SL Hotels - A beginner’s guide

How do I find good Second Life Hotels?

You've come to the right place! I have been to literally hundreds of different places in SL and have summarised the best ones on the recommendations page.

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 closed RP resorts where only guests have access. These work a little bit like RL holiday resorts. 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 ?

Price and the level of RP.

Self-check-in hotels on open sims charge between 100 and 1500L a night, depending on the place and the type of room you get. Booking RP spa or dinner services is often possible, but many aren’t as big on RP.

The closed RP resorts are on restricted sims, meaning you'll only see other guests and staff during your stay.

They also have staff on hand to RP everything, from the check-in experience to the resort tour to providing ‘breakfast’ in the morning at the spa.

These tend to be more expensive, with prices starting at 1500 and going up to 4,000 a night in some cases.

Do people pay this, and is it worth it?

Yes, and yes (sometimes). Some resorts are often booked out right after opening despite charging 2-3k a night for a suite.

People pay this much to stay because some resorts offer an immersive and unique experience.

They take months to build and usually follow some kind of theme mirrored on an actual RL destination. Moreover, there are several RP staff on-site.

However, if you don't want to pay these prices, you can still stay in a great hotel for 500L a night or less - a few are free.

It just depends on what you are looking for. Do you want a full RP experience or more flexibility and the ability to come and go when you want?

Why would I want to go and stay in these places?

For the same reasons, you would in RL.

Take a date or significant other. Isn't going to a fantastic hotel so much better than the default option of going 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.

Or simply travel the world virtually. Where do you want to go? Paris? Bali? Fiji? Thailand? Themed places to stay have been created for each of these destinations in the past - 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 few years; they've transformed my SL experience beyond recognition. Hopefully, the reviews I've put together will help you discover this often-overlooked side of SL yourself.

If you have any questions, please email me.