Marriott Invites Travelers to Discover Latin America Through Authentic Cultural Experiences

SAN JOSÉ, Costa Rica, Jan. 21, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- At a time when travel is no longer defined merely by changing locations but by understanding the soul of the places visited, Marriott International hotels transform Latin America into a living map of flavors, art, history, and traditions. Through a curated selection of properties in Costa Rica, Colombia, Panama, and Peru, the company invites travelers to immerse themselves in experiences that foster a deep and meaningful connection with the identity of each destination.

The Ancestral Flavors of Cacao and Rum at W Costa Rica Reserva Conchal

In Guanacaste, W Costa Rica Reserva Conchal elevates tasting into a cultural experience. Its Rum & Chocolate Tasting offers a sensory journey that brings together aged rum and artisanal chocolate crafted from locally sourced cacao. This experience reflects the profound historical relationship that Mesoamerican cultures have maintained with cacao. Revered as a sacred element, used as currency, and central to ancestral ceremonies, cacao continues to hold deep spiritual significance today for Indigenous communities such as the Bribri people, for whom it symbolizes knowledge, balance, and a vital connection to the land.

Wellness and Nature at The Westin Reserva Conchal

The Westin Reserva Conchal centers its experience on two of Costa Rica's most widely recognized attributes: holistic well-being and respect for the natural environment. The resort is also the first all-inclusive property in the Americas to be certified as carbon positive. Guests may engage in experiences such as yoga sessions overlooking one of the most iconic Pacific coastal landscapes in Costa Rica, guided cycling tours through the biodiverse Reserva Natural Conchal, nature hikes designed to observe native wildlife and indigenous tree species, and coffee tastings that present coffee not merely as an ingredient, but as a cultural expression deeply embedded in Costa Rican identity.

Leaving a Positive Legacy at El Mangroove, Autograph Collection

In Playa Panamá, El Mangroove, Autograph Collection invites travelers to become active participants in its conservation efforts through Leave Your Leaves, a ritual that integrates sustainability, participation, and collective memory. In the afternoons, guests are invited to plant native tree species—such as cenízaro or oak—in pots that later form a living mural in the hotel lobby. Months later, these trees are transferred to the Estación Experimental Horizontes, where they continue their growth. The gesture is simple, yet its meaning is profound: to leave a positive footprint that endures beyond the stay.

A Return to Origins at the New Santa Lucía Jungle Hacienda, Autograph Collection

The journey through Costa Rica culminates with the opening of Santa Lucía Jungle Hacienda, Autograph Collection, a new property debuting this January in Tárcoles, Puntarenas. Conceived as a village from another era immersed in the jungle, Santa Lucía draws inspiration from the historic haciendas and settlements that once populated the region. Here, guests navigate not by corridors, but by the sound of the river, the light filtering through the trees, and the constant murmur of nature.
The narrative of Santa Lucía is rooted in local legends and oral traditions that have circulated throughout this area of Costa Rica—stories of explorers, vanished settlements, and hidden jungle treasures, including the legendary quest for the gold of Cacique Garabito (Chief Garabito). The property evokes the adventurous and poetic spirit of these tales, inviting travelers to imagine, explore, and reconnect with the magic of the land.

The Taste of Fresh Fruit at The Brown, Autograph Collection

At The Brown, Autograph Collection in Guatapé, Colombia reveals one of its greatest natural riches: its extraordinary fruit biodiversity. Thanks to its multiple climatic zones, the country is home to one of the widest varieties of fruits in the world. Guests participate in a guided tasting experience where they encounter fruits such as lulo, with its vibrant acidity; tree tomato, intense and aromatic; and carob, a pod with a smooth, naturally sweet pulp consumed fresh. More than a tasting, the experience serves as a living lesson in Colombian geography, culture, and tradition.

Murals and Color at W Panama

At W Panama, Panamanian culture is expressed through design. The hotel is conceived as a visual narrative of the country, in which each space translates a fragment of its history, from the entrance—blending references to tropical rainforest landscapes and the Panama Canal—to the Welcome Desk inspired by the traditional Congo dance skirt, a symbol of Afro-descendant heritage. Public spaces feature murals inspired by the iconic Diablos Rojos—Panama's urban buses—as well as references to the railway and shipping containers that traverse the Canal. In the guest rooms, Guna molas, indigenous geometric designs, and references to ancestral jewelry and body painting transform each stay into a contemporary cultural immersion.

A Journey Through Cusco's History at Palacio del Inka, a Luxury Collection Hotel, and JW Marriott El Convento Cusco

At Palacio del Inka, a Luxury Collection Hotel, guests may explore a collection of 195 colonial artworks, including 60 paintings from the Cusco School—an artistic movement that emerged in the 17th century and fused European techniques with Andean worldview, resulting in a uniquely mestizo Baroque style. The building once formed part of the legendary Qorikancha, the Temple of the Sun, the most sacred site of the Inca Empire, and preserves original elements of imperial architecture.

Just steps away, JW Marriott El Convento Cusco offers a different way to travel through time. Built atop a 16th-century convent, the hotel conducts daily guided historical tours that allow guests to visit its archaeological zone and understand how colonial Cusco was constructed upon the foundations of the Inca world.

The experience extends into gastronomy, where guests may participate in ceviche classes, learning to prepare Peru's signature dish while discovering native ingredients such as ají peppers, Andean lime, and fresh fish—connecting cuisine, territory, and tradition.

From sacred cacao and Amazonian fruits to colonial convents and reinterpreted Indigenous art, the region emerges as a constellation of living cultures, inviting travelers to discover Latin America not merely as a destination, but as a profound and transformative experience.

SOURCE Marriott International