Ready to transform your island into a tropical getaway? Animal Crossing: New Horizons just got a whole lot more exciting with the 3.0 Update, introducing the Kapp'n's Family Hotel, also known as the Resort Hotel. This isn’t just a minor addition—it’s a game-changer that turns the southern pier of your island into a bustling hotel run by none other than Kapp'n's family. But here’s where it gets controversial: is this update a refreshing new feature or just another time-consuming task for players? Let’s dive in and find out!
On this page of our comprehensive guide, we’ll walk you through unlocking the hotel and mastering its mechanics. Whether you’re a seasoned player or a beginner, this guide is designed to make the process smooth and enjoyable. And this is the part most people miss: the hotel isn’t just about decorating rooms—it’s a dynamic feature that evolves with your island’s progress.
How to Unlock Kapp'n's Family Hotel
For most players with advanced islands, the hotel unlocks automatically. Our best guess? It’s tied to upgrading Resident Services from a tent to a building with a plaza. This is also when the Happy Home Paradise DLC becomes available, along with the Campsite. You’ll know it’s unlocked when Isabelle announces it during the morning broadcast.
Day 1: Grams' Store and Rooms 1 & 2
Once unlocked, head to the southern pier to find the hotel already built. Kapp'n, Tom Nook, and Leilani (Kapp'n's wife) will greet you in the lobby. Leilani will explain that the guest rooms need your decorating skills—and that’s where the fun begins!
Room 1 - Seaside Room: Leilani assigns the "Seaside Room" theme. If you’ve played Happy Home Paradise, this will feel familiar. Here’s how it works:
- Use the Recommended tab in the items menu (press Right on the D-Pad) to find theme-matching items, even ones you don’t own yet.
- Access Decorating Mode by pressing Down on the D-Pad to place items effortlessly.
- Customize items marked with a paintbrush by pressing X in the item menu or Down on the D-Pad in Decorating Mode.
- Take a photo of the room using the NookPhone Camera App to represent it.
After completing Room 1, you’ll earn 200 Hotel Tickets and unlock Room 2 and Grams' Souvenir Shop. You’ll also achieve a Nook Milestone, earning 300 Nook Miles and the "Chill" and "Organizer" title keywords for your Passport.
Grams' Souvenir Shop: This shop works similarly to Nook’s Cranny and the Paradise Planning Shop. It offers exclusive items that change daily. Buying directly from the storefront is cheaper than ordering from the catalogue, but the catalogue expands as more guests stay at the hotel.
Room 2 - Theme Choices: For Room 2, you can choose between Japanese Room and Modern Room. The process is the same as Room 1, but with different themes. If you want to change the theme later, exit the room and tell Leilani you’re quitting—she’ll let you start over.
Tom Nook's DIY Requests
After your initial conversation with Tom Nook, he’ll ask you to craft DIY items for Kapp'n to promote the island. In exchange, you’ll earn Hotel Tickets. Here’s how it works:
- Check the box outside the hotel for four daily DIY Requests.
- View your current requests and required materials in the DIY Recipes menu or at a DIY bench.
- The first four requests of the day have a x2 Hotel Ticket bonus.
- Requests refresh every Monday, so plan accordingly.
KBABZ Tip: Place a DIY Bench and Storage Shed on the pier to streamline crafting and store excess materials. Add a Mario Warp Pipe for quick access from Resident Services.
Days 2-5: Expanding the Hotel
Day 2 - Hotel Outfits: Customize two mannequins in the lobby with outfits for guests and visiting players. Note: Animal guests won’t wear pants, socks, or shoes!
Days 3 & 4 - More Decorating: Each day, you’ll decorate up to two rooms with themes like Skyscraper Room, Diner Room, Lodge Room, and Luxurious Room. Check Grams' Souvenir Shop daily for new items as more guests arrive.
Day 5 - The VIP Room: Leilani introduces the VIP Room, a unique feature where you manually invite one of the eight current guests. Unlike standard rooms, the VIP Room requires a complete redesign each time and offers 45 themes, including the 15 standard themes. You can also drop the VIP guest into the room for better visualization.
New Features After VIP Room:
- Redesign any of the eight standard rooms with new or existing themes.
- Earn 200 Hotel Tickets daily for completely redecorating a room.
- Grams' Souvenir Shop expands further with more items.
Final Thoughts
The Kapp'n's Family Hotel adds depth and creativity to Animal Crossing: New Horizons, but it’s not without its challenges. Is it worth the effort? That’s up to you. What do you think? Is this update a welcome addition or just another chore? Let us know in the comments!
