For dedicated gamers, the thought of leaving their cherished consoles behind while traveling can be enough to spark separation anxiety. The owners of a new hotel in Amsterdam have recognized this, with their aptly named Arcade Hotel located in the De Pijp area of the city offering in-room consoles and video game rental for guests.
- The Arcade, sitting opposite the Sarphatipark public park, is the latest in a number of notable hotels to open in Amsterdam of late. Whereas CityHub and W Amsterdam have sought to innovate by catering to digital natives and providing a "Whatever/Whenever service", respectively, the Arcade aims to simply offer its guests simple gaming pleasure and a homely atmosphere.
Formerly the Aalborg Hotel, the Arcade Hotel was taken over by Daniel Salmanovich in February last year. Its transformation is ongoing, but once complete there will be a total of 36 one- to four-bed rooms ranging in price from €75 to €350 (US$81 to $378), with guests able to choose from a variety of consoles, such as N64s, Ataris, PlayStations and Xboxs, and rent a selection of games.
The hotel is said to combine its focus on gaming with the Dutch concept of "gezelligheid", which, loosely translated, refers to the country's culture of friendliness and togetherness. Its "mid-century design" includes retro-pop elements, white brick walls with dark flooring and modern bathrooms with colored lights and rain showers.
Among the other services available at the hotel are a comic library, bike rental and a flower service. There's a backyard terrace and garden in which to relax, as well gaming nights and comic lecture events.
The Arcade Hotel opened earlier this month with an outdoor gaming event, during which video games were projected onto the building's façade.
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