The 3.0 Free Update has brought many exciting new features to Animal Crossing: New Horizons, and one of the most interesting additions is the Resort Hotel and its special currency—Hotel Tickets. If you want to collect exclusive furniture, unique clothing, and cool accessories that you can’t buy with Bells, understanding Hotel Tickets is key. This guide will cover everything you need to know about ACNH Hotel Tickets, include how to get them easily, how to use them, hotel building & decoration, the prices of 3.0 update items from Souvenir shop, and other useful tips.
ACNH 3.0 Resort Hotel & Hotel Tickets Guide
Introduced in the free 3.0 update for Animal Crossing: New Horizons, the Resort Hotel is located on an expanded island pier and is run by Kapp’n and his family. Hotel Tickets are a brand-new type of currency that is related to the new building. Unlike AC Bells, you can’t earn Hotel Tickets by selling fish, bugs, or fruit. Instead, you get them by helping Kapp’n’s family run their new Resort Hotel. The only place to use Hotel Tickets is at the souvenir shop in the Resort Hotel’s lobby. This shop is run by Grams, an elderly turtle who is part of Kapp’n’s family. The items you can buy with Hotel Tickets are exclusive—you won’t find them anywhere else in the game, not even at Nook’s Cranny or through Nook Shopping. This makes Hotel Tickets a valuable resource for players who love decorating their islands or collecting rare Animal Crossing 3.0 items. It’s also important to know that the Resort Hotel and thus Hotel Tickets is only available after you download the 3.0 version. The update launched alongside the Nintendo Switch 2 Edition of ACNH on January 15, 2026. If you have the original ACNH game, you can download the update for free. If you want to play on Nintendo Switch 2, you can buy an upgrade pass for a small fee.
How to Get & Unlock Resort Hotel in ACNH 3.0?
Resort Hotel Location
The Resort Hotel is built on your island’s pier. This is the same pier where you meet Kapp’n for boat tours. After unlocking, you’ll notice the pier has become a bit longer and bigger to fit the hotel. To find it easily, look for the pier in the southern corner of your island (exact corner depends on your island’s layout, but it’s always across the river from Resident Services). The hotel stands at the end of this pier, so you can’t miss it once it’s available.
Requirements to Unlock the Resort Hotel
Before you can start unlocking the hotel, you need to meet a few prerequisites.
Have the ACNH 3.0.0 update: Check the upper right corner of the main menu loading screen to confirm your game version.
Upgrade Resident Services from a tent to a proper building with a plaza: This is a basic requirement, as it also unlocks other key features like the Campsite and Happy Home Paradise DLC access.
Unlock Kapp’n and his boat tours (a must-do step). To get Kapp’n, you need to unlock the town rating system by upgrading Resident Services, achieve a 3-star town rating (you’ll need at least 8 villagers, clean up weeds, place decorations, and build basic facilities like the museum and shop) and invite K.K. Slider to perform on your island (he comes the day after you get 3 stars). The day after K.K. Slider’s performance, Isabelle will announce that Kapp’n’s boat tours are available.
Wait for Isabelle’s hotel announcement: After unlocking Kapp’n, Isabelle will mention the new hotel on the pier in her next daily island broadcast (at the start of a new day). This means the hotel is now built and ready for you to activate. You don’t need a Nintendo Switch Online membership or the Happy Home Paradise DLC to unlock the hotel. It’s free for all players with the 3.0 update.
Steps to Unlock and Get the Resort Hotel in ACNH
Once Isabelle announces the hotel, follow these simple steps to unlock its full functions. The key task is decorating the first hotel room—don’t worry, it’s just like decorating your home!
Step 1: Visit the Hotel on the Pier
Head to your island’s pier (the one with Kapp’n’s boat). Walk to the end of the pier, and you’ll see the Resort Hotel. Go inside the hotel—this will trigger a short cutscene with Tom Nook, Kapp’n, and Kapp’n’s wife Lelani (she’s in charge of the hotel).
Step 2: Agree to Help Decorate the Hotel
During the cutscene, Tom Nook will ask you to help decorate the hotel rooms so it can open for guests. Choose “Yes” or the agreeing option to continue. After the conversation, go to the reception desk on the left side of the hotel lobby—Lelani is standing there.
Step 3: Start Decorating Room 1 with Lelani’s Guidance
Talk to Lelani and select the option “I’ll help” when it appears. She will take you up to Room 1, which is the first room you need to decorate to open the hotel. Decorating hotel rooms works exactly like decorating your home or holiday homes in the Happy Home Paradise DLC. You have full access to all your catalog items, and the game will even give you new theme-matching items (even if you haven’t unlocked them yet). Lelani will give a theme for Room 1 (usually a seaside theme). You can press the right button on your D-pad to open the “Recommended” tab—this shows furniture and decor that fits the theme. You don’t have to use these items, but they help you get a clear idea of the theme and earn more rewards later.
Step 4: Finish Decorating and Take a Photo
You can take as much time as you want to decorate. If you need to stop and come back later, just talk to Lelani and say “I want to stop”—your progress will be saved. When you’re happy with your design, take out your Nook Phone and use the Camera App to take a photo of the room. This photo will be used to attract future guests.
Step 5: Complete the Room and Open the Hotel
After taking the photo, talk to Lelani again and say “I’m done”. She will check your design, and there will be a short dialogue.
Congratulations! The Resort Hotel is now officially open. You’ll get your first hotel guest right away, and Lelani will give you 200 Tickets as a reward.
Resort Hotel Construction & Room Decoration
The hotel may follow standard ACNH building rules (Tom Nook announces it → place the plot → wait 1 day for construction). However, some hope it will unlock instantly, like Happy Home Paradise access, to avoid delaying day-1 gameplay after the update. The hotel’s decoration system is similar to Happy Home Paradise (HHP), with two key modes:
Themed decoration: The game provides a set of furniture for a specific theme. You don’t need to use your own items for this mode.
Free decoration: If you skip the preset theme, you may need to use items from your catalog or storage. This makes cataloging items critical for customization freedom.
Amiibo integration: You can use amiibo to invite specific villagers (including new 3.0 villagers, Splatoon/Zelda collab characters) to stay in hotel rooms. Splatoon/Zelda amiibo also unlock collab furniture; Lego-themed items may be freebies.
How to Get Hotel Tickets in ACNH 3.0?
There are two main ways to earn Hotel Tickets in ACNH. Both methods are fun and fit naturally into the game’s relaxing style.
1. Design Guest Rooms for the Resort Hotel
This is the primary way to get Hotel Tickets. The Resort Hotel, located on your island’s expanded pier, is run by Kapp’n’s family. Leilani, Kapp’n’s wife and Grams’s daughter-in-law, works as the hotel’s receptionist. She will give you tasks to decorate guest rooms based on specific themes.
The decoration process is similar to the one in the Happy Home Paradise DLC. Leilani will tell you the theme (like a Seaside Room or a Cozy Cabin) and you can choose furniture, wallpapers, flooring, and lighting to match. You don’t need to use your own furniture for these designs—Leilani provides all the materials and items you need. This means you can be creative without worrying about spending your own resources!
Once you finish decorating a guest room and Leilani approves it, she will reward you with Hotel Tickets. After completing a few designs, you’ll start to see visiting tourists on your island. These tourists can stay in the rooms you designed and will walk around your island freely, just like your resident villagers. You can decorate up to 2 hotel rooms each day. There are 8 rooms total, and each has a different theme—like elegant, cabin, ice, or zen.
Pro tip: You can also use amiibo to invite specific characters to stay at the hotel. Just scan a compatible amiibo figure or card at the hotel’s reception desk. However, some special characters (like Tom Nook and Isabelle) cannot be invited. Also, if a special character is already visiting your island on a certain day, you can’t invite them to the hotel that day.
2. Submit Requested DIY Goods to Kapp’n
The second way to earn Hotel Tickets is by completing DIY requests. Near the entrance of the Resort Hotel, there is a drop box on the pier. When you check this box, you’ll find requests for specific DIY items.
These requests usually ask for island specialty items—things you can craft with materials found on your island, like wooden furniture, cloth items, or simple decorations. Tom Nook wants these items to promote the Resort Hotel and show off your island’s unique charm to potential visitors.
To complete the request: first, gather the necessary materials (like wood, iron nuggets, or flowers). Then, use your DIY workbench to craft the item. Once the item is ready, take it back to the drop box and submit it. Kapp’n will pick up the item and deliver it offshore. After delivery, you’ll receive Hotel Tickets as a reward.
A great thing about this method is that it helps increase the hotel’s brand recognition. As the hotel’s brand recognition goes up, Grams will start stocking rare and more valuable items in her souvenir shop—like Nintendo consoles! So even if you don’t love decorating rooms, submitting DIY goods is a great way to earn tickets and unlock better items. The first 4 items you send each week give you double Tickets. This bonus resets every Monday.
How to Use Hotel Tickets in Animal Crossing?
Using Hotel Tickets is simple, and all transactions happen at the Resort Hotel’s souvenir shop.
Go to the Resort Hotel on your island’s pier. The hotel is easy to find—it’s a big new building on the expanded part of the pier, and Kapp’n’s boat is parked outside.
Enter the hotel lobby. Look for Grams—she’s the elderly turtle behind the counter on one side of the lobby. She’s the only one who accepts Hotel Tickets.
Talk to Grams and select the option to browse her shop. You’ll see a list of items available for purchase with Hotel Tickets.
Choose the item you want to buy and confirm your purchase. The Hotel Tickets will be deducted from your inventory automatically.
One important note:
Grams’s shop items may rotate over time, but the exclusive hotel-themed items are usually always available. Also, remember that you can’t refund items bought with Hotel Tickets, so make sure you really want an item before you buy it! There are two mannequins in the hotel lobby. You can dress these mannequins in custom outfits. Hotel guests (both animal and human visitors) can borrow these outfits during their stay. This is a fun way to share your favorite designs with friends during multiplayer sessions—just set the mannequins to wear your custom clothes, and your friends can pick them up easily.
ACNH 3.0 Souvenir Items - What Animal Crossing 3.0 Items You Can Buy with Hotel Tickets?
Gram’s souvenir shop sells many unique things. You can find hotel themed furniture and nice clothes here. The shop has new items every day. You can also order items from her catalog, but those cost 30% more than the items in the shop. To get more ACNH 3.0 items in the shop, you need to keep decorating hotel rooms for guests. This will make your island’s hotel more popular. When you talk to Gram and she mentions getting more guests and adding new things to her shop, you’ll know you’ve unlocked a new level of souvenirs. The items in your shop might have different colors or styles than those listed here. Don’t worry! You can ask Cyrus on Harvey’s Island to change them into your favorite version.
1. Starter Hotel Souvenirs (Entry Level)
These souvenirs are available to everyone as soon as you open the shop. You don’t need to meet any extra requirements to buy them.
Hotel Bandanna: 8 Hotel Tickets
Hotel Mug: 10 Hotel Tickets
Blue Hotel Tee: 10 Hotel Tickets
White Hotel Tee: 10 Hotel Tickets
Hotel Towel Rack: 40 Hotel Tickets
Cutlery: 40 Hotel Tickets
Hotel Wall Clock: 30 Hotel Tickets
Hotel Snow Globe: 50 Hotel Tickets
Circle Cushion: 20 Hotel Tickets
Rolling Suitcase: 100 Hotel Tickets
Artful Lamp: 100 Hotel Tickets
Artful Screen: 80 Hotel Tickets
Artful Chair: 150 Hotel Tickets
Artful Shelves: 200 Hotel Tickets
Artful Bed: 250 Hotel Tickets
Tubular Lamp: 100 Hotel Tickets
Tubular Magazine Rack: 100 Hotel Tickets
Tubular Chair: 150 Hotel Tickets
Tubular Shelves: 200 Hotel Tickets
Tubular Table: 250 Hotel Tickets
Flower Planter: 150 Hotel Tickets
Hotel Pennant: 15 Hotel Tickets
Hotel Umbrella: 15 Hotel Tickets
Blue Hotel Aloha Shirt: 15 Hotel Tickets
Blue Hotel Cardigan: 15 Hotel Tickets
Orange Hotel Aloha Shirt: 15 Hotel Tickets
Orange Hotel Cardigan: 15 Hotel Tickets
2. Level 2 Hotel Souvenirs
These items will appear in the shop after the first expansion. The expansion happens when you finish decorating about 4 different hotel rooms.
Bird-Of-Paradise: 80 Hotel Tickets
Kiddie Partition: 80 Hotel Tickets
Pampas Grass: 80 Hotel Tickets
Wall-Mounted Bookshelf: 100 Hotel Tickets
Mug Shelves: 150 Hotel Tickets
Cat Plushie: 120 Hotel Tickets
Kiddie Car: 250 Hotel Tickets
Kiddie Seesaw: 250 Hotel Tickets
Kiddie Slide: 300 Hotel Tickets
Simple Streetlamp: 300 Hotel Tickets
Kiddie House: 400 Hotel Tickets
3. Level 3 Hotel Souvenirs
These items unlock after the shop’s second expansion. No one knows exactly how many rooms you need to decorate to get this expansion. But if you keep designing, you’ll unlock it soon.
Ice Pail: 40 Hotel Tickets
Glass Pitcher: 60 Hotel Tickets
Marble Wall Clock: 200 Hotel Tickets
Marble Table: 300 Hotel Tickets
Colorful-Lantern Arch: 400 Hotel Tickets
Marble Vanity: 450 Hotel Tickets
Marble Fireplace: 500 Hotel Tickets
Marble Kitchen Island: 500 Hotel Tickets
4. Special Hotel Souvenirs (Nintendo Theme)
These souvenirs have classic Nintendo video game themes. They are in a separate “special” category. If you have an active Nintendo Switch Online subscription, you can play some old games on these items. People think they are a fourth unlock level, but no one is sure how to unlock them yet. They might use a different way than decorating rooms.
Love Tester: 200 Hotel Tickets
Ultra Hand: 200 Hotel Tickets
Ultra Machine: 200 Hotel Tickets
Nintendo Switch 2: 222 Hotel Tickets
Famicom: 500 Hotel Tickets
Famicom Disk System: 500 Hotel Tickets
Game Boy: 500 Hotel Tickets
NES: 500 Hotel Tickets
Super Famicom: 500 Hotel Tickets
Super NES (NTSC Version): 500 Hotel Tickets
Super NES (PAL Version): 500 Hotel Tickets
Other Useful Tips for ACNH 3.0 Hotel Tickets & the Resort Hotel
Tip 1: Increase Hotel Brand Recognition for Rare Items
As mentioned earlier, submitting DIY goods to Kapp’n’s drop box helps increase the hotel’s brand recognition. You can also boost it by completing more guest room designs. Once the brand recognition reaches a certain level, Grams will start selling rare items like Nintendo consoles. There’s no exact number for the required level, but keep completing tasks consistently, and you’ll unlock these items soon.
Tip 2: Use the Happy Home Paradise Skills for Better Designs
If you’ve played the Happy Home Paradise DLC before, you already know how to decorate rooms effectively. The same skills apply here—try to match the theme closely, use a mix of furniture sizes, and add small details (like lamps or plants) to make the room feel cozy. Better designs might earn you more Hotel Tickets, so don’t be afraid to get creative!
Tip 3: Bulk Crafting Saves Time for DIY Requests
The 3.0 Update added a bulk crafting feature, which lets you craft multiple copies of the same item at once. This is super helpful for DIY requests—if the drop box asks for 3 Wooden Wardrobes, you can craft all three in one go instead of making them one by one. This saves time and lets you earn Hotel Tickets faster.
Tip 4: Invite Friends to Enjoy the Hotel Together
The 3.0 Update increased the multiplayer limit to 12 players. You can invite up to 11 friends to your island at once, and they can visit the Resort Hotel too. You can show them the rooms you’ve designed, share outfits via the lobby mannequins, and even work together to complete DIY requests. It’s a great way to make the hotel experience more fun!
Tip 5: Don’t Forget About Leila
Leila is Kapp’n and Leilani’s daughter, and she sits in the hotel lobby. She doesn’t give you Hotel Tickets or sell items, but talking to her sometimes gives you small tips about the hotel or the visiting tourists. It’s a nice little detail that adds to the game’s charm!
Tip 6: Prepare for the Resort Hotel Before the Update
If you haven’t downloaded the 3.0 Update yet, you can get ready by saving up common DIY materials (like wood, stone, and iron nuggets). This way, when the hotel opens, you can start completing DIY requests right away without having to gather materials first. You can also brainstorm room design ideas—think about themes you love, like beach, forest, or modern, to make decorating easier.
FAQs About Hotel Tickets
Q: Can I lose Hotel Tickets if I reset my game?
A: No, Hotel Tickets are saved with your game data. But it’s always a good idea to save your game after earning or spending tickets, just to be safe. Also, the 3.0 Update added Mr. Resetti’s cleaning service, which can help you clean up your island, but it won’t affect your Hotel Tickets.
Q: Are Hotel Tickets available on the original Nintendo Switch, or only on Switch 2?
A: Hotel Tickets are available on both the original Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2. ACNH 3.0 Update is free for all players, regardless of which console they use. The Switch 2 has some extra features (like mouse controls for designing), but Hotel Tickets work the same way on both consoles.
Q: Can I trade Hotel Tickets with other players?
A: No, you can’t trade Hotel Tickets directly with other players. But you can share the items you buy with Hotel Tickets—for example, you can give a Hotel Mug to a friend as a gift. You can also share custom outfits via the hotel’s mannequins.
Q: Is there a limit to how many Hotel Tickets I can hold?
A: No, there’s no known limit to the number of Hotel Tickets you can have. You can save them up for expensive items like the Colorful Lantern Arch (400 tickets) or the Nintendo Console (500 tickets) without worrying about running out of space.