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Resort
Sparkling Sands, one of the premade resorts in Isla Paradiso.
Resorts are a new type of lot introduced in The Sims 3: Island Paradise. Resorts are functionally similar to hotels from The Sims 2: Bon Voyage as Sims can also check in and rest for a number of days. A new feature added in this iteration, however, is that players can now own a resort and improve it. Premade resorts exist in Isla Paradiso but they can be built in any world.
Checking In[]
To use any of the objects on a resort lot, you must check in first.
Sims can do so by using the front desk, a new build mode object added to the game. From there, they can choose between staying in a Standard Tower Room or a Luxury Suite. Standard rooms are generally cheaper, though "turning in for the night" or "getting refreshments" inside will be a simple rabbit hole. Luxury suites, on the other hand, while being considerably more expensive, allow your Sim to stay in a real room in the resort, giving them access to more amenities.
There must be an employee staffing the front desk in order for a player Sim to check in. If no one are staffing the desk at the time, it can potentially take hours in in-game time for the Sim to check in.
Although non-resort rabbit holes, e.g. military bases, can be placed on resort lots, Sims must check in to the resort before visiting such rabbit holes as well, potentially causing complications when going to work.
Owning a Resort[]
Purchasing a Lot for a Resort[]
Sims can purchase a resort on their phones or computers under the "Real Estate" tab. This interaction will pull up a map of the world and the resorts available for purchase based on current household funds. Purchasing a resort can cost one quite a bit— hundreds of thousands of simoleons, even, and they might not be able to pay those back, so players should make sure to think on it before deciding!
Note that one of the resorts, Hobart's Hideaway is free for the taking, even at the beginning of the game.
Alternatively, the player can select an empty lot or one of the eight hidden islands in Isla Paradiso to turn into a resort, simply click on the resort's icon in map view to buy the lot, or purchase it at the front desk.
At least one bungalow, cabin, or resort tower must be on the lot in order to open the resort, or else the resort will instantly close again. It is not sufficient to only have freeform-built VIP rooms.
Improving a Resort[]
Star Ratings and Reviews[]
Sims can check the resort's star rating by selecting View Resort Reviews from the Resort Management pie menu.
Obtaining five stars will depend on a number of factors. If the resort is built from scratch, the resort will initially start out with no stars. Pre-built resorts will usually start out with a few stars at the beginning.
Every day at 7:00 am, the resort will either gain or lose half a star, or remain at the same star level depending on how many customers liked the resort. Resorts can only gain or lose the maximum of half a star, no matter how much one improves the resort.
Along with the updated star rating, the resort will get a few reviews commenting on what is good (or isn't) about the resort. These reviews come in the form of short sentences, which though brief, get to the point and gives one an idea on what the resort needs to improve.
If the resort is in Isla Paradiso, getting a resort to 5 stars will unlock the No Trouble Atoll hidden island.
What does a Resort need?[]
Based on what is known about the point system as of May 24, 2025, this setup would give 730 points for §25,880.
The lot requires a reception desk and a resort rabbit hole so that the resort can run properly. The game will refuse to let a resort open without at least one resort building; merely assigning rooms as VIP rooms and nothing else, is not accepted by the game.
The game uses a points system to determine the star rating. The system is not shown in the game itself, and the criteria are instead listed in "ResortManager_0x0d6804ccbb120191" in GameplayData.package, and various other resort-related _XML files in the same .package.
The total points needed for each star:
★: 50
★★: 200
★★★: 400
★★★★: 650
★★★★★: 1,000
| Criteria | Points |
|---|---|
| Having 4 or more gym objects, specifically treadmills and weight machines (whereas the PowerMax 50x120[TS3:A] in particular does not) | +75 |
| Having 10 or more art objects (What counts as art or not is haphazard; the base game Beach Umbrella is cheapest one that counts) | +75 |
| Having 50 or more landscaping objects, e.g. trees, bushes, etc. | +75 |
| There is ocean swimming water within the lot's area | +75 |
| Having a hot tub whose temperature is set to "Hot" | +60 |
| Having a firewalk pit | +60 |
| Having a swimming pool that is ≥80sq² (Equivalent to 10x8sq), and/or has 2.25sq of swimming pool squares per statistical guest | +50 |
| Having a wedding arch | +50 |
| Having ≥1 food stand(s), with the highest quality of any food stands on the lot being "High" | +50 |
| Hired maintenance workers (Each) | +25 |
| Shifts that the resort desk has been set to work in (Each; up to 3) | +25 |
| Shifts that the pool bar(s) has been set to work in (Each; up to 3 total) | +25 |
| Shifts that the food stand(s) has been set to work in (Each; up to 3 total) | +25 |
| Shifts that the professional bar(s)[TS3:LN] has been set to work in (Each; up to 3 total) | +25 |
| Having ≥1 food stand(s), with the highest quality of any food stands on the lot being "Medium" | +25 |
| Having a hot tub whose temperature is set to "Tepid", but none that are set to "Hot" | +20 |
| Buffet tables set to "High" (Highest on the lot within each categories; up to 8 total) | +20 |
| Having ≥1 food stand(s), with the highest quality of any food stands on the lot being "Low" | +10 |
| Buffet tables set to "Medium" (Highest on the lot within each categories; up to 8 total) | +10 |
| Buffet tables set to "Low" (Highest on the lot within each categories; up to 8 total) | +5 |
| Bonus for each pool tile that is set to "Chlorinated" (Each; up to 150 total) | +0.5 |
| Having 1 or 2 pool features, i.e. diving boards, water slides, and/or pool waterfalls (up to 2 total) | +?? |
| Has 0.0 ~ 0.49sq of swimming pool squares per statistical guest (unless the swimming pool is ≥80sq²) | -10 |
| Trash piles (Each) | -10 |
| Cockroach infestation spawners (Each) | -10 |
| Broken object (Each) | -20 |
| Dirty object (Each) | -20 |
There are also complicated calculations based on how many statistical guests that have checked in to the resort, which usually don't correspond at all to how many physical, non-staff NPCs that are on the lot. There is also a limit to how much higher (or lower) the star rating score can change each day; the higher the current rating, the more the score can go up or down.
Finances[]
Owning a resort costs money, not just from purchasing new objects and improving existing ones but also through maintenance. Ideally, the resort payout should be higher than maintenance costs so profit is being made, but if it isn't one might want to consider the following:
- Workers to manage the amenities at your resort. One for the front desk, one for every bar, every pool bar and every drinks stand. Maintenance crews are also needed to fix and repair broken objects (up to three can be hired).
- Buffet tables don't magically make food appear. You need to pay upkeep for every buffet table that you own. How much you pay depends on how many tables you have and the quality of the food. Changing the type of food doesn't change the upkeep, but it is ideal to have a few buffet tables for variety to reduce complaints. Bars also need upkeep depending on the quality of the drinks served.
- Hot tubs and pools have costs too. For hot tubs this depends on how hot the water is (tepid or hot), and for pools it depends on whether one wants to chlorinate the pool.
- Bedrooms will have extra upkeep from the toggling of room services and spa treatments.
Cleanliness[]
In contrast to other lot types, resorts have a tendency to easily become derelict. Any and all objects that can break or get dirty, will do so, and they do it often and without even being used. They have even been known to break partway through an ongoing attempted Unbreakable Handiness upgrade. Cockroaches will also spawn both inside and outside any walled areas (which can only be stomped on and not collected), and random bits of garbage may spawn as well.
A resort that is considered by the game to be particularly dirty, will give Sims on the lot (except resort staff) the Nauseous moodlet no matter where they are on the lot.
There are some methods to make the resort more consistently clean, even if the problems never go away entirely:
- Hire 3 maintenance workers at §100 each.
- Have one or more Sims in your household have high enough handiness skills (and/or have them be a fairy[TS3:SN] with the Fairy Repair skill, and/or a witch with the Upgrade Appliance skill) that they can add Unbreakable upgrades to items and can help with repairing items.
- Add trash cans to various places on the lot, so maintenance workers don't have to walk as far whenever they have to handle garbage. Trash cans work better for this than recycle cans and trash compactors, the latter of which can often break and make the situation worse.
- Minimize the number of items on the lot that can break, for instance by not placing more showers, toilets, sinks, televisions, computers, or hot tubs than what is strictly necessary.
- Add obstacles (such as stones, columns, or diagonal walls/fences) to inaccessible or superfluent 1x1 flat spaces, to prevent garbage from spawning on those tiles, and to help reduce the chance of cockroaches.
Resorts in penthouses[]
Running a resort in a penthouse skyscraper shell building[TS3:LN] poses additional difficulties. When checking in to a hotel, the penthouse's ground floor entrance can't be entered before checking in, so the reception desk must be placed outside. Buffet tables' food types and qualities can't be changed until at least one of the active household's Sims have entered the penthouse.
Cabins are treated as large public buildings and will not be hidden from view when viewing lower floors, which can significantly restrict the player's ability to see the resort; and all cabins require at least 2 floors' worth of roof space.
Elevators between the high and low floors are often busy, especially if there's only 1 elevator.
Prebuilt resort lots in Isla Paradiso[]
La Costa Verde[]
| La Costa Verde | |
|---|---|
| |
| Address | 75 Fiesta Circle |
| Unfurnished lot value | §162,885 |
| Furnished lot value | §242,828 |
| Price per day | §57 - 86 |
| Lot size | 64x64 |
| N° of floors | 2 |
| Bedrooms | 7 |
| Bathrooms | 3 |
| Neighborhood | Isla Paradiso (island) |
| World | Isla Paradiso |
| Game | The Sims 3: Island Paradise
|
- 1 resort building (Spanish Style Resort Cottage upgrade 2 with spa).
- 2 VIP rooms (both with 1 doublebed, a TV, a bathroom with bathtub, and a dresser).
- Circa 22x6sq swimming pool with a pool bar.
- A small buffet room serving Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner food types at Medium quality.
- A basic gym room with some treadmills, weight machines, and TVs.
- A firewalk pit.
- Various benches.
- 1 parking spot.
- Some trees.
Sparkling Sands[]
| Sparkling Sands | |
|---|---|
| |
| Address | 45 Paradise Road |
| Unfurnished lot value | §170,872 |
| Furnished lot value | §260,797 |
| Price per day | §127 - 191 |
| Lot size | 64x64 |
| N° of floors | 2 |
| Bedrooms | 3 |
| Bathrooms | 5 |
| Neighborhood | Isla Paradiso (island) |
| World | Isla Paradiso |
| Game | The Sims 3: Island Paradise
|
- 1 resort building (Eco Modern Resort Tower with no upgrades, but with room service).
- 2 somewhat small VIP rooms (Both with a doublebed, a TV, and an all-in-one bathroom).
- 2 buffet tables serving Sushi and Dim Sum food types at High quality.
- An Eco Modern Food Counter food stand.
- A large L-shaped swimming pool with a pool bar, a pool waterfall, and a waterslide.
- A 4x4sq hot tub.
- What appears to be some kind of museum.
- A basic wedding venue with a wedding arch.
- A rather small gym room.
- A firewalk pit.
- A campfire.
- 4 wall speakers (Plays Electronica by default).
- Many lounging chairs.
- 4 parking spots.
- Some trees, mostly palm trees.
Around a 15 square walk to the nearby Sparkling Sands Beach lot.
Hobart's Hideaway[]
| Hobart's Hideaway | |
|---|---|
| |
| Address | 101 Surf Circle |
| Unfurnished lot value | §52,531 |
| Furnished lot value | §69,403 |
| Price per day | §24 - 36 |
| Lot size | 64x64 |
| N° of floors | 2 |
| Bedrooms | 5 |
| Bathrooms | 3 (incl. 1 outdoor all-in-one bathroom) |
| Neighborhood | Surf Island |
| World | Isla Paradiso |
| Game | The Sims 3: Island Paradise
|
- 1 resort building (Beach Resort Tower with no upgrades).
- 1 VIP room (A doublebed, a dresser, an all-in-one bathroom, and a terrace with lounge chairs).
- A buffet table that serves the Lunch food type at Bad quality.
- A small kitchen with a refrigerator and a coffeemaker.
- A bathtub and an all-in-one bathroom, both placed outdoors.
- 2 wall speakers (Plays Beach Party by default).
- 2 bookshelves.
- A campfire.
- A dumpster.
Built to resemble an abandoned and derelict resort, but is in fact fully operational by default as long as the reception is staffed. Player Sims can buy the resort for free (i.e. §0), which is not otherwise normally possible.
Other expansion packs[]
A few expansion pack worlds and The Sims 3 Store worlds have pre-made lots that resemble resorts or which may even have the word "Resort" in their names. If their lot assignments are changed to "Resort", then only minor changes to the lots (Usually placing one resort building and setting VIP locks) would be needed to turn them into functional Island Paradise-type resorts, though their star ratings would be somewhat low.
Other info[]
- Objects bought for resort lots that the Sim owns, count towards any "Buy [object]" wishes they may have.
- Werewolves[TS3:SN] who own a resort can not give "Cursed Bite" to any employees at the resort that they own.
- Resort staff usually demand easy access to tiles where there are either resort-type cockroach spawners or very invisible 0x0sq "Brush the floor here" spawners. If they cannot easily get there, they will very frequently complain about routing errors, potentially causing the resort cleanliness to plummet until the spawners have been removed through e.g. NRaas Debug Enabler → Radius Purge.
- If such a Radius Purge is successful, a notification will show up saying
Objects Purged:with one of its rows saying simply: 1
- If such a Radius Purge is successful, a notification will show up saying
Other languages (Lot assignment)[]
If different from the English name.
| Language | Title | Translated etymology |
|---|---|---|
| Chinese (Traditional) | ||
| Czech | ||
| Danish | Feriehotel | Vacation hotel |
| Dutch | ||
| Finnish | Hotelli | Hotel |
| French | Complexe hôtelier | |
| German | ||
| Greek | Θέρετρο | |
| Hungarian | ||
| Italian | Centro turistico | |
| Japanese | ||
| Korean | ||
| Norwegian | Hotell | Hotel |
| Polish | ||
| Russian | Курорт | |
| Spanish (Mexico) | Complejo turístico | |
| Swedish | ||
| Thai |