Nordic Choice Hotels

What Nordic Choice Hotels does

Strawberry, formerly Nordic Choice Hotels, is the largest hotel operator in the Nordic and Baltic region, running more than 250 hotels across six countries (Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland, and additional Baltic markets) under a segmented brand portfolio spanning budget to upscale: Comfort Hotel™, Quality Hotel™, Clarion Hotel®, Home Hotel, Stopover, and independent affiliate hotels. The company is headquartered in Stockholm, Sweden, was founded in 1990, and employs 10,000+ people. Founder Petter Anker Stordalen Bjorvand remains associated with the group.

The underlying technology platform is a conventional direct-to-consumer hospitality stack: a website (strawberry.se), localized for multiple Nordic languages, and a mobile app (iOS and Android) that handle hotel reservations, event ticketing, and loyalty point management. The Spenn loyalty program is the unifying layer, allowing members to earn and redeem points across hotel stays, restaurants, bars, spa treatments, gift cards, and Strawberry Arena event tickets. A co-branded Strawberry Mastercard extends point earning into everyday consumer spend. The Strawberry Arena — a major entertainment venue — is integrated directly into the loyalty ecosystem, with member-exclusive suites and Spenn-funded ticket purchases.

Revenue is generated primarily through nightly room rates across the multi-brand portfolio, supplemented by on-site food and beverage, spa services, conference and meeting facilities, event ticketing (including arena events), gift cards, and corporate apartment rentals. The company sells primarily direct-to-consumer through its website, app, and on-site properties, while also serving corporate accounts through negotiated agreements and running affiliate, sports-club (GoSportive), and Mastercard-based distribution channels. The business is privately held and operates as a for-profit entity with no public listing or disclosed institutional investor base.

Name

Nordic Choice Hotels

Legal name

Strawberry

Website

https://nordicchoicehotels.se

Company type

Private

Founded year

1990

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

5,001–10,000 employees

Short description

Strawberry (formerly Nordic Choice Hotels) is the largest hotel operator in the Nordics, running 250+ hotels across six countries under multi-segment brands, an integrated Spenn loyalty program, a co-branded Mastercard, and the Strawberry Arena entertainment venue, serving leisure and business travelers, corporate accounts, and event-goers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Hotel Hospitality Services

NAICS

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

SIC

Retail-Eating Places (5812)

akta.pro primary industry

Budget Hotel Chains & Franchises (THAGABAM)

akta.pro secondary industries

Hotel & Resort Restaurants (THAFACAH), Select-Service Hotels (THAGABAD), Resort-Area Full-Service Hotels (Non–All-Inclusive) (THAGAAAD)

Keywords

• Hotel accommodation services
• Hospitality operations
• Hotel loyalty program
• Conference and event venues
• Restaurant and spa services

Headquarters

HQ city

Solna

HQ country

Sweden

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Hotel Accommodations: Room bookings across 250+ hotels in 6 countries under multiple brands (Comfort Hotel, Quality Hotel, Clarion Hotel, Home Hotel, Stopover). Revenue generated from nightly room rates with various pricing tiers and seasonal offers.
2. Food & Beverage: On-site restaurants and bars at hotel properties offering dining experiences, including special event packages and dinner-inclusive hotel deals.
3. Spa Services: Spa facilities and treatments available at select hotel properties.
4. Event & Conference Services: Conference facilities and meeting spaces, as well as event ticketing through Strawberry Arena including concert tickets and sports experiences.
5. Gift Cards: Digital gift cards available for purchase for hotel stays, dining, and spa experiences.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Nordic Choice Hotels, operating as Strawberry, is the largest hotel organization in the Nordic region, operating 250+ hotels across 6 countries under multiple brands (Comfort Hotel, Quality Hotel, Clarion Hotel, Home Hotel, Stopover). The company provides accommodations, on-site restaurants and bars, spa services, conference facilities, and entertainment venues including Strawberry Arena. An integrated Spenn loyalty program and co-branded Strawberry Mastercard tie the offerings together for repeat bookings and customer retention.

Product overview

Strawberry (formerly Nordic Choice Hotels) operates a multi-brand hotel portfolio of more than 250 hotels across 6 Nordic countries. The platform encompasses hotel accommodation brands (Comfort Hotel™, Quality Hotel™, Clarion Hotel®, Home Hotel, Stopover, and independent hotels), a loyalty program (Spenn), a co-branded Mastercard, restaurants & bars, spa services, event venues including Strawberry Arena, conference facilities, and experience packages. The offering functions as an integrated hospitality ecosystem where the hotel brands serve as the core products, supplemented by ancillary services including dining, wellness, events, and a digital app for bookings and Spenn point management.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Comfort Hotel™: Hotel brand within the Strawberry portfolio.
• Quality Hotel™
• Clarion Hotel®
• Home Hotel
• Stopover
• Spenn

Products and services

• Comfort Hotel Budget-tier hotel brand within the Strawberry portfolio offering contemporary accommodations across Nordic destinations.
• Quality Hotel Midscale hotel brand within the Strawberry portfolio providing quality accommodations for travelers in the Nordic region.
• Clarion Hotel Upscale hotel brand featuring full-service accommodations with on-site restaurants, spas, and conference facilities across Nordic destinations.
• Home Hotel Hotel brand within the Strawberry portfolio offering comfortable, home-like accommodations.
• Stopover Hotel brand focused on convenient overnight stays, particularly for travelers in transit.
• Fristående hotell (Independent hotels) Independent hotel properties operating under the Strawberry umbrella brand, offered alongside the chain brands.
• Strawberry App Mobile application for iOS and Android enabling customers to book hotels, manage reservations, access membership benefits, and pay with Spenn loyalty points.
• Spenn Loyalty Program Flexible points-based rewards program allowing members to earn and redeem points across the Strawberry hotel portfolio, restaurants, spa, events, and the Strawberry Mastercard co-brand.
• Strawberry Mastercard Co-branded credit card partnership enabling members to earn Spenn loyalty points on purchases and access enhanced benefits including accelerated point earning on hotel stays.
• Restauranger & barer (Restaurants & Bars) On-site dining establishments across hotel properties offering cuisine and bar service for hotel guests and local patrons.
• Spa Services Wellness and spa facilities available at select hotel properties for relaxation and treatments.
• Event Services Event hosting capabilities ranging from hotel-based events to large arena experiences including Strawberry Arena concerts, sports, and member-exclusive events.
• Konferenser & möten (Conferences & Meetings) Conference and meeting facilities with tailored arrangements for business events and corporate gatherings.
• Upplevelsepaket (Experience Packages) Bundled hotel stay packages including themed experiences such as culture and music, family activities, and sports and adventure.
• Presentkort (Gift Cards) Digital gift cards available for purchase for hotel stays, dining, spa treatments, and other Strawberry experiences.
• Strawberry Arena Major entertainment venue hosting concerts, sports events, and exclusive Strawberry member experiences with tickets purchasable in Spenn points.

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Strawberry MastercardcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerCo-branded credit card partnership enabling customers to earn Spenn loyalty points on purchases. Card holders receive enhanced benefits and accelerated point earning on hotel stays and everyday spending.
• Sports Clubs and Associations (GoSportive)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership program offering special rates and benefits for sports clubs, athletic associations, and sports teams traveling for competitions and training camps.
• Strawberry ArenacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrawberry Arena (formerly known as another arena name) is a major entertainment venue integrated with the Strawberry ecosystem. Members can purchase event tickets using Spenn points and access exclusive experiences like the Strawberry Members' Suite loge.
• Affiliate PartnersminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAffiliate marketing program allowing partners to promote hotel bookings and earn commission on referred reservations.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Scandic Hotels: Largest Nordic hotel operator headquartered in Stockholm, operating 280+ hotels across the Nordics and Northern Europe. Direct competitor to Strawberry with overlapping geographies, similar multi-brand positioning (Scandic, Scandic Go, Hilton partnerships), and a comparable loyalty program — the most apples-to-apples comparable in the region.
• Thon Hotels: Major Norwegian hotel chain with 80+ properties across Norway and select international locations. Comparable in business model (multi-brand, broad Nordic footprint, on-site F&B) and directly competes with Strawberry for Norwegian leisure and corporate travelers.
• Hotel Bros: Stockholm-based hotel management company operating Nordic hotels including the Best Western-branded portfolio. Smaller-scale competitor with comparable business model in the budget-to-midscale Nordic segment.
• ProfilHotels: Swedish-based hotel operator with properties across the Nordics and select European cities, including the ProfilHotel Opera and Mercure-branded hotels. Direct competitor in midscale and upper-midscale segments with overlapping geographic footprint.
• Elite Hotels: Swedish hotel chain with around 50 properties primarily in Sweden and a few Nordic cities. Direct competitor in the Swedish market with similar business and leisure customer base, though smaller scale than Strawberry.
• First Hotels: Nordic hotel collection operating independent-style hotels across Sweden, Norway, and Denmark. Comparable in multi-brand aggregation model and target segments (mid-to-upscale business and leisure travelers).

Others

• Booking.com: Global online travel agency dominating Nordic leisure hotel distribution. Not a direct hotel operator but a critical channel partner and competitive pressure point for Strawberry's direct-booking strategy and pricing power.

Broad incumbents

• Best Western Hotels & Resorts: Global hotel franchise and membership organization with a meaningful Nordic presence through member hotels. Competes broadly across all tiers and geographies with Strawberry's portfolio, though via a franchise model rather than owned/operated hotels.
• Marriott International: Global hotel giant with a growing presence in the Nordics via Marriott Bonvoy brands (Marriott, Renaissance, AC Hotels, Moxy). Competes with Strawberry's upscale Clarion brand and brings a powerful global loyalty program as competitive pressure.
• Radisson Hotel Group: Global hotel group with a strong Nordic presence across upscale and premium segments (Radisson Blu, Radisson Collection, Radisson RED). Competes with Strawberry's Clarion and upper-tier brands in major Nordic cities, and offers a broader international distribution network.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks1 record

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@strawberryuniverse
• Facebookfacebook.com/strawberryhotels
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/strawberry
• Instagraminstagram.com/strawberry
• Xx.com/Nordic_Choice

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Nordic Choice Hotels