Resort

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.

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.

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.

What does a Resort need?
For a resort to obtain a five-star rating, one would need to have a number of objects at the resort. Note that with more objects comes more maintenance, so check the resort finances through the front desk or computer from time to time. Depending on how much you can afford, there will be differences in how much you can have but for the best resort, you will need:


 * A front desk and a resort rabbit hole so that the resort can run properly.


 * Bedrooms for visiting Sims to sleep in. One can either purchase rabbit holes or manually build the bedrooms themselves.


 * A dining area for hunger-related needs. This is done with the new buffet table found under "Community Objects" in Build Mode.


 * A gym. Note that only the treadmill and strength trainer count as gym equipment at this point.


 * A pool area of acceptable size. Sims will complain that the pool is too small, so don't make it tiny. One might also want to put a pool bar, pool slide, waterfall and a diving board to improve aesthetics.


 * A ballroom which involves a Wedding Arch and chairs.


 * A bar for drinks. The bar can be a normal bar, pool bars or a professional bar if Late Night is installed.


 * A game room  may also help guest satisfaction. Try adding arcade machines to give more recreational activities.


 * Recreation and other miscellaneous objects. Objects include hot tubs, deck chairs, drink stands and decorative objects. (Sims will comment on how much you landscape your resort, so don't ignore it.)

Here is a list what you should have to get your Resort to 5-star ranking:

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.