In a somewhat strange turn of events, it would appear that there could be several, officially licensed Atari-branded hotels up and running in the next several years. Atari has announced that the company has struck a licensing agreement with GSD Group and the real estate developer True North Studio for the development of a bunch of Atari-branded hotels in several locations within the United States.

It's important to note here that, while the licensing agreement appears to be done and signed, there's seemingly no timeline as to when, exactly, any of the hotels might be operational. According to Atari, the first hotel, which will be in Phoenix, is set to break ground this year, and other planned locations included in the agreement are Austin, Chicago, Denver, Las Vegas, San Francisco, San Jose, and Seattle. Even so, there's already a website where folks can express their interest in becoming a member.

"The Atari hotels will feature common areas following the latest trends in hospitality, with a focus on the video game universe and the Atari brand," the press release announcing the agreement states. "They will include a state of the art eSport studio, an Atari gaming playground, meeting and event rooms, co-working spaces, restaurants, bars, a bakery, a movie theatre and a gym. They are targeted at family or business travelers, providing a luxurious, relaxed and one-of-a-kind experience."

"We are thrilled to partner with GSD Group and True North Studio to build the first-ever Atari branded hotels across the United States. Together we’ll build a space that will be much more than just a place to stay," Fred Chesnais, CEO of Atari, stated as part of the announcement. "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."

What do you think of the Atari-branded hotels news? Is this the sort of thing you'd stay in? Let us know in the comments, or hit me up directly on Twitter at @rollinbishop to talk all things gaming!

The series of Atari-branded hotels, as mentioned above, is set to start by breaking ground in Phoenix this year. Whether anything tangible will come of this agreement remains to be seen, but it certainly seems like there's some momentum behind it. You can check out all of our previous coverage of Atari right here.