Gamers will soon be able to bed down inside the world of Minecraft, after Chessington World of Adventures unveiled plans for a £50 million themed land complete with the world’s first Minecraft hotel and rollercoaster.
The Surrey resort is developing Chessington Minecraft World in partnership with Mojang Studios, the Swedish studio behind the block-building phenomenon, with construction already under way ahead of a planned opening in 2027.
The fresh details emerged during a livestream event for fans, where the partners showed off the four-storey Minecraft World Hotel — the centrepiece of one of the biggest single investments in a British theme park in recent years.
Inside the world’s first Minecraft hotel
The 69-room hotel will pair 20 premium rooms with 49 standard rooms, every one dressed to plunge guests into the game’s unmistakable universe. Interiors will take their cues from Minecraft’s biomes, mobs and items, with blocky trees and animals, lift lobbies styled around the game’s mechanics and corridors designed to feel like mine tunnels.
Food and drink will be part of the adventure too. The hotel will house an underwater-themed restaurant and a bar inspired by the game’s mysterious Woodland Mansion — somewhere for parents to unwind while younger fans compare notes on the day’s quests.
“We promised something truly special when we announced Minecraft World earlier this year, and with Minecraft World Hotel we are offering even more,” said Daisy Mercedes, creative producer at Merlin Entertainments. “Not only will fans be able to experience the game imagined for real life, but they’ll also be able to sleep inside it, ensuring fans respawn exactly where they want to be.”
She added: “Every room, corridor and detail has been crafted with immense love for this game, the stories made within it and its community.”
Escape The Nether: a coaster through the dark
Alongside the hotel, Chessington will debut the world’s first Minecraft-themed rollercoaster. Named Escape The Nether, the ride will send passengers racing at high speed through dark indoor mines before bursting out of the building through a Nether portal into the land’s Overworld-themed area.
Themed shops and dining venues will complete the new land, recreating the game’s famous blocks, mobs and biomes in bricks and mortar.
Filip Keatley Thoms, creative lead for Minecraft parks and experiences at Mojang Studios, said translating the game into a physical space had been “a fascinating creative challenge”. “We have thought about everything from the scale of the blocks to how mobs and biomes come to life in the real world,” he said. “Our goal is to create an experience that feels authentically Minecraft and gives guests the chance to experience the game in an entirely new way.”
Chessington Minecraft World: key facts
- Investment: £50 million
- Opening: 2027
- Hotel: Four storeys, 69 rooms — 20 premium and 49 standard
- Rollercoaster: Escape The Nether, the world’s first Minecraft-themed coaster
- Food and drink: Underwater-themed restaurant and Woodland Mansion-inspired bar
- Partners: Merlin Entertainments and Mojang Studios
What it means for south-west London
The £50 million project is a major vote of confidence in the capital’s visitor economy. Chessington, on the Surrey border in the Royal Borough of Kingston, is already one of south-west London’s biggest family draws — pairing thrill rides with a zoo and aquarium — and a development on this scale is expected to pull in visitors from far beyond the capital.
Hotels, restaurants and shops around Kingston and Surbiton stand to benefit from the extra footfall, while the construction phase and the finished land will support jobs in the area. It also sharpens Surrey’s reputation as England’s theme-park corridor, with Chessington continuing to invest heavily to win the loyalty of families planning days out.
The capital’s family attractions are in something of an arms race: London Zoo has recently unveiled a new adventure trail, while the West End continues to pull in record crowds — a sign of just how fiercely venues are competing for leisure spending.
Why Minecraft? The biggest game on the planet
Few brands could justify an investment of this size, but Minecraft is no ordinary video game. It is the bestselling video game of all time, with millions of people logging on every day to build, explore and survive in its procedurally generated worlds.
Its cultural footprint keeps growing. Last year’s A Minecraft Movie was the highest-grossing film at the UK and Ireland box office in 2025, proving the franchise’s pull extends well beyond the controller. A physical land where fans can walk through a Nether portal is, for Merlin and Mojang, the logical next step.
With construction already under way and a 2027 opening on the cards, Chessington Minecraft World has given Minecraft fans a new countdown to mark — and south-west London a new landmark on the horizon.
