If I can just get this clear:
1) if your sim stays at a hotel, locals and townies will show up.
2) locals and townies show up at vacation community lots.
3) locals and townies do NOT show up if your sim visits, but does not check in, at a different hotel lot.
Is this the case?
Yes it is exactly the case. You got it right.
If locals and townies are showing up at community lots and at your sims' hotel where they have a room, things seem to be working.
It is likely that, if your sims are not checked in at a hotel, but visit it like a community lot, no other sims show up because nothing triggers them. If you check in, other tourists/townies show up to take other rooms, but not before your sims get a chance to choose (if I understand this correctly). You could test this by having your sims check into a different hotel and see if locals/townies show up then. Now you have intrigued me with this - I must test it in my game.
In any case, your neighbourhood is not FUBAR, as far as I can tell.
The big question I would have is, is this a consistent thing, or do other people's games behave differently.
Now this is reassuring reading. I truly hope nothing wrong in my game since I spend hours placing lots in my cc sections and do not want to have to redo this again.
I can't wait for your report.
Thanks for the fast answer.
No, not really. If your game is FUBAR, so's mine. Same thing happens to me.
Can I kiss you
You are making me quite happy with your answer. It is reassuring to see it is that way in other peoples game.
ETA: Jolrei I just notice I forgot to answer one of your question. When I check sim out of a hotel and made them check in another, sims do show on that new check in hotel so I guess nothing is wrong with my game. This just brought up a question though. Let's say I would have 3 different sims check in 3 different hotels. If sim A check in at Hote Al, sim B at hotel B etc. If I send sim A visit sim B and C hotels, would sims appear there since something did trigger the lot earlier for sims to appear? Actually do they even have the possibility to visit a hotel lot occupied by another sim?