It’s a strange time to enter the hospitality industry and it’s even stranger for this company to do so, but Atari Hotels are coming soon to a major city near you. The venture was first announced earlier this year, when Atari revealed they had entered into a deal with GSD Group to create a chain of arcade-inspired hotels. Earlier today, we got our first glimpse of just how these accommodations will look.
With the help of architecture and design firm Gensler, GSD Group has unveiled the retro-futuristic design of their forthcoming hotel chain. Shaped like the signature Atari “A” seen in the brand’s logo and aglow with neon, the company’s vision is to create a space that excites gamers of all ages, and merges gaming’s past and future—a place retro enthusiasts, gamers, content creators and esports professionals will consider “their home away from home.”
The first hotel is slated to open in Las Vegas, Nevada sometime in 2022, with a second location in Phoenix, Arizona to follow. Additionally, GSD Group has secured the rights to build future Atari Hotels in Austin, Chicago, Denver, San Francisco, San Jose and Seattle.
Atari exclusive properties—such as Asteroids, Centipede and PONG—will be prominently displayed throughout the hotels, with exclusive merchandise available only in hotel stores. Furthermore, the GSD Group has announced several other features the hotels will have, including nightclubs, speakeasys, arcades and themed restaurants and bars.
“Atari Hotels will create a world that caters to gamers of all ages and experience levels, giving them a place to call home— a groundbreaking experience that shares Atari’s legacy of innovation,” says Fred Chesnais, CEO of Atari.
With locations based in cities known for holding pop culture and gaming expos and the games industry only growing larger, Atari Hotels are seeking to “capitalize on this tremendous demand and thriving opportunity.” Only time will tell how gamers will respond and if the ongoing pandemic allows for Atari Hotels to thrive.
