Animal Crossing: New Horizon’s big 3.0 update is now live, and with it a bustling hotel where you can decorate rooms and attract villagers from the game’s massive roster of over 400 animals for a visit. But while these visiting pals can wander your island, see the sights, and even participate in activities like Group Stretching, there’s one thing they can’t do: stay forever.
The reason this is coming up is because you can invite new animals onto your island in various other ways. If they visit through the Campsite, they can be persuaded to stay. If you encounter them during Island Excursions, you can similarly invite them to come back home and live next door. You can even steal villagers from friends if you visit their towns while that animal is already moving out. But for some reason, the hotel works differently. Animals staying for a vacation won’t move to your island, even if you have a vacancy, no matter how much you beg.
A number of players (me included) are upset about this! The hotel is the best method yet of meeting a lot of different animal villagers, since there are eight total rooms and they can all be full at any given time, meaning eight potential chances to find the villager of your dreams. These little guys will also roam around the island and do most of the things normal residents do while they’re there. They even have dialogue about how they wish they could stick around longer!
What’s even more tragic is that former island residents can come visit you via this feature, and they’ll have unique dialogue talking about how much they miss living on your island. But there’s no way to get them to return permanently. They’re just there for a little relaxation, and then gone again.
As much of a bummer as this is, the Hotel is still a pretty good way to get familiar with what villagers are even out there, so you know when they come around the campsite or when you stumble over them on an Island Expedition that you want to bully them into moving in. Besides, you’ve surely banked enough Nook Miles by now to go on hundreds of Expeditions until you find the friend you want, right? Right?
We’re playing New Horizons again just like you, and checking out the big 3.0 update and all the fun new stuff that’s been added. We’ve catalogued some of the surprising little changes, including the ability to strafe and jump, and we’ve got tips if you, like us, are returning to your island after a long hiatus.
Rebekah Valentine is a senior reporter for IGN. Got a story tip? Send it to rvalentine@ign.com.
