Atari hotels are happening because Hard Rock Cafe is for boomers

Atari was once the biggest name in gaming, but it has died multiple times since it reached its zenith in the early 1980s. But nothing from that era stays dead — not if someone can mine it and resell it as notsalgia. And Atari is taking that business model to another level with an Atari hotel in Phoenix, Arizona.

Atari is working with GSD Group to build a series of video-game-themed hotels across the country. The first one is opening in Phoenix, and the plan is to pack it full of entertainment that is tangentially related to Atari in one way or another. This includes accommodations for hosting live esports events. But it also means it will have VR/AR installations.