resort
The resort also debuts what Marriott calls its next-generation Griffin Club, a separate section with its own services. Planning starts before you arrive, with a well-being concierge who sets up dining, wellness, activities and in-room preferences. On site, Griffin Club guests get a private arrival lounge, a personal assistant, a lounge open 24/7, their own pool with concierge service and a private beach area.
There's also a Yámi Companion who handles unpacking, laundry and turndown. Griffin Club guests get priority for dining reservations and pool cabanas, which matters at a resort where 415 rooms share the restaurants. Price a Griffin Club room against a standard one for your dates before you decide it's worth it.
Where You'll Eat
Marriott lists 15 dining and bar venues. Its signature venues include Leal, where you can roast your own coffee and book a seven-course tasting menu built around Costa Rica's provinces. Casado is a wood-fired coastal grill, and Puerto Limón is built around Costa Rica's Afro-Caribbean cooking.
Luciano covers Italian and Santos covers Mexican. Namuyaki does chef-led teppanyaki, Boga serves raw, coastal dishes, and Borbón is the cocktail bar. The quirkiest is LaGloria, a root beer stand that nods to the nine-seat stand J. Willard Marriott opened in Washington, D.C. in 1927.
The wellness side is 16,000 square feet: the Spa by JW, a fitness center and the brand's first Mindfulness House, with sound healing, Reiki and cacao ceremonies on the schedule.
Booking It With Marriott Bonvoy Points
JW Marriott Costa Elena appears on Marriott's All-Inclusive by Marriott Bonvoy page, and Marriott says members "can earn or redeem points on qualifying All-Inclusive by Marriott Bonvoy bookings and activities." The program's all-inclusive terms set out how that works:
- Earning: 10 base points per U.S. dollar on qualifying charges, plus your elite bonus. Rooms booked through an online travel agency or a tour package are nonqualifying, so book with Marriott directly if you want the points and your elite benefits.
- What an award covers: the all-inclusive package for up to two people, including the standard room, room tax, service charge, resort fee and standard food and beverage. A third or fourth guest is an extra-person charge you pay separately.
- Fifth night: all-inclusive resorts take part in Stay for 5, Pay for 4 on points awards.
- What you can't use: Cash + Points and upgrade awards aren't offered at Marriott's all-inclusive resorts. A Free Night Award can be applied to a standard room.
- Where to book: award stays go through Marriott.com, the Marriott app or Marriott's call centers, and you have to give the resort the correct number of guests and children's ages.
Marriott's terms say the points per night vary by resort, room type, length of stay and time of year, and are "updated continuously," so search your own dates on Marriott.com. Our guide to all-inclusive resorts you can book with points compares how Marriott's package rules stack up against Hyatt, Hilton, IHG and Wyndham.
Before You Book
If you're paying cash, the math starts with Marriott's starting rate of $900 per person, per night, based on double occupancy, so get a quote for your exact party and dates before you compare it with other Guanacaste resorts. Book with Marriott directly, or the stay won't earn points or carry your elite benefits.
If you're using points, search a five-night stay first, since all-inclusive resorts take part in Stay for 5, Pay for 4. A party of three or four should price the extra-person charge before booking, because the award covers two. For the flight, our guide to business class awards to Costa Rica covers the award routes.
