Scandic Hotels Group has entered into a multi-year development agreement with Hilton covering Sweden, Norway, Denmark and Finland. The partnership combines Scandic's strong Nordic market position with Hilton's global brand portfolio, creating new hotel development opportunities while exploring future benefits for Hilton Honors and Scandic Friends memberships.
Scandic Hotels Group and Hilton have entered into a strategic agreement that marks another step in Scandic's growth journey to pursue new hotel development opportunities across Sweden, Norway, Denmark and Finland.
Under the multi-year agreement, Scandic and Hilton will work together to pursue development opportunities across the four markets, combining Hilton's globally recognised brands and commercial reach with Scandic's extensive regional platform, operational expertise and established presence throughout the Nordics. The agreement focuses on individual development opportunities for Hilton and Scandic across the Nordics and is not a broad conversion of Scandic's portfolio.
The companies will also announce new member benefits for members of the Hilton Honors and Scandic Friends loyalty programs at a later date, with the shared ambition to further open the Nordics to Hilton Honors members and the world to Scandic Friends.
The agreement is already taking shape in Copenhagen, where Scandic has signed a new Hilton Hotels & Resorts property at Scanport, adjacent to Copenhagen Airport. The 284-room hotel will be operated by Scandic under a franchise agreement with Hilton and is expected to open in 2029. The construction will start as soon as the remaining pending conditions have been met.
Located near Scandinavia's largest aviation hub, the full-service property will feature a restaurant and bar, meeting and event facilities, wellness amenities, a fitness area and an executive lounge overlooking the Öresund Strait.
The relationship between Hilton and Scandic spans more than two decades, with three Hilton Hotels & Resorts properties currently operating in Helsinki: Hilton Helsinki Airport, Hilton Helsinki Strand and Hilton Helsinki Kalastajatorppa. Plans are underway to renovate Hilton Helsinki Airport through a multi-phase refurbishment programme that will modernise key guest-facing areas and further enhance the overall hotel experience.
"This agreement is well aligned with Scandic's long-term growth strategy. Having successfully franchised and operated Hilton hotels in Helsinki for many years, we have demonstrated the strength of combining a global brand with Scandic's leading operational platform. Together with Hilton, we see attractive opportunities to grow and expand our business across the Nordics", says Jens Mathiesen, president & CEO, Scandic Hotels Group.
"This strategic agreement represents a significant milestone for Hilton in the Nordics, creating a clear pathway to expand our leading brands across four important markets. It reflects our long-term ambition for the region and, together with Scandic, opens the door to significant new opportunities for Hilton, our owners and our guests", says Chris Nassetta, president & CEO, Hilton.
The agreement comes amid continued momentum for travel across the Nordic region, where inbound tourism has seen a strong and sustained recovery in recent years. International demand has continued to grow, supported by increasing interest in nature-based experiences, outdoor travel and cooler-climate destinations. In 2025, Sweden recorded more than 70 million guest nights1, Denmark around 68 million2, Norway more than 40 million3, and Finland over 23 million4, with international demand - including from the United States and major European source markets - contributing strongly to growth.
For more information, please contact:
Malin Selander, Communications Director, Scandic Hotels Group
Email: malin.selander@scandichotels.com
Phone: +46 704 264 006
Rasmus Blomqvist, Director Investor Relations, Scandic Hotels Group
Email: rasmus.blomqvist@scandichotels.com
Phone: +46 702 335 367
1Figures from Tillväxt verket - Inkvarteringsstatistik - Accommodation statistics.
2Figures from Statistics Denmark - Almost 68 million tourist overnight stays in 2025
3Figures from Statistics Norway - Record number of guest nights in 2025
4Figures from Statistics Finland - Nights spent by non-resident tourists in Finland up by 13 per cent from the previous year in 2025 | Statistics Finland
About Scandic Hotels Group
Scandic is the largest hotel company in the Nordic countries with a network of about 320 hotels with 68,000 rooms in operation and under development, in more than 150 destinations. The company is the leader when it comes to integrating sustainability in all operations and its award- winning Design for All concept ensures that Scandic hotels are accessible to everyone. Well loved by guests and employees, the Scandic Friends loyalty program is the largest in the Nordic hotel industry and the company is one of the most attractive employers in the region. Scandic is listed on Nasdaq Stockholm. www.scandichotelsgroup.com
About Hilton
Hilton (NYSE: HLT) is a leading global hospitality company with a portfolio of 28 world-class brands comprising more than 9,400 properties and nearly 1.4 million rooms, in 144 countries and territories. Dedicated to fulfilling its founding vision to fill the earth with the light and warmth of hospitality, Hilton has welcomed over 4 billion guests in its more than 100-year history. Named as the No. 1 World's Best Workplace by Great Place to Work and Fortune, Hilton aims to create the best culture for its 500,000 team members around the world. Hilton has introduced industry-leading technology enhancements to improve the guest experience, including Digital Key Share, automated complimentary room upgrades and the ability to book confirmed connecting rooms. Through the award-winning guest loyalty program Hilton Honors, the more than 260 million Hilton Honors members who book directly with Hilton can earn Points for hotel stays and experiences money can't buy. With the free Hilton Honors app, guests can book their stay, select their room, check in, unlock their door with a Digital Key and check out, all from their smartphone. Visit stories.hilton.com for more information, and connect with Hilton on Facebook, X, LinkedIn, Instagram and YouTube.
Hilton Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. These statements include, but are not limited to, statements related to our expectations regarding the performance of our business, future financial results, liquidity and capital resources and other non-historical statements. In some cases, you can identify these forward-looking statements by the use of words such as "outlook," "believes," "expects," "forecasts," "potential," "continues," "may," "will," "should," "could," "seeks," "projects," "predicts," "intends," "plans," "estimates," "anticipates" or the negative version of these words or other comparable words. Such forward-looking statements are subject to various risks and uncertainties including, among others, risks inherent to the hospitality industry; macroeconomic factors beyond our control, such as inflation, changes in interest rates, challenges due to labor shortages or disputes and supply chain disruptions; the loss of key senior management personnel; competition for hotel guests and management and franchise contracts; risks related to doing business with third-party hotel owners; performance of our information technology systems; growth of reservation channels outside of our system; risks of doing business outside of the U.S.; risks associated with geopolitical conflicts, including Iran; uncertainty resulting from U.S. and global political trends, tariffs and other policies, including potential barriers to travel, trade and immigration and other geopolitical events; and our indebtedness. Additional factors that could cause our results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements can be found under the section entitled "Part I-Item 1A. Risk Factors" of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2025, which is filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") and is accessible on the SEC's website at www.sec.gov. Accordingly, there are or will be important factors that could cause actual outcomes or results to differ materially from those indicated in these statements. These factors should not be construed as exhaustive and should be read in conjunction with the other cautionary statements that are included in this press release and in our filings with the SEC. We undertake no obligation to publicly update or review any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise, except as required by law.
