A classic icon in the video game world has set its sights on a rebirth in the form of a gaming-themed destination hotel line. Arguably the first mainstream video game company in history, Atari has just released plans for at least eight now hotels, each of which will feature so much entertainment that guests won’t ever have (or want) to leave.

Gamers familiar with the original releases of Donkey Kong, Asteroids, Pac-Man, and Centipede will revel in the atmosphere of the new hotels, the first of which is set to break ground in Phoenix, Arizona this year. Its construction is expected to take 18 to 24 months, with the other seven hotels in Las Vegas, Denver, Chicago, Austin, Seattle, San Francisco, and San Jose already in the planning stages. While artists’ renderings of the first hotel make extensive use of classic lines and recognizable Atari branding, it’s important to note that each Atari hotel will have a different aesthetic, though all of them will generally be centered around a “nostalgic and retro meets modern” appeal. In-room consoles — as well as immersive interactions for every type of gamer — will be standard, with the combined vintage draw and new-age virtual and augmented reality systems yielding a wide variety of gaming options. A few locations will also host esports events in modern venues where guests can participate without even leaving the building.
“We’ll build a space that will be much more than just a ...