Five centuries of history, one new reality: Inside the VR arena coming to the Great White Horse

Another World VR Arena, developed by Ciobanu Holdings Ltd, will occupy the hotel's former ballroom on the upper floor, alongside a party suite and a large ground-floor event space. The Grade II* listed building on Tavern Street, parts of which date back to 1518, has stood largely vacant since closing as a hotel in 2008.

A landmark in need of a new chapter

The Great White Horse has long been one of Ipswich's most recognisable buildings. It achieved literary fame through Charles Dickens, who stayed there and featured it prominently in The Pickwick Papers, and its reputation once travelled as far as Chicago, where a full-size replica was built for the 1893 World's Fair.

That fame has not translated into recent fortune.

The hotel has spent years on Historic England's Heritage at Risk Register, and its previous owners went into liquidation in December 2024. Developer John Howard and his business partner bought the building in May 2025, and in June 2026, Ipswich Borough Council's planning committee unanimously approved plans to convert its upper floors into 21 flats, while retaining ground-floor commercial units and the former ballroom on the first floor for other uses.

It is within those retained commercial units that the Another World VR Arena will become the building's anchor tenant.

"We are thrilled to be the anchor tenant at the Great White Horse Hotel," said Jeff Ciobanu, Managing Director of Ciobanu Holdings. "This is a landmark building with tremendous history, and we're excited to play a part in its next chapter by creating an attraction that combines innovative technology, entertainment and community."

A personal connection to Suffolk

For Ciobanu, the project is not simply a business decision. His connection to the county runs back to childhood.

"My father was in the U.S. military, and I was born in Bury St Edmunds," he explained. "We were later transferred to RAF Bentwaters, and I lived in Woodbridge during my elementary school years until I was about ten. So, although I spent many years in the United States, Suffolk has always felt like part of my story."

He returned to the UK in 2021 and was drawn to Ipswich as somewhere new to him, yet close to the places he remembered. "When I first visited Ipswich properly after moving back, just as things were beginning to reopen after Covid, I saw a town with huge potential," he said. "It had beautiful parks, the waterfront, leisure facilities, Ipswich Town Football Club, and a real sense that it could reinvent itself."

The Great White Horse itself came later, after more than a year spent searching for the right site for a VR arena. "Nothing quite fitted until I met John Howard, the developer behind the property," Ciobanu said. "The hotel is in a perfect location, right in the heart of town, and it has an incredible history."

The two found their ambitions aligned. "John shared his vision for bringing the building back to life, and I explained what I wanted to create with Another World VR Arena," he said. "It turned out we were thinking along very similar lines — he had always imagined some kind of leisure or entertainment use there."

Old walls, new technology

Fitting a modern VR arena into a Grade II* listed building dating back five centuries was never going to be straightforward, and Ciobanu said the challenges were considered carefully from the outset.

"When I first viewed the building and understood its Grade II* listed status, the key question was whether we could create a modern VR arena without compromising the historic character of the property," he said. "Looking at the space and how it had already been used commercially in the past, it became clear that we could design the arena in a way that respects the building."

He credited Howard's team for giving the project a solid footing. "We are working with John Howard, who is an experienced property developer, along with his team of architects, so we know we are in safe hands," he said. "There is a proper understanding of the building, its importance, and the care that needs to be taken."

Ciobanu argued that active use could ultimately help protect the building rather than threaten it. "Proper heating, air conditioning, maintenance, safety systems, and regular use all contribute to preserving it for the future," he said. "Anything that needs to be repaired or brought up to standard will be addressed before we open."

Inside the arena

Free-roam VR differs significantly from earlier, more static forms of virtual reality. "In our arena, players will be able to move freely around the play area and interact with the virtual world together as a group," Ciobanu said. "People are not just watching something — they are inside the game, walking around, working together, competing, solving challenges, or taking part in adventures."

The venue will offer a mix of experiences for different ages and interests, from family-friendly games to more action-based, adventure- and escape-room-style titles. Ciobanu said the arena is expected to accommodate 20 to 30 players at a time, using advanced headset technology, including Meta Quest/Oculus-style systems.

"Because we are part of a franchise model, new games and experiences are being developed and released all the time," he added. "That means visitors will not just come once and see everything — the attraction can keep evolving."

More than an arena

Alongside the VR experience, the venue will include a dedicated party suite and a larger ground-floor event space, though final capacities will not be confirmed until construction and fire safety assessments are complete.

"As a working estimate, the party suite is likely to accommodate around 20 to 30 people, making it ideal for birthday parties, family celebrations, youth groups, and smaller private bookings connected to the VR arena," Ciobanu said. The ground-floor event space is expected to be considerably larger, with Ciobanu suggesting it "could potentially accommodate around 100 to 200 people", depending on layout.

He said the space is intended for wedding receptions, company functions, team-building events, community gatherings and private celebrations. "The idea is that the building will not just be a VR arena, but a wider leisure and events destination for Ipswich," he said.

Once open, Another World VR Arena will operate from 10:00 until 22:00, seven days a week, with the development expected to create between 10 and 15 new local jobs across customer service, technical operations, events and venue management.

Betting on the town centre

Ciobanu was clear that his ambitions extend beyond a single venue. "Another World VR Arena is about more than just opening one business," he said. "For me, it fits into a wider ambition to help bring more life, confidence, and investment back into Ipswich town centre."

He hopes the venue will draw people into the town in the evenings as well as during the day, with knock-on benefits for nearby businesses. "That has a knock-on effect for other businesses nearby, whether that is restaurants, cafés, bars, shops, taxis, or other local services," he said.

He also hopes the project will encourage further investment. "Sometimes people wait for regeneration to happen before they invest, but if everyone waits, nothing changes," he said. "Somebody has to take that first step and show confidence in the town."

Asked what he would say to those sceptical of investing in an Ipswich town centre that has faced its share of challenges, Ciobanu pointed to the changes he has witnessed since 2021. "For a long time, there has been a lot of negativity around town centres in general," he said. "But successful investment often comes from seeing potential before everyone else sees it."

"Business is always a risk, but the people who make things happen are usually the ones willing to take a chance and act on a vision," he added. "I believe in Ipswich, I believe in the town centre, and that is why I am proud to invest here."

For Ciobanu, choosing the Great White Horse carries a meaning beyond commercial logic. "This is not just about opening a VR arena," he said. "It is also about helping to preserve one of Ipswich's most historic buildings and giving it a new purpose."

"I saw a diamond in the rough," he reflected. "Being able to bring something modern and exciting into such a historic building feels like a privilege, and I'm proud that Another World VR Arena can be part of its next chapter."

The bottom line

More than five hundred years after it first opened its doors, the Great White Horse is about to welcome a very different kind of visitor. If Ciobanu's ambitions play out, this landmark building will not just be preserved for its past, but valued for what it can offer Ipswich's future.

Another World VR Arena is expected to open in autumn 2026. We'll be there to cover its transformation and grand opening.

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