Hotel Architect Review

Hotel Architect

Release: May 20, 2025
Publisher: Wired Productions
Developer: Pathos Interactive
Genre: City Builder, Simulation
PEGI: 7
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Hotel Architect immerses players in the fast-paced, frequently chaotic realm of hotel administration, where visitor satisfaction, logistics, and innovation all come together. This simulation game, created by Pathos Interactive and published in May 2025, seeks to establish a niche in a market already dominated by industry titans like SimTower and Two Point Campus. But is it just another prefab project, or does it create a five-star experience?

Combining artistic freedom with intricate logistics, Hotel Architect provides a deep and multi-layered gaming experience. The game offers challenges and tools that accommodate a variety of playstyles, whether you’re a chaotic improviser or a painstaking planner.

The game’s multi-floor construction system, which enables players to build both vertically and horizontally, is its central feature. Everything from simple single rooms to opulent penthouse suites with balconies, luxurious amenities, and themed décor can be designed. Players can define room kinds, arrange furniture from a large catalog, and personalize aesthetics with wallpaper, flooring, lighting, and even aroma diffusers that affect visitors’ moods thanks to the simple yet sophisticated modular building tools.

Managing a hotel involves more than just building; it involves people. Players are in charge of employing and overseeing a varied workforce, which includes maintenance teams, chefs, housekeepers, security guards, and receptionists. To preserve productivity and morale, players must carefully plan shifts and offer training, as each employee has unique statistics and characteristics that impact their success.

Visitors are active people with tastes, emotions, and expectations; they are not only inert tourists. They rate your hotel in real time based on things like the cleanliness of the rooms, the timeliness of service, the noise level, the décor, and their experiences at conferences and weddings. Their opinions have a direct effect on your hotel’s revenue and reputation. The degree to which you meet the needs of VIP visitors and influencers can have a big impact on your ratings.

The game lets you dive into the nitty-gritty of hotel management, where every detail matters. You can see and track everything, from laundry delivery to food prep and even trash disposal. This adds a layer of realism and challenge, as a bottleneck in one area can affect the entire hotel. You’ll need to manage supply chains for food and cleaning products, keep an eye on utilities like water and electricity, and handle emergencies ranging from plumbing disasters to haunted rooms.

There are two main modes to choose from. Scenario Mode offers structured challenges in global locations like Paris, New York, and Gothenburg, each with unique objectives and constraints. Sandbox Mode, on the other hand, gives you total creative freedom. You can customize guest types, budgets, and hotel themes to your liking.

As you progress, you’ll unlock new locations and biomes, advanced technologies like smart room automation and eco-friendly systems, and prestige upgrades that attract high-paying guests and unlock exclusive decor options.

What sets Hotel Architect apart is its attention to detail. Guests have individual needs and personalities, and their feedback directly impacts your hotel’s reputation. You’ll juggle everything from plumbing issues to PR disasters, all while trying to maintain a five-star rating. The game also introduces a dynamic economy system, where market trends and seasonal events influence guest behavior and profitability.

That said, some players may find the micromanagement overwhelming. While the game offers automation tools, they’re not always intuitive, and the UI can feel cluttered during peak hotel hours.

Graphically, Hotel Architect opts for a clean, semi-realistic art style. It’s not groundbreaking, but it’s charming and functional. The animations—especially guest interactions—add life to your hotels, and the day-night cycle enhances immersion.

The soundtrack is a pleasant mix of lounge and ambient tracks, though it can become repetitive during longer play sessions. Sound effects, like the ding of a front desk bell or the murmur of a busy lobby, help ground the experience.

 Despite being in early access, the game runs smoothly on most mid-range PCs. Load times are reasonable, and bugs are minimal, though occasional pathfinding issues and UI glitches persist. The developers have been responsive, with regular patches and community engagement, which bodes well for the game’s future.

Hotel Architect is a robust and ambitious entry in the simulation genre. It offers deep customization, challenging gameplay, and a satisfying progression loop. While it may not revolutionize the tycoon formula, it refines it with style and substance.

If you’re a fan of management sims and don’t mind a bit of chaos in your construction, this is one hotel worth checking into.

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