Hotel Tales Save File Location

Hotel Tales saves your progress to a per-user folder that SteamDB tracks as %USERPROFILE%\AppData\LocalLow\TopHouse\Hotel Tales\GameSaves. Files follow the *.json pattern — each save is a JSON file you can read with a text editor if you want to inspect your route, evening choices, and Key Phrase cadence. The day-one patch fixed Steam Cloud sync, so saves also propagate through Steam’s cloud layer once that integration is installed. This page is the canonical answer to “where are my Hotel Tales saves?” and explains how to back them up before reinstalling, switching PCs, or chasing achievements.\n\nSave files contain your route progress, Key Phrase inventory, evening choices, night-event flags, and the Gallery unlock shortcut that the August 22 build added. We refuse to publish internal field names; treat the JSON as opaque and only modify it through the game UI.\n\n## Quick answer\n\nWindows save folder:\n\n%USERPROFILE%\AppData\LocalLow\TopHouse\Hotel Tales\GameSaves\n\nFile pattern: *.json (each save slot is a separate file)\nSteam Cloud: enabled after the day-one integration patch\nQuota: SteamDB shows ~19 MB user file system with up to 200 files\n\n## Step-by-step: open the save folder\n\n### Method 1: paste the path in File Explorer\n\n1. Press Win + R to open the Run dialog.\n2. Paste shell:AppData\..\LocalLow\TopHouse\Hotel Tales\GameSaves and press Enter.\n3. File Explorer opens the GameSaves folder directly.\n4. Sort by Date modified to find your latest save.\n\n### Method 2: navigate manually\n\n1. Open File Explorer.\n2. Navigate to C:\Users\<your-username>\AppData\LocalLow\.\n3. Open the TopHouse folder, then Hotel Tales, then GameSaves.\n4. Each save slot appears as a JSON file.\n\n### Method 3: in-game Steam overlay\n\n1. Launch Hotel Tales from Steam.\n2. Open the Steam overlay (Shift + Tab).\n3. Click Screenshots & Media → Show on disk to open the local user folder.\n4. From there, navigate up to LocalLow → TopHouse → Hotel Tales → GameSaves.\n\n## How saves work in Hotel Tales\n\n- Manual saves create a new JSON file in the GameSaves folder.\n- Auto-saves update the most recent slot without creating new files.\n- Day-break autosave rolls at the start of each in-game day.\n- Cloud sync mirrors the local JSON to Steam Cloud once the day-one integration patch is installed.\n\nThe patch trail matters: v1.0.7 specifically fixed coins being reset when switching between save files. If you see coin resets on save switching, update through the August 22 build first.\n\n## Back up your saves\n\n1. Open the GameSaves folder using Method 1 or 2 above.\n2. Press Ctrl + A to select all JSON files.\n3. Right-click → Send to → Compressed (zipped) folder, or copy to a backup location like Documents\HotelTalesBackups\2026-08-23\.\n4. Add a date-stamped folder name so you can identify the backup later.\n5. Re-back up before any major patch or before uninstalling the game.\n\n## Restore or migrate saves\n\nSame PC reinstall:\n1. Back up the JSON files first.\n2. Uninstall Hotel Tales from Steam.\n3. Reinstall and apply all updates through the August 22 build.\n4. Drop the backed-up JSON files into the GameSaves folder before launching the game.\n5. Launch the game and confirm your saves load correctly from the main menu.\n\nMove to a new PC:\n1. Back up the JSON files using the steps above.\n2. Install Hotel Tales on the new PC through Steam.\n3. Apply all updates through the August 22 build.\n4. Drop the JSON files into the new GameSaves folder.\n5. Log in to Steam with the same account so Steam Cloud can sync.\n\nSteam Cloud only:\n1. Install Hotel Tales and apply the day-one integration patch.\n2. Launch the game on PC A and let Steam Cloud upload your saves.\n3. Launch the game on PC B with the same Steam account; Steam Cloud will sync your saves automatically.\n4. Disconnect from the internet on PC B if you want to use local-only saves.\n\n## When to back up saves\n\n- Before uninstalling the game.\n- Before major patches (a new build can occasionally invalidate save compatibility — wait for community confirmation after big updates).\n- Before a major route decision that you want to keep as a backup.\n- Before playing the demo, since demo progress does not import to retail — but you do not need to back up the demo separately because the demo uses a separate save space.\n\n## What saves contain\n\n- Route progress and Key Phrase inventory.\n- Evening choices and night-event flags.\n- Gallery unlock status (the August 22 build shortcut saves progress here).\n- Achievements are stored on Steam Cloud separately; they survive save corruption but stay attached to your Steam account.\n\n## Common save problems\n\n- Saves do not appear in the menu: confirm the day-one integration patch is installed and that the JSON files are in the GameSaves folder.\n- Coin reset on save switching: update through v1.0.7 or later. See Patch 1.0.7.\n- Cloud sync stalls: restart Steam, verify game files, and re-check the day-one integration.\n- Save corruption: restore from backup and avoid modifying JSON files manually.\n\nIf problems persist, read Troubleshooting and Saves & Voice for more detail.\n\n## Related wiki sections\n\n- Saves & Voice, Troubleshooting\n- Launch Day Patch, Patch 1.0.7\n- Steam Deck & Handheld\n- Post-Launch Checklist

TopHouse Hotel Tales wishlist clip — install and file hygiene context