JW Marriott Costa Elena Resort and Spa

It is the first all-inclusive resort to carry the JW Marriott name, a format the brand had never used before, and it arrives as a full reimagining of the property that previously operated on the site. The resort holds 415 rooms and suites, among them 45 keys in the Griffin Club, a hotel within the hotel with butler service and its own pool and beach access. There are 11 restaurants and bars spanning Costa Rican, Japanese, Italian and international kitchens, a 44,000 square foot poolscape billed as the largest in Costa Rica, a 16,000 square foot spa and wellness centre, and roughly 20,000 square feet of meeting and event space. The architecture and interiors draw on traditional Costa Rican building and on Bribri and Cabecar craft traditions. Mullen Hospitality Management operates the resort, which is expected to support around 700 jobs in a corner of Guanacaste that luxury travel has largely passed over.