On January 27th, the legendary video game company Atari announced that they have made a deal with, the leading innovation and strategy group, GSD Group in order to acquire the rights to build video game-themed hotels in the United States. According to atarihotels.com, the company intends to open the first of these hotels in Phoenix, Arizona in mid-2020 with additional plans for hotels in Las Vegas, San Francisco, Chicago, Denver, Seattle, and San Jose.
The founder of GSD Shell Murphy promises that “Atari Hotels will be the first of their kind in the U.S., offering gamers of all ages the ultimate in immersive entertainment and in every aspect of gaming. We’re excited to be working on this project with such great partners and to bring a big win to Arizona.” These aspects will include the latest in VR and AR technology, as well as studios to host esports events. GSD Group is also working with Steve Wozniak’s Woz Innovation Foundation and an Arizona based real estate developer in order to develop the hotel in Phoenix. GSD Group head Napoleon Smith III states that the hotel will have a “‘nostalgic and retro meets modern’ look.”
The CEO of Atari Fred Chasnais stated that “We are thrilled to partner with GSD Group and True North Studio to build the first-ever Atari branded hotels across the United States. Together we’ll build a space that will be much more than just a place to stay,”[…] ” “Atari is an iconic global brand that resonates with people of all ages, countries, cultures and ethnic backgrounds and we cannot wait for our fans and their families to enjoy this new hotel concept.” Little more is known about the Atari Hotel at the moment but it is likely that more information will be revealed at a later date.