About us
What we do
Show & Stay sell top London theatre break packages for those looking to enjoy a glitzy short break in the West End. Whether you're a UK resident or travelling from overseas, you're spoiled for choice when it comes to our ticket and hotel breaks. We offer the best range of seats and hotels to suit every budget, every requirement and every taste. Choose your room from a fantastic selection of London hotels packaged with tickets to a wide variety of the West End's top musicals and plays. Book with us and you pick exactly where you sit in the theatre, so when we say you get the best choice of seats, we mean it.
With Show & Stay it's all about your experience in the capital, so we're committed to bringing you the best range of convenient, quality hotels in the heart of London.
We offer unrivalled flexibility — our Flexi-cover is included as complimentary in every package, meaning if you need to cancel your booking for any reason up to 3 days before your stay date, we'll give you a credit note for a theatre break of the same value within the next 12 months.
When you make a booking with Show & Stay, you can rest assured that all of our breaks are financially protected, with your money held in a secure, bonded account until your stay is complete.
For dedicated theatre fans or those just getting to grips with what the West End has to offer, we also provide a free online magazine stuffed with the latest news and gossip from Theatreland, not to mention ShowAndStay on Twitter.
Company history
Show & Stay is proudly part of the Holiday Extras group. Holiday Extras was founded by Gerry Pack in 1983 to offer airport parking and hotels to stressed-out travellers. They became the market leader in providing airport parking and airport hotel packages and quickly expanded into travel insurance before setting their sights on the leisure industry.
Show & Stay was established by the Holiday Extras group in 2005 to provide great value London theatre breaks to UK customers and visitors from overseas. Our commitment to providing a simple, honest booking process and a friendly, reliable service has resulted in incredible growth and an abundance of happy customers who book with Show & Stay again and again.
Company registration details
Holiday Extras Limited
Newingreen, Hythe, Kent CT21 4JF
Registered in England and Wales No 1693250,
Registered office address as above
VAT No 844 2814 25
Meet the team
Simon Hagger — CEO
The West End's not just about the show; it's a real experience. I'm always excited to arrive in the city and love to find a walking route away from the main shopping roads — it's the only way to discover all the hidden corners and really feel the changing vibes of the city. From taking your seats through to the encores at the end, the theatre is a class apart.
My favourite show is Chicago. I've seen it at least six times; you can't beat the fossy dancing! The whole show is sassy, filled with fantastic music and offers a new experience every time the leads change — their personalities really influence the feel.
As the CEO and founder of the business, I started Show & Stay in 2004 after seeing the confusion on the web around booking a show with a hotel stay. We realised back then that most customers, in addition to looking for a great short break deal, want inside knowledge and recommendations. This remains the essence of what we do: offering a simple, no-fuss way to book tried-and-tested, handpicked packages that we would happily recommend to friends and family … and regularly do!
Michelle Clarke-Cowell — Commercial & Operations Director
There's something romantic and timeless about seeing a show in the West End amid that unbeatable atmosphere: the smells, the colours, the noise — everything about it. I live in a quiet seaside town where the high street is dead on a Saturday night, so it's a great contrast coming to Theatreland where you've got a stunning choice of shows, restaurants and bars.
With so many amazing shows in London it's next to impossible to pick a favourite, but if pushed I'd have to say Wicked for its incredibly powerful music. I think everyone should experience the feeling you get when you see a show; from the energy of the actors to the engagement of the audience, you can't help but be carried away.
For Show & Stay I started out contracting hotels, finding places our customers would love to stay from top 5-star luxuries to good, clean 3-stars, and I now oversee the programme. I take pride in our site being simple, honest, informative and easy to use, with our knowledgeable Customer Experience Team always on-hand to deliver exceptional service. Our products are always relevant and represent value for money regardless of whether they cost £100 or £1000.
Thomas McGarry — Commercial Manager
My introduction to theatre came back at school when I first saw Blood Brothers. To this day it is still my favourite musical and I was gutted when it announced it was closing.
Theatre plays an important part in British culture and it's never been more accessible to all. Gone are the days of stiff upper lip and overpriced seats which in the past made it an exclusive leisure activity. Theatre today has something for everyone and it's important our packages reflect that. In the current financial climate it's vital to make a short break extra special and there's no better way than escaping into another world in front of your eyes.
I love taking in shows at the theatre, but for me the real attraction is London itself. I love that you can walk in any direction and within minutes the landscape will have changed beyond recognition. The capital is a melting pot of tradition, lifestyles and attitudes and you can get a great snapshot of our culture in a short period of time.
My background is all about product — hotels, shows, attractions: any element that your package might include. I spend my days learning about our customers and coming up with the next big thing. My goal is to deliver you an unforgettable package at a great value price.
Mark O'Neill — Copywriter
Part of our dedicated content team, I write the words, from synopses of our London shows and breakdowns of our hotels to snippets, snappy banner text, Tweets, news stories and full show reviews.
This role lets me see more and more of the plays and musicals everyone loves and the latest on everyone's lips, including my current favourite Matilda the Musical, bursting with wit, tongue-tangling lyrics and ever-faithful to Roald Dahl's twisted vision.
With a lifelong love of language — some would say pedantic to the point of tediousness — and the immediacy and vibrancy of theatre (though not so much for the price of a 330ml Magners), I'm at your service to bring you the latest West End news and reviews.
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