Hotel Tycoon 2 Build Mode

Build mode is where Hotel Tycoon 2 stops looking like a closet and starts looking like a hotel. It is also where people trap their only guest behind a new wall. This page names the catalogs as they appear on the HUD and tells you what to click before you get artistic. Pair it with how to expand when you are ready for floors and elevators.

Open, grid, exit

• Enter from the build control on the HUD (hammer / catalog).
• [G] cycles grid size. Size 1 is for fiddly outdoor pieces; size 6 is for dragging room plates. Screenshots in this wiki show both.
• [E] exits. Exit when a guest is waiting unless a Bellhop is on duty. The catalog sidebar will eat your clicks.
• A trash-can tool deletes pieces. A paint tool recolors. A dollar tool relates to selling or priced placement — if a piece is a mistake, sell it rather than leaving a one-stud gap guests cannot path through.

If you are on mobile, the same labels sit on-screen. Close with the red Exit / Back button at the bottom of the Outdoor or Build sidebar.

Catalog groups

The right-hand list in room view includes:

Group	Use first for
Beds	Throughput. Extra mattresses are S-tier
Laundry	Washer, baskets, the dirty-room loop
Bathroom	Overnight stays, showers, sinks, toilets
Activities	Later, when idle guests need something besides sleep
Amenities	Comfort pieces after 3-star
Decoration	Nightstand, Art, Outdoor, Electronics, Lights, Nature, Items, Signs, Counter
Outdoor	Bins, arches, benches, umbrellas, tables, small pools

Decoration is a folder, not a strategy. Art (yacht paintings, etc.) does not check guests in. Lights help you see at night; they are not a money printer. Counter pieces belong near reception, not in a bedroom maze.

Prices on Outdoor tiles in one public shot: bin $95, arch $195, bench $230, umbrella $300, table $375, small pool $400, plus higher deck pieces. Treat those numbers as BETA snapshots. Rank order still matches the rooms tier list.

Pathing rules

Guests need a walkable line from the road, through reception, to a door, to a bed. Then they need a line from the dirty bed to the washer. Then they need a way out at checkout.

• Do not seal a room with a wall you forgot to door.
• Do not drop an Outdoor pool on the only sidewalk.
• Do not hide the elevator behind a nature cluster.
• If you sell a wall to move a shower — common in first-hour videos — put the wall back.

The overhead plot view is the best debug camera: lobby carpet, room grid, outdoor lot, road. If that silhouette looks like spaghetti, guests will agree.

Money, staff, and build mode

Build mode does not pause the hotel. Stays still finish. If you have no Bellhop, you will miss the door. Hire from how to hire staff before a long decorate session. If you use an autofarm, pause it while you drag walls.

Spend cash in the order on how to make money. A 91 million cash screenshot with 38 Diamonds is a late hotel; your first session will show a few thousand. Do not copy a late-game art wall on a 3,000 cash plot.

Build-limit and no-collision passes exist in the shop. Collision off is a comfort tool, not a substitute for leaving door gaps.

Elevators as furniture

The cab is a build piece with a keypad UI (G, 1–7, bell). Place it after the ground floor already works. Details and failure cases: how to expand.

After the grid feels good

Chase stars with the star checklist. Chase badges on badges. If friends are placing random umbrellas in the lobby, appoint one builder — multiplayer.

Related: Getting Started, how to play, tier list hub.