Atari to open video game-themed resorts in US cities

The company said it will break ground on its first hotel later this year in Phoenix.

The Atari arcade game company that ushered in the gaming revolution in the 1980s is opening eight video game-themed hotels across the US.

The company said it will break ground on its first hotel later this year in Phoenix as it seeks to create a unique lodging experience combining the brand with a video game-themed destination.

“Atari Hotels level up hotel entertainment with fully immersive experiences for every age and gaming ability, including the latest in VR and AR (Virtual and Augmented Reality),” the company said in a statement.

“Select hotels will also feature state-of-the-art venues and studios to accommodate e-sports events.”

Hotel development and design is being led by Shelly Murphy’s GSD Group and Napoleon Smith III, producer of the successful Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles film franchise reboot.

True North Studio, a Phoenix property developer, will steer the first Atari-branded hotel.

“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,” said Fred Chesnais, chief executive of Atari.

The company said Atari Hotels will turn “the origins of gaming and the future of the booming industry into a fun and unique travel destination”.

As well as Phoenix, hotels are planned in Las Vegas, Denver, Chicago, Austin, Seattle, San Francisco and San Jose, the company said. Timelines for hotels other than Phoenix were not released.

Founded in 1972 by Nolan Bushnell and Ted Dabney, Atari became a pioneer in arcade games, home video game consoles and home computers. It is known for such games as Asteroids, Centipede, and Missile Command.

The company is now based in Paris.