Hotel Architect Review: My New Addiction Is Building Hotels for Ungrateful Blobs

For years, the hotel tycoon genre has been a graveyard of broken promises. Hotel Architect has finally arrived to build a five-star resort on its ashes.

There’s a void in my soul shaped exactly like a hotel management sim, and I’ve been trying to fill it since the glory days of SimTower. Hotel Architect doesn’t just fill that void; it renovates it, puts in a fancy new carpet, and charges me for the minibar. It’s the quirky, chaotic hotel game I never knew I was missing.

I stumbled upon this game after seeing it pop up everywhere and decided to take the plunge, despite my usual aversion to Early Access titles. The cartoonish art style initially gave me pause, but after seeing it in motion, I was sold. For a game that looks this detailed, I was shocked to find the file size was tiny and that it ran smoother than a freshly polished marble floor. This thing is dangerously compelling.

The Blueprint for Addiction

The core of Hotel Architect is pure, uncut dopamine. You start with a rundown building or an empty plot, and the game hands you the tools to create anything from a budget hostel for broke backpackers to a multi-story luxury palace for demanding dukes. It has that classic tycoon loop down to a science: build, earn, expand, repeat.

For a game still in development, it feels surprisingly polished. The building mechanics are intuitive, and watching your creation come to life, floor by floor, is immensely satisfying. It gives me the same nostalgic buzz as the old Roller Coaster Tycoon games, where every new attraction felt like a monumental achievement. I’ve lost entire nights to the "just one more room" mentality.

Managing the Mayhem

This isn't just about building pretty rooms. You’re the manager, the HR department, and occasionally, the glorified janitor. Hiring staff is a game in itself, with employees sporting names and attributes that feel like they were pulled from a witness protection program. Keeping them happy and energized with a decent staff room is just one of the many plates you’ll be spinning.

Then come the guests. Oh, the guests. They waddle around your hotel like adorable, legless blobs, leaving chaos in their wake. After the tenth backpacker built a modern art installation out of empty coffee cups in my pristine lobby, I started to understand why some hotels have 'lost and found' rooms that are suspiciously soundproof. You learn to cater to different types, from sunbathers to business travelers, each with their own unique and often infuriating demands.

Managing the flow of laundry, keeping the restaurants stocked, and ensuring your washing machines don't spontaneously combust becomes a beautiful, frantic dance. It’s the kind of productive chaos that management sims thrive on, and it rarely feels frustrating.

A Wishlist for the Penthouse Suite

Look, let’s be clear: getting 30, 40, or even 60+ hours out of a €20 Early Access game is fantastic value. It took me about 35 hours to complete the available scenarios, and I enjoyed nearly every minute. That said, the foundation is so strong that I'm already hungry for more. The experience can feel a bit easy once you get the hang of it, and I'd love to see more intense challenges down the line.

My biggest wish is for more space. My dreams of a sprawling resort complex were quickly humbled by the restrictive building plots and floor limits, which makes some scenarios feel a bit cramped. I hope future updates allow us to build bigger, more ambitious hotels.

And the potential for new features is massive. I want to see swimming pools to properly cater to my sunbather guests, more diverse restaurant types, and maybe even some fancy glass elevators to increase the hotel's poshness. The core game is so good that it just makes you imagine all the incredible things that could be built on top of it.

Checking Out the New Vegas Update

Just as I was compiling my wishlist, the developers dropped a brand-new Las Vegas update. This isn't just a new map; it's a whole new layer of management. Now I’m running a full-blown casino with Blackjack, Roulette, Craps, and a new "Croupier" staff type to manage.

It’s a fantastic, meaty addition that shows the developers are actively listening and expanding the game in meaningful ways. If this is the kind of update we can expect while it’s still in Early Access, the future looks incredibly bright. It’s the perfect answer to anyone wondering if the game has longevity.

The Verdict

Hotel Architect is a damn good time. It’s one of the best hotel sims I’ve played in years, capturing that perfect balance of creative building and chaotic management. It’s charming, funny, and has a dangerously addictive gameplay loop that will absolutely consume your free time.

Yes, it’s still got some growing to do. It needs more content, deeper management systems, and a bit more of a challenge in the late game. But for an Early Access title, it’s an incredibly impressive and polished experience. The developers are clearly passionate, and it shows in every update.

Score: 8.5/10 The most satisfying management sim I've played in years, even if my guests are legless blobs who don't appreciate my interior design skills.

We at NLM received a key for this game for free, this however didn't impact our review in any way.