I worked in the hospitality industry for four months, and I have to say that it was probably the worst job I’ve ever had. Guests are usually pretty terrible, and so are my coworkers. I had good moments, but they most certainly did not outweigh the bad. This week, I had fun being “in the industry” again by building and managing my own hotel, with the help of my wife.

This week is my Hotel Architect Review

Hotel Architect is a management style game from Pathos Interactive and Wired Productions. The game was released on May 20th for all those modern consoles and PC and retails for $20.

Thank you to Pathos Interactive and Wired Productions for the Steam Key! I really appreciate it.

The hospitality industry is rough. Running a business based solely on pampering tourists and business people is enough to make anyone go insane. With so many different types of people whose needs have to be fulfilled by the business, it is just crazy the amount of work that goes into running a hotel. Thankfully, in Hotel Architect, the player has an option upon entering the game, choosing if they want to delve right into career mode with challenges and a more honed-in experience, or the sandbox mode, where freedom of expression is the key to success. I spent the majority of time in the career mode, so I will be focusing on the career mode.

Hotel Architect‘s (Early Access) career mode takes the player to four different locations that have a set of challenges that reward the player with progression and loads of rewards, like appliances and cosmetics. Before achieving these rewards, onboarding is needed to fully understand the ins and outs of the Hotel Architect system. With the help of a veteran in the world of hospitality, EVERYTHING is covered, so players new to the genre have a crash course full of relevant information, and seasoned players are reintroduced to important mechanics.

Challenges and rewards come with the sim game formula, giving the player specific goals to hit before moving onto the next scenario and giving them rewards for achieving grand feats. The way that Hotel Architect does challenges feels like they are blended together so that once you achieve the first challenge, the next is right within reach. Rewards are usually pretty easy to obtain and align with the main objective of the scenario. Getting five stars, having 20 and even 30 vacancies, and even upgrading will give the player items to play with in the sandbox mode.

The system drives the player to play more because that reward or next scenario IS JUST SO CLOSE.

Constructing an actual building is the most important aspect of owning a hotel, and Hotel Architect boils construction down to a manageable two buttons. Foundations are used to chart out rooms and walls to break them up. Pay construction workers at any point to come in, and construct anything in real time. Next is designating the areas so staff and visitors know where to go.

If only construction were as easy as holding down a button and blocking out areas.

Designating zones is as easy as it has ever been by highlighting a certain area, and Hotel Architect informs the player what items NEED to be in the room to be considered that space with a blinking red icon. Contrary to popular belief, a room needs a bed, a place for clothes, and luggage, while a bathroom needs a sink, toilet, and a shower. This goes for any area in the game, and Hotel Architect communicates the needs of the hotel simply and effectively.

Customization is the hallmark of sim games, and Hotel Architect does not disappoint. There are loads of different wallpapers and flooring to suit any color palette. Things like art, carpets, rugs, and furniture are options to make the rooms more hospitable.

Hotels need more than just rooms to stay in; they need entertainment and staff rooms, and Hotel Architect allows players to build gyms, clubs, bars, and other spots to have fun and customize them how they see fit. In career mode, entertainment options are usually linked to challenges, but that cannot stop the player from building and customizing to their heart’s content in sandbox mode.

A hotel is nothing without its workers, and staffing in Hotel Architect looks simple, but can be complex at times. The hiring process is grueling, and Hotel Architect gives the player three candidates with wacky attributes that influence their work, like being short-tempered, working slowly, but perfect, good leadership qualities, and how many breaks they take during their shift.

Sim games always have upgrade systems, some more intricate than others, and Hotel Architect’s hits the sweet spot. There are upgrades for a more expansive and efficient kitchen, luxurious bedroom items to attract those snobby rich folk, and upgrades that focus on getting better staff into the hotel.

The system is not very intricate, leaning on the simplistic side as opposed to overwhelming the player with seemingly infinite choices.

The ability to upgrade is based solely on the critic that takes up a vacancy at your hotel every few days. Standard critic practices include: Feeling out literally every seat, checking out the restaurant, hitting the gym, complaining about how cheap the room looks, and playing some games. The moment the critic steps out of the hotel, the player is given upgrade points depending on how many stars the hotel has scored. More stars equal more points to play around with.

The system works as it drives the player to interact with the game and upgrade their hotel according to the critic’s words and strive for that 5-star hotel feeling.

The last aspect of Hotel Architect that I want to focus on is how easy it is to do everything and how little room is taken up on the screen. There has to be something said for how Pathos Interactive has boiled down the important aspects of a sim game into a manageable number of buttons. There are a lot of items, and they are broken down into subsections that make them easier to find, so the player is not lost in a sea of icons. This goes for inspecting rooms and staff windows; all the information is there without any interruption visually.

Hotel Architect is very clean with its presentation. Little, simple-looking legless people float around the hotel enjoying their stay while the staff dress in fancy garb to make that stay enjoyable. The items that the player places all have such great detail to them that even when you scroll in to look at it there will be even more detail. I think that I enjoyed the animations from the staff the most. There is visible frustration on the face of the cleaner cleaning the floor, and I am pretty sure the bartender makes a martini when asked.

Hotel Architect was an absolute blast to play, whether by myself or with my wife, who does not ever play games. Hotel Architect strikes a nice balance for veterans of the genre and those who just want to pick it up and play. The challenges entice the player to play more, the customization lets you do whatever, and the UI is by far the best I’ve seen in a sim game. I recommend Hotel Architect not just because it is a good sim game, but I appreciate how accessible it for everyone.

Cannot wait to play more.

7/10