Atari Hotels' Las Vegas Project Dropped Like a Pixel from the 8-Bit - For Now
The plug has been pulled on the Atari Hotel's plan to transform Las Vegas into an immersive gaming hub. Spokesperson Sara Collins revealed this week that the deal, which had been touted as a massive venture for the iconic video game brand, ultimately fizzled out. With the focus now squarely on Phoenix, Arizona, it seems the original eight locations have lost their pixel-perfect charm.
The once-promising plan called for Atari Hotels to open in cities across the US, including Las Vegas, Austin, Chicago, Denver, San Francisco, San Jose, and Seattle. However, that's no longer the case. While Phoenix was always meant to be the lead site, its Las Vegas counterpart is now on life support. The FAQ on the Atari Hotels website acknowledges this, stating that additional sites, including Denver, are being explored under separate development agreements.
The project had been a long time coming, announced just before the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted everything in 2020. Construction on the Phoenix hotel was initially slated to begin in 2020 but now isn't expected until late this year - with an opening date pushed back to 2028. However, raising the necessary funds poses its own challenge. In a December press release, Atari Hotels revealed it's still scrambling to secure $35 million to $40 million to bring the "playable destination" for gamers in Phoenix to life.
For now, Las Vegas will remain off the map for Atari Hotels.
The plug has been pulled on the Atari Hotel's plan to transform Las Vegas into an immersive gaming hub. Spokesperson Sara Collins revealed this week that the deal, which had been touted as a massive venture for the iconic video game brand, ultimately fizzled out. With the focus now squarely on Phoenix, Arizona, it seems the original eight locations have lost their pixel-perfect charm.
The once-promising plan called for Atari Hotels to open in cities across the US, including Las Vegas, Austin, Chicago, Denver, San Francisco, San Jose, and Seattle. However, that's no longer the case. While Phoenix was always meant to be the lead site, its Las Vegas counterpart is now on life support. The FAQ on the Atari Hotels website acknowledges this, stating that additional sites, including Denver, are being explored under separate development agreements.
The project had been a long time coming, announced just before the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted everything in 2020. Construction on the Phoenix hotel was initially slated to begin in 2020 but now isn't expected until late this year - with an opening date pushed back to 2028. However, raising the necessary funds poses its own challenge. In a December press release, Atari Hotels revealed it's still scrambling to secure $35 million to $40 million to bring the "playable destination" for gamers in Phoenix to life.
For now, Las Vegas will remain off the map for Atari Hotels.
like they were gonna change the vegas strip and it just fell apart? how did this even happen? i mean i get that gaming is a super competitive industry but $35m to $40m is a lot of cash 
i was really stoked about this project, thought it would've been so cool to stay in an atari-themed hotel with all those old-school arcade machines 
and now it's just cancelled? what happened?!
I mean, what was going on with this Atari Hotel project anyway? It seemed like a fun idea at first, but I guess it's just too much to handle 
. I'm not sure why they thought 8 locations would work... that's just asking for trouble 
. And now we're down to Phoenix and maybe Denver? Come on! 
I loved the retro vibes of Atari, but this whole thing just feels like a messy tech crash 
. Can't we just get some decent Wi-Fi in our hotels instead of wasting millions on pixel art decor 
?
. But I guess the market just wasn't ready for it, you know? Now it's just Phoenix and that's it 
. I'm still thinking about how cool it would've been to have one in LA or New York City though... that was always gonna be the cherry on top 
.
i mean, who doesn't love a nostalgic trip down memory lane, but this just feels like another bubble bursting 
can't wait to see how that turns out 
Anyway, now that Las Vegas is off the table, I'm curious to see how Phoenix will shape up... will they make it work? 
Only time will tell! 
. It's super disappointing, cuz lv is already so lit with all the other hotels and attractions. maybe denver will get its chance tho 
Guess all that nostalgia wore off 
and i was super stoked to see an immersive gaming hub pop up in vegas 
also, $35-40 million? that's no joke 
maybe they'll come back stronger in the future 
. and now they're scrambling to secure that amount... it's just so much pressure on them.
. maybe they should've just stuck with their original plan and focused on phoenix instead?
I know it's not the end of the world but it feels like we're losing something special here. The original plan had so much potential, I was gonna be there in Chicago, Denver, San Jose, Austin... I even considered going to Phoenix just to see how the whole thing would've come together 
. On one hand, I guess it's still good to know that there are other locations in development, like Denver and Seattle. Still, it's a shame because gaming is such a huge part of our culture nowadays 
. I mean, can't we just have a solid game room or something in Las Vegas already? It's been years since the pandemic started messing everything up, and here we are, losing yet another cool idea 
. Now I'll have to start searching for alternative gaming spots around the city... guess I'll just have to create my own retro arcade setup