Atari Hotels, a new world-class video game-themed hotel, will be opening locations in cities across the U.S. with the first one right here in Phoenix.
Atari was created in 1972 and is an iconic consumer brand and entertainment producer. The company is globally recognized as a pioneer in arcade games, home video game consoles and home computers.
Atari has partnered with GSD Group, a leading innovation and strategy agency, and True North Studio, a Phoenix-based real estate developer, to bring this project to life. The exact location has not yet been announced, but it will be in the vicinity of the Roosevelts Arts District in Downtown Phoenix, and it is expected to break ground this year.
GSD Group, which is local to Phoenix, wanted to be a part of Downtown’s growing skyline. Napoleon Smith III, a partner of GSD Group, says they couldn’t think of a better place to reboot a brand like Atari than in Phoenix because the word is literally defined as a “fiery bird rising from the ashes.”
The first location will be a boutique-style hotel with 150 to 200 rooms. “The first one is really designed to cater to the gamer and is small in size so that we can really hone in on the concept,” Smith says.
The hotel will offer an arcade speakeasy to enjoy Atari nostalgia, an esports studio venue where gamers can compete against each other, a coworking space where coders, developers and gamers can all work together, and more. Guests and the public will be able to attend and watch competitive esports games or come to meet their favorite esports players.
“You don’t have to be a competitive gamer to come and enjoy the experience,” Shelly Murphy, founder of GSD Group, says.
In 2019, over 2.5 billion gamers spent more than $152 billion on games, and the Atari Hotels want to add to that gaming experience and create a unique travel destination.
The rooms follow a model that is “ready for your stay,” Murphy says. The rooms are innovative and equipped with the most advanced state-of-the-art equipment with high internet speeds and lower latencies. Some suites are designed for children’s overnight birthday parties where they can play games, have fun and order hot pockets and Capri Suns to their rooms.
“Bring your toothbrush and your controller and we got you covered on everything else,” Smith says.
Murphy and Smith anticipate that the hotel will be a fully immersive, otherworldly experience from the first step. Upon arriving at the check-in desk, guests will pick up AR goggles and be able to check out all of the amenities.
Murphy says it’s very different from the typical hotel experience. “It’s somewhere where you check in and don’t want to leave because there is so much interaction.”
“We hope we rise to that occasion of all of the excitement that everybody has and that it’s more than what everybody’s envisioning,” Smith says.
Locations that are expected to open soon after Phoenix are Las Vegas, Denver, Chicago, Austin, Seattle, San Francisco and San Jose.
