Grand Austria Hotel
Grand Austria Hotel Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Components
- 1 game board, 1 action board, 4 two-sided Hotel boards, 9 Turn Order tiles, 4 Overview cards
- 56 Guest cards, 48 Staff cards, 12 Politics cards, 12 Emperor tiles, 84 Room tiles (3 colors), 1 Round marker
- 120 dishes and drinks (30 cubes each of black=coffee, white=cake, red=wine, light brown=strudel)
- 24 wooden disks (4 player colors), 14 dice, 1 dustbin, 4 Victory Point markers
Card and Board Anatomy
Guest Cards: Show an Order (dishes/drinks required), Victory Points, category (table cloth color), name, and a Reward. Nobles (blue) only take blue rooms; Artists (yellow) only yellow; Citizens (red) only red; Tourists (green) any room. Fulfilling a guest's requests earns Victory Points and an additional action.
Staff Cards: Show a Cost, name, and effect. Some give a one-time benefit on hire, others have permanent effects, some give end-game VP, and some can be used once per round.
Hotel Board: Has a Café (hosts 3 guests), a Kitchen (prepare dishes), and an Office (money and staff). Two-sided — the front side is identical for all players; back sides differ and are harder. At the start, 3 guest rooms are available; overall up to 20 rooms in 10 groups (using all rooms in a group provides benefits).
Emperor Track: 13 spaces, each with a Victory Point value below. You cannot move past space 13 (receive 1 VP per space beyond 13).
Victory Point Track: Advance your disk 1 space per VP. Past space 75, take a Victory Point marker (75 up); past 75 again, flip it. At game's end, add its number to your position.
Setup
Place the game board (spaces for Guest cards, the Emperor track, 3 Emperor tile spaces, 3 Politics card spaces). Place the action board (6 Action spaces) next to it; place the dustbin and VP markers. Sort dishes/drinks near the board. Shuffle Guest cards face down; reveal 5 face up on the 5 Guest spaces. Shuffle Staff cards face down (first play: use the recommended sets). Choose one Politics card from each of A, B, C and place them face up; choose one Emperor tile from each of A, B, C and place them face up. Sort Room tiles by color. Place dice on the first Action space: 10 (2 players), 12 (3 players), 14 (4 players). Take Turn Order tiles for the player count.
Each player takes an Overview card, a Hotel board, and 6 wooden disks of a color. Place one disk on Emperor track "0" and one on Victory Point track "0". Place one disk on Money track "10" (start with 10 krones). Take a coffee, wine, cake, and strudel and place them in your Kitchen. Draw 6 Staff cards (kept hidden). Put the round marker on Round track "1".
Preparations: Choose which side of the Hotel boards to use (first play: front). Randomly determine a start player (Turn Order tile "1"); next players get "2", etc. Beginning with the last player (highest Turn Order tile), in counter-clockwise order, each player chooses a guest from the face-up ones and places it in their Café at no cost (slide remaining guests right and refill). Then each player prepares up to 3 rooms by taking Room tiles onto same-colored spaces (start with the bottom-left room; subsequent tiles adjacent to placed ones; pay the printed cost).
Objective
Played over 7 rounds. At the end of rounds 3, 5, and 7, there is an Emperor Scoring. After round 7, there is also the Final Scoring. Most Victory Points wins.
Course of Play
At the start of each round, the start player takes and rolls all the dice, sorting them by number onto the corresponding Action spaces. Then the start player takes a turn or passes.
On your turn:
- Take a guest from the game board (optional).
- Take a die and carry out the corresponding action (mandatory). You can also take additional actions.
1) Take a Guest from the Game Board
Take one of the 5 face-up guests, pay the cost printed on the game board (move your Money disk down), and place it on a free space in your Café. If all Café spaces are occupied, you cannot take a guest. Slide remaining guests right and refill from the draw pile. (A guest does not leave your Café unless you complete their order.)
2) Take a Die and Carry Out the Action
Choose an Action space with at least one die and carry out the action; the number of dice on the space determines how much you get. Then remove a die and place it on the lowest visible number on your Turn Order tile.
- Action 1: For each die, take 1 strudel or 1 cake (you cannot take more cake than strudel).
- Action 2: For each die, take 1 wine or 1 coffee (you cannot take more coffee than wine).
- Action 3: For each die, prepare a room. Take a Room tile and place it: adjacent to an already-placed tile, front side visible, paying the cost of the Room space's row, matching the color of the Room space. (Placing a Room tile in the top-right part of your Hotel board immediately gives the printed VP.)
- Action 4: For each die, advance 1 space on the Emperor track or your Money track (you can split between the two).
- Action 5: Play exactly one Staff card. For each die, the cost is reduced by 1 (pay the remainder on your Money track; if cost drops below 0, you get no money).
- Action 6: Pay 1 krone and choose any of the 5 other actions (1–5). Take the action based on the number of dice showing "6" (not the chosen number).
Whenever you receive dishes and drinks, you can place them immediately on a guest's order; place the rest in your Kitchen.
Additional Actions
On your turn you can also:
- Once per turn, pay 1 krone to add 1 to the number of dice on the chosen Action space.
- Pay 1 krone to move up to 3 dishes and drinks from your Kitchen to guest orders.
- Place a wooden disk on a Politics card (if you meet the condition).
- Use a Staff card you played with a "once per round" effect (turn it over).
- Move a guest whose order you completed to a free room: immediately receive the printed VP and the guest's reward. Guests only move into an unoccupied room of the same color; turn the room over and discard the guest. Turning the last room in a group gives an Occupancy Bonus (once). If you have no free matching room, you cannot take this action (the guest stays and blocks space).
(Except the first, additional actions can be taken any number of times during your turn.)
After finishing your turn, the player with the lowest number visible on their Turn Order tile goes next. (Consequently, the player to the right of the start player takes two consecutive turns.)
Passing
Instead of a turn, you can pass. When you pass, wait until every other player has passed or taken two actions (covered both numbers on their Turn Order tile). Then the player with the lowest number still showing takes all remaining dice from the Action spaces, removes one, rolls the rest, and re-sorts them; then takes a turn or passes. Play continues until all players have covered both numbers or no dice remain.
Occupancy Bonus
When all rooms in a group are occupied, receive a bonus based on the group's size and room type (per the table on your Hotel board): Emperor track advancements for yellow rooms, Victory Points for blue rooms, krones for red rooms. The bigger the group, the greater the bonus. Each group gives its bonus only once, the moment you turn the last Room tile.
Politics Cards
Each Politics card shows a requirement. When you meet it on your turn, place a wooden disk on the highest available space, receiving the printed VP (one disk per card). 12 cards exist; 3 are used each game. Requirements include: 20 krones; Emperor track space 10+; played 6+ Staff cards; 12+ Room tiles; all rooms in 2+ rows/columns/6+ groups occupied; all rooms of one color occupied; 3 occupied rooms of each color; 4 red & 3 yellow occupied; 4 yellow & 3 blue occupied; 4 blue & 3 red occupied.
End of a Round
At the end of rounds 3, 5, and 7, there is an Emperor Scoring; after round 7 and its Emperor Scoring, a Final Scoring. At the end of each round, turn your Staff cards face up again, pass your Turn Order tile clockwise; the new start player takes all dice and advances the Round marker.
Emperor Scoring
Each player receives VP for their disk on the Emperor track (per the value printed below). Then each player moves their disk back: 3 spaces after the first, 5 after the second, 7 after the third Emperor Scoring. If your disk ends in the yellow area (space 3+), you receive the Emperor tile bonus. If on "0", you suffer the Emperor tile penalty. On "1" or "2", neither.
Emperor Tiles
12 tiles exist; 3 are used each game. The penalty usually shows 2 options (if one is impossible, choose the other). Examples: Bonus 3 krones / Penalty lose 3 krones or 5 VP; Bonus any 2 dishes/drinks / Penalty return all Kitchen dishes; Bonus 8 VP / Penalty lose 8 VP; Bonus 5 krones / Penalty lose 5 krones or 7 VP; and several involving Staff cards, rooms, and dishes.
Game End and Final Scoring
After the 7th round:
- VP for Staff cards that provide them.
- VP for occupied rooms: 1 VP per room in the first row, 2 in the second, 3 in the third, 4 in the top row.
- 1 VP per krone and per leftover dish/drink in your Kitchen.
- Lose 5 VP for each guest still in your Café.
Most VP wins. Ties: player with more dishes, drinks, and krones left.
Variants
- Introductory Variant: Each player starts with an equal set of Staff cards (start player set A, next B, etc.), then shuffle the rest into the draw pile.
- Experienced Players: Each player receives 6 Staff cards, chooses 1, passes the rest left; repeat until each has chosen 6.
Staff Cards
(Card reference number in parentheses; cost and activation noted.)
- Assistant Manager (32) (4, game end): 2 VP per Staff card you played.
- Barista (43) (3, one-time): 4 coffee.
- Barkeeper (3) (4, once/round): 1 wine.
- Booking Manager (27) (4, game end): 3 VP per occupied red room.
- Bootblack (15) (4, permanent): each die showing "4" advances 1 on both Emperor and Money tracks per die.
- Breakfast Server (1) (4, once/round): 1 strudel.
- Butler (9) (5, permanent): prepare blue rooms at no cost.
- Chambermaid (31) (4, game end): 1 VP per occupied room.
- Chauffeur (10) (5, permanent): prepare red rooms at no cost.
- Checker (18) (2, permanent): each die showing "5" gives a 2-krone discount.
- Chef (21) (3, one-time): 1 strudel, 1 cake, 1 wine, 1 coffee.
- Chief Waiter (24) (1, permanent): move dishes/drinks from Kitchen to guests at no cost.
- Concierge (28) (4, game end): 3 VP per occupied blue room.
- Confectioner (39) (3, one-time): 4 cakes.
- Conference Manager (26) (5, permanent): pay 1 krone to avoid the "0" Emperor penalty.
- Custodian (23) (5, permanent): 1 krone each time a guest moves into a room.
- Decorator (14) (2, permanent): each die showing "1" or "2" also prepares 1 room.
- Delivery Boy (25) (6, permanent): take guests from the game board at no cost.
- Detective (20) (2, permanent): each die showing "5" also advances 2 on Emperor track.
- Executive Housekeeper (12) (2, permanent): each die showing "3" or "4" also gives 2 VP.
- Female Floor Housekeeper (46) (2, game end): 5 VP per fully occupied floor.
- Florist (11) (5, permanent): prepare yellow rooms at no cost.
- Gardener (42) (3, permanent): +5 VP each time you receive the Emperor bonus.
- Groom (5) (4, permanent): +2 krones each time you complete a red guest's order.
- Hotel Manager (48) (4, game end): 4 VP per set of 3 occupied rooms of different colors.
- Interior Architect (19) (3, permanent): each die showing "3" also gives 5 VP.
- Kitchen Hand (17) (3, permanent): take a die showing "6" at no cost, with reward for dice + 1.
- Larder Cook (44) (2, one-time): 4 strudels.
- Laundress (16) (2, permanent): each die showing "4" also gives 4 VP.
- Liftboy (47) (4, game end): 5 VP per fully occupied column.
- Male Floor Housekeeper (33) (5, permanent): +4 VP each time you complete a 4-dish/drink order (when the guest moves to a room).
- Marketing Director (40) (2, game end): 5 VP per Politics card with your disk.
- Masseuse (7) (1, permanent): +1 krone each time you complete a yellow guest's order (on room move).
- Operator (41) (3, game end): twice the Emperor track value in VP (max 12).
- Page-boy (35) (2, one-time): turn 2 rooms of any color to occupied.
- Pool Attendant (45) (1, one-time): advance 3 on Emperor track.
- Porter (38) (5, one-time): complete a guest's order from the general supply.
- Reception Clerk (30) (4, game end): 3 VP per occupied yellow room.
- Receptionist (34) (5, game end): 1 VP per room (occupied or prepared).
- Restaurant Manager (13) (2, permanent): each die showing "1" or "2" gives 1 additional dish/drink.
- Room Service (37) (3, game end): 2 VP per fully occupied group.
- Secretary (29) (5, game end): copy another player's Staff card.
- Sommelier (36) (2, one-time): 4 wine.
- Sous-Chef (4) (6, once/round): 1 coffee.
- Stableman (6) (1, permanent): +1 Emperor space each time you complete a blue guest's order.
- Staff Manager (22) (3, permanent): each die showing "3" also lets you play a Staff card.
- Tour Guide (8) (2, permanent): +2 VP each time you complete a green guest's order (on room move).
- Waitress (2) (6, once/round): 1 cake.
Guest Cards (notable)
- Sculptor (49): prepare a room in the first or second row at no cost.
- Knight of the Empire (65): the only guest with no reward (worth 3 VP).
- E. Gizia (97): you receive another turn, but do not remove a die when you take that action.
Symbol Overview
Advance the depicted spaces on the Emperor track; take a dish/drink of a color (or of choice); receive VP; prepare a room (of choice, paying cost / minus 1 krone / no cost); receive 1 krone; play a Staff card at no cost / paying 3 less; take a Staff card / take 3 and play one for 3 less; turn a room of a color (or any) to occupied; complete a guest's order (of a color or any) from the supply; take a face-up Guest card into your Café at no cost.