Gameplay & Design
Management sims are everywhere lately—it feels like everyone wants to clock in somewhere. But for me, they’re a creative outlet. Over the years, I’ve seen all kinds, and I think they fall into two main categories: sims that fuel creativity and those that reward you with a steady sense of progress, keeping you hooked as you build toward something greater. Hotel Architect leans heavily into the creative side.
Published by Wired Productions, and developed by Pathos Interactive, Hotel Architect offers a strong foundation in sandbox-style hotel design. Each scenario provides a surprising amount of freedom, even while chasing specific goals. The core building experience is genuinely fun, especially the “theme park-style” construction system. However, it’s not without its flaws.
One of my biggest issues lies in the UI and how upgrades are handled. In many management sims, you start with a limited toolkit and gradually expand it—upgrading as your needs grow, unlocking new luxury items, and fine-tuning your design. While that concept exists here, it lacks impact. Upgrades rarely feel meaningful, and it’s hard to see how they change the gameplay. On top of that, the UI can be frustrating. Locating specific items is more difficult than it should be, and while deleting individual objects works fine, removing walls—or worse, multiple walls—can feel like navigating a minefield. One wrong click, and suddenly all your progress disappears.
That said, I appreciate the effort to build a sense of community around a single-player game. On the game’s Steam page, you’ll find weekly challenges and player uploads. In a game so centered around creativity, it's refreshing to see the devs encourage continued engagement from players.
Feedback
The game offers two primary modes: Scenarios and Sandbox. Personally, I like to play through all the scenarios before diving into sandbox mode—provided I enjoy the core building mechanics. In Hotel Architect, the scenarios don’t really test your skill; they mostly test your patience. Progress often feels like waiting around for something to happen, with little opportunity to actively influence the outcome. Sure, you can try catering to specific guest types, but it often feels random and unrewarding.
Ultimately, while I had fun with Hotel Architect, I wish the scenario mode provided more of a sense of accomplishment. The creative tools are solid, but the progression systems and UI need refinement to make the full experience truly satisfying.
Verdict
Hotel Architect isn’t a game I fell in love with, but it’s far from the worst management sim out there. It has a solid creative foundation and some genuinely enjoyable building mechanics, even if the UI frustrations and underwhelming progression hold it back. With some polish, it could easily move from decent to great.
Hotel Architect is available now on PC via Steam, if you want to take your shot at running a hotel chain.
