Name

First Hotels

Legal name

First Hotels

Website

https://firsthotels.no

Company type

Private

Founded year

1993

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Hotel Accommodation

NAICS

Hotels (except Casino Hotels) and Motels (72111), Hotels (except Casino Hotels) and Motels (721110), Traveler Accommodation (7211)

SIC

Hotels, Rooming Houses, Camps & Other Lodging Places (7000)

akta.pro primary industry

Budget Hotel Chains & Franchises (THAGABAM)

Keywords

• Hotel accommodation
• Conference services
• Loyalty program
• Scandinavian hospitality
• Hotel franchise

Headquarters

HQ city

Oslo

HQ country

Norway

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Hotel Accommodation: Core revenue from room bookings across owned and partner hotels. Direct booking model with best price guarantee.
2. Conference & Meeting Services: Revenue from corporate events, meetings, and conferences. Portfolio of 4600+ conference spaces across Scandinavia.
3. Loyalty Program Currency: FirstCoins reward currency used for hotel payments. Members earn 2-5% back on stays.
4. Food & Beverage: Restaurant and bar services at hotel properties including special event packages (New Year's gala, golf packages)
5. Franchise & Partner Fees: Revenue from First Partner hotel network through brand licensing and booking system access

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

First Hotels operates a chain of 50+ hotels across Sweden, Norway, Denmark, and Greenland, providing accommodation ranging from budget properties (e.g., First Hotel Backpack) to premium collections (e.g., Enter Tromsø Exclusive Collection, First Signature Collection). The chain supplements its room revenue with 4,600+ conference and meeting spaces, the First Member loyalty program with FirstCoins rewards currency, food and beverage services, and franchise/licensed operations through the First Partner Collection.

Product overview

First Hotels operates as a Scandinavian hotel chain with a portfolio of approximately 50+ properties across Sweden, Norway, Denmark, and Greenland. The core offering includes hotel accommodations ranging from budget-friendly options (First Hotel Backpack) to luxury collections (Enter Tromsø Exclusive Collection). The company's product ecosystem comprises the First Member loyalty program (with Silver, Gold, Platinum, and Black tiers) and the FirstCoins digital rewards currency as the primary customer retention mechanisms. Conference and meeting services span 4600+ spaces across the portfolio. Additional value-added services include youth and senior discount programs, golf packages, sports team discounts, and a price match guarantee. The brand operates properties under multiple sub-brands including First Signature Collection, First Partner Collection, and independent properties branded under the First Hotels umbrella.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Hotel Accommodation

Quantifiable outcome

• 25% discount for seniors (67+) and youth (18-25)
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration9 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• SJ (Statens Järnvägar)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRailway partnership allowing members to earn 300 SJ Prio points per night stayed. Members can also redeem SJ Prio points for accommodation at selected First Hotels in Scandinavia. Deep integration between loyalty programs.
• SabrecoreTechnology or IntegrationGlobal Distribution System (GDS) technology partner providing booking infrastructure and distribution to travel agents and corporate travel platforms worldwide.
• The Hotels NetworksupportingTechnology or IntegrationAnalytics platform for internal website analytics and user behavior tracking on firsthotels.com properties.
• HotjarsupportingTechnology or IntegrationCustomer experience analytics platform used for understanding visitor behavior and website usage patterns.
• First Partner HotelscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFranchise partner hotels including Brommavik Hotel, Bryne Hotell, City Central Hotel Orebro, Hotel E10, Hotel Frederikshavn, Hotel Skandia, Hotel SOMA properties (Nuuk, Ilulissat, Sisimiut, Aasiaat), Hotell Kung Gosta, Hotell Radhuset, Kysthotellet, Montra Skaga Hotel, Prinsen Hotel, and Queen's Hotel. These properties operate under First Hotels branding with standardized booking and loyalty integration.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Scandic Hotels: Sweden-headquartered, publicly listed Nordic hotel operator with 280+ hotels across Scandinavia and Europe. Most directly comparable peer — same regional geography, same mid-to-upscale positioning, and overlapping corporate/leisure/customer base as First Hotels.
• Elite Hotels of Sweden: Swedish family-owned hotel chain with 50+ properties in Sweden and a few in Denmark and Norway. Closely matches First Hotels on country mix (Sweden-heavy), property count, and tier positioning.
• ProfilHotels: Swedish-owned independent hotel collection of 25+ properties across Sweden, Norway, and Denmark. Comparable as a regional Nordic hotel collection targeting similar business and leisure travelers.
• Thon Hotels: Norwegian family-owned hotel chain with 70+ hotels across Norway, Sweden, and Brussels. Directly comparable Norwegian peer with similar mid-scale business-and-leisure mix and conference focus.
• Strawberry (formerly Nordic Choice Hotels): Norwegian-owned hotel group operating Quality, Clarion, and Comfort brands across the Nordics with 200+ hotels. Closest direct competitor in scale, geography, and brand portfolio breadth to First Hotels.

Broad incumbents

• Radisson Hotel Group: Global upper-upscale hotel group with significant Nordic presence (Radisson Blu, Radisson Collection, Park Inn by Radisson). Competes across overlapping midscale-to-upscale segments but offers a broader global portfolio than First Hotels' Nordic concentration.
• Best Western Hotels & Resorts: Global hotel franchise network with properties across Scandinavia (Best Western, BW Signature Collection). Comparable franchise/partnership operating model to First Hotels' First Partner Collection, though at significantly larger scale and broader geographic reach.
• Marriott International: World largest hotel company with brands (Marriott, Courtyard, Moxy, Autograph) increasingly entering secondary Nordic markets. Acts as a broader incumbent shaping distribution, loyalty, and corporate RFP dynamics that First Hotels competes against.

Others

• SJ (Statens Järnvägar) Prio: Swedish national rail operator and existing First Hotels cross-loyalty partner. Included as a strategic ecosystem participant whose joint loyalty program shapes First Hotels' traveler acquisition and retention mechanics.

Regional players

• Danhotel: Danish hotel operator with properties concentrated in Denmark. Comparable to First Hotels' Danish operations (Odense, Aalborg, Helsingor, etc.) as a domestically focused regional player in one of First Hotels' core markets.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks1 record

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about First Hotels