SL Hotels 101 - a beginners guide
Recently I was asked about SL Hotels on a Facebook group. How do they work? Is there RP? Are there really staff on hand to assist you?
It occurred to me that most SL residents are probably like I was 1+ year ago, when I only had the vaguest notion that SL Hotels and Resorts were actually a thing.
So here's a quick guide to the Second Life Hotel landscape.
How do I find good Second Life Hotels?
You've come to the right place. I have stayed in 50 odd hotels over the past year and I have listed my recommendations on this page. And as I pay for my own stays, I am 100% independent..
Do Second Life Hotels resemble real ones?
Yes, there are dozens of hotels and resorts that try and mimic the RL experience. By and large they all have reception desks (which are very often staffed by bots) bars, restaurants, spas and swimming pools.
They then have elevators up to the rooms. Sometimes these rooms are actually in skyboxes, sometimes they are within the main build.
How do I check in?
SL Hotels and resorts can broadly be split into two categories.
First of all, there are the hotels where you check yourself in.
These are on open sims which anyone can visit (some restrict certain areas for guests). Here you generally pay a rental board above reception, or you can tp into the room after which you have 1-2 minutes to pay before security kicks you out.
Then there are the RP resorts on restricted sims. With these, you pre-book via a website or Facebook page. You then get a time to check-in, after which you are given your 'keys' (your group tag), which gives you access to the sim for the duration of your stay.
What's the difference between the two types of hotels?
Price and the level of RP.
Self check-in hotels on open sims charge anywhere from 100-1000L a night depending on the place and the type of room you get. Though it's possible to book RP spa or dinner services, it's not as big a deal as in the RP resorts. The advantage here of course is flexibility, you can check in and leave when you please.
The RP resorts are on restricted sims, with no public areas, meaning you'll only see other guests and staff during your stay. They also have staff on hand to RP everything.
For example when you check-in, someone will be there to go through the process complete with, "could I have your credit card and ID please Sir / Madam, and I will call up the details of your room.” (clearly this is alL RP-ed, but I have been somewhere where I was sent a ‘passport’ pre check in for me to present).
These tend to be much more expensive, with prices starting at 1500, going in some cases all the way up to 5000L a night.
Do people pay this, and is it worth it?
Yes and yes (sometimes). Some resorts are largely full despite charging these prices. In fact one of the things I’ve discovered is that there’s a whole community in SL, which RPs luxury living, complete with going on expensive five star vacations.
People pay to stay because some of these resorts offer an immersive and a truly unique experience. Take Cairo Garden City as one example. The nightly rate here is 5000L+, something many in SL would consider an eye watering sum. But it's a truly astonishing build that it took the creator almost a year to complete.
However, if you don't want to pay these prices, you can still stay in some amazing places for 500L or less. It really just depends how important the RP aspect is for you.
Why would I want to go and stay in these places?
For the same reasons as you would in RL.
Take a date / significant other. Isn't going to a fantastic hotel so much better than the default options of taking your date to a club or a beach (or a club on a beach!)?
Or go with friends, the RP resorts in particular tend to have villas specifically geared for groups, where you can make a weekend of it.
And then, go to travel the world, in this case virtually. Where do you want to go? Fiji? Jordan? Tokyo? Paris? Thailand? There are themed places to stay covering each of these destinations and more.
So there we have it, a quick two minute guide to Second Life Hotels and Resorts. I've loved discovering and staying in them over the past year, it's transformed my SL experience for the better beyond recognition. Hopefully the reviews I've put together will be helpful for you to discover this often overlooked side of SL yourself
If you have any questions, please email me or contact me in world.
