Interactive entertainment producer Atari has announced it has reached a licensing agreement with US real estate developer True North Studio and GSD Group, for the development of Atari branded hotels in eight cities in the US.
As per the agreement, Atari will be entitled to 5 per cent of the revenue of these hotels and has received a non-refundable advance of $0.6m at signing. Moreover, the Atari hotels will feature common areas which will attempt to follow the latest trends in hospitality, with a focus on the video game universe and the Atari brand.
The hotels will also include an esports studio, Atari gaming playground, meeting and event rooms, co-working spaces, restaurants, bars, a bakery, a movie theatre and a gym.
Atari released a statement which read: “True North Studio is a truly innovative specialist in commercial real estate development, active in Arizona. The group is deploying its ‘TNS lifestyle’ concept, allying design and food & beverage offers with the latest trends in hospitality, by offering dynamic and immersive experiences.”
Although both the operational budget and financing plan remains uncertain, the first hotel is scheduled to break ground in 2020 in Phoenix, close to the first ‘Woz U’ university campus, created in 2017 in Phoenix, AZ by Steve Wozniak, the co-founder of Apple.
Other cities set for an Atari hotel include Austin (Texas), Chicago (Illinois), Denver, (Colorado), Las Vegas (Nevada), San Francisco (California), San Jose (California), and Seattle, (Washington). Atari retains the rights to develop similar activities in other cities in the United States and the rest of the world.