Pocket Worlds has announced the acquisition of Hotel Hideaway, the mobile social world built by Sulake, the Finnish studio behind Habbo Hotel.
Since launching in 2018, more than 32 million users have registered for Hotel Hideaway, which currently has roughly 300,000 monthly active players. It now joins Highrise and Everskies under Pocket Worlds, bringing the company’s social-world portfolio to more than 80 million registered users. At its core, Hotel Hideaway is a 3D social world built around fashion, collecting, status, and live community events, with a persistent community centered on self-expression and social connection.
“Great online communities take years to build, and Hotel Hideaway is one of them,” said Anton Bernstein, CEO of Pocket Worlds, in a press release. “What drew us in wasn’t that it’s an established game but that the Hotel Hideaway community has a real culture that has lasted. We’ve spent years building operating expertise for exactly this kind of world. Our goal is to bring our dedicated operating infrastructure to Hotel Hideaway, invest in its core identity drivers like fashion, and help it reach its next stage of growth.”
Pocket Worlds is acquiring Hotel Hideaway to integrate the established world into its specialized operating platform, bringing expertise in virtual economies, creator ecosystems, live operations, and community safety. Pocket Worlds builds inherently social apps where connection comes first. This is already proven in Pocket World’s Highrise, where players log an average of more than 97 minutes in the app daily and actively message one another, generating engagement that mirrors a social network far more than a standard mobile game.
“Hotel Hideaway has always been shaped by the creativity of its players and the dedication of the team behind it,” said Jarkko Kouva, product director at Sulake, in the same press release. “I’m incredibly proud of what the team has built over the years. Pocket Worlds understands social worlds deeply and shares our belief in self-expression, connection, and community. That makes Pocket Worlds a strong partner to help Hotel Hideaway continue to grow, and I’m excited to see what comes next for the product and its community.”
Hotel Hideaway players can continue to play as usual. Pocket Worlds will share more about the transition directly with the community in the coming weeks.