Atari is making a hotel chain. No, really.

You have questions, and that’s fine. This sort of news is bound to generate a lot of confused and confounded people. Atari is a name normally associated with antique games or a brand new and utterly strange game console that nobody is quite sure what it will do or how well it will sell.

Continuing on that baffling trend is the brand new press release that states Atari us partnering with GSD Group and real estate developer True North Studio to create eight new hotels around the United States. That’s right: eight Atari hotels. The first one is planned to break ground in Phoenix Arizona later this year.

“Atari, a trailblazer in the gaming industry, is pioneering an exciting new concept: a unique lodging experience combining the iconic brand with a one-of-a-kind video game-themed destination,” reads Atari’s release. We’re thinking they have maybe vastly overestimated the number of gamers that actually leave their homes and need to stay in a hotel.

Anyway, the draw here is “fully immersive experiences for every age and gaming ability,” with the latest in virtual and augmented reality games. From the way it’s described, it seems like these hotels will be one part traditional hotel, one part new-age arcade with a bunch of VR headsets. The hotel renderings even show a giant screen playing the original Donkey Kong on the roof.

Select hotels will also feature venues for esports events. So that’s cool.

“We are thrilled to partner with GSD Group and True North Studio to build the first-ever Atari branded hotels across the United States,” said Fred Chesnais, CEO of Atari. “Together we’ll build a space that will be much more than just a place to stay. Atari is an iconic global brand that resonates with people of all ages, countries, cultures and ethnic backgrounds and we cannot wait for our fans and their families to enjoy this new hotel concept.”

Besides Phoenix, Arizona, Atari also plans to build their fancy gamer hotels in Las Vegas, Denger, Chicago, Austin, Seattle, San Francisco, and San Jose.

Source: Atari