The Rise of ‘Stay and Play’: How UK Hotels Are Turning Entertainment into Full Experiences
Photo by Valeriia Bugaiova on Unsplash
A growing number of UK hotels are attaching themselves to arenas, exhibition campuses and all‑in‑one leisure districts, bundling bedrooms with concerts, cinemas and late‑night venues. The approach, often described by operators as “stay and play,” aims to keep guests on site for longer and capture more of their spending during event‑led trips.
The same experience-driven mindset is visible online, where players are drawn to entertainment platforms that combine gaming and rewards such as those offering the best new online casino bonuses in UK highlighting how leisure and incentives increasingly overlap across both physical and digital spaces.
Analysts describe a mixed outlook for hotels in 2025, yet investors continue to back properties linked to entertainment hubs. Forecasts from professional services firms suggest caution regarding domestic demand, alongside opportunities created by inbound tourism and consolidation. Operators, meanwhile, highlight integrated campuses and year‑round programming as ways to smooth seasonal dips and broaden revenue.
Corridors to the show
On London’s Greenwich Peninsula, InterContinental London The O2 is physically connected to the arena via a private corridor, positioning the hotel as part of the venue’s nightly flow. The property’s official site describes itself as “seamlessly linked to The O2 through our exclusive corridor,” underscoring how the building functions as an extension of the events complex.
Concert nights routinely push bar, spa and late-evening trade beyond the main performance window, with the corridor reducing friction between the headline event and the rest of the stay.
A waterfront campus model
Liverpool offers a campus version of the same idea. The Pullman Liverpool sits “onsite with M&S Bank Arena & ACC and Exhibition Centre Liverpool,” according to Accor’s description of the property.
The arena operator has previously noted the expansion of the campus in 2015 to include the Pullman, formalising a cluster that now packages accommodation with concerts, conferences and exhibitions. Hotel managers in the city say that event calendars have a significant impact on pricing and mid-week occupancy.
Entertainment districts by design
In Birmingham, Resorts World prioritises entertainment first, followed by the hotel. The Genting Hotel sits inside a glass‑fronted complex that combines a casino, outlet shopping, a cinema with IMAX, bowling and arcades beside the NEC and the arena.
Operator listings present the site as a single destination, and guest reviews often highlight the convenience of staying within the building. The objective is straightforward: to keep visitors circulating on the property for dining and late-night activities after shows.
Casinos and late-evening layers
Some urban hotels add gaming floors, cocktail venues and bowling alleys to extend activity beyond last orders. At Resorts World Birmingham, the casino sits alongside dining, arcades and a cinema, offering multiple late‑night choices under one roof.
For arena‑adjacent hotels, proximity itself functions as an amenity, reducing friction between the headline event and the rest of the evening. The objective is straightforward: to concentrate spending within the campus while presenting guests with a short internal walk back to their rooms.
Holiday parks as long-running prototypes
Family‑focused resorts have operated similar models for decades. Butlin’s, which is marking major investment across its sites, describes a £150 million programme to upgrade accommodation and “key entertainment venues” while diversifying into adult‑oriented Big Weekenders and corporate events.
The strategy, outlined in company materials, frames entertainment as a driver of occupancy as well as on‑site spending beyond school holidays. The approach has influenced city properties, which now programme themed weekends around comedy, eSports, and residencies.
Market context
Industry outlooks published in 2024 and 2025 describe headwinds from rising costs and cautious consumer spending, while also pointing to an expected boost from inbound tourism if the pound weakens. PwC’s Hotels Forecast predicts demand growth will stall in 2025, but notes potential support from international visitors. RSM UK, assessing the broader leisure sector, highlights consolidation as operators seek to create efficiencies and expand their propositions.
For properties tied to arenas and leisure districts, these dynamics place a premium on integrated offers that encourage guests to stay on-site.
Seaside lessons
Coastal destinations continue to refine their formulas. Butlin’s has added indoor play spaces and new performance facilities across its resorts, presenting an all-weather solution for families. The brand’s continued investment signals confidence that integrated entertainment remains a draw, even as independent operators and smaller resorts compete on service and value.
Final Thoughts
The model is simple, pairing beds with stages, screens and late‑night options to concentrate demand. As venues expand their calendars, hotels attached to those sites position themselves to capture trips built around a single event and to convert them into multi‑activity stays. The trend’s scale will depend on broader market conditions, but the direction of travel places entertainment at the centre of the UK hotel proposition.