How it all started

It is just over 40 years since we opened our first hotel. It was called a motor hotel and was a modern idea in 60s Sweden. Car ownership increased and we offered our guests a TV in their room and a hotel pool. Over the years, travel and Scandic have changed and progressed. There have been a number of key events over the years that have brought us to where we are now.

1963
What will later become Scandic opens as an Esso Motor Hotel. It is situated at the edge of a road in Laxå in central Sweden. The idea of a hotel in close proximity to travellers is innovative and is called the Motorby concept.

1966 
The second Swedish hotel opens in Mölndal just outside Gothenburg.

1972  
We want to target travellers outside Sweden and expand into our neighbouring countries, Denmark and Norway.

1973
We are now the largest hotel chain in Sweden.

1983
The whole chain is sold to a Swedish consortium which includes private equity firm Ratos.

1984
The company and all the hotels are renamed Scandic Hotels.

1985
Ratos becomes sole owner of Scandic Hotels AB.

1986
The first hotel outside Scandinavia opens in the German town of Koblenz.

1991
The Kuwait crisis affects the hotel industry and Scandic.

1992
A new management team is appointed and helps us out of the crisis.

1994
The vision of "The new Scandic" is launched with a focus on shared values.

1996
We buy up the Swedish hotels of Reso Hotels. Scandic shares are listed on the Stockholm Stock Exchange on 17 December.

1997
During the first quarter Scandic Hotels sign ten new hotel deals, the majority relating to Norway.

1998
We acquire Arctia, Finland’s third largest hotel chain. The hotels are integrated into Scandic and the company becomes a Nordic chain for the first time.

1999
We enter into a partnership with SAS Eurobonus. Scandic Hotels buy another 17 hotels, four of which are in Estonia.

2000
We purchase Provobis Hotels, which has 16 centrally located hotels in Sweden.

2001
Scandic Hotels is bought by the London-based Hilton Group Plc for GBP 620.2 million. At the same time we are delisted from the Stockholm Stock Exchange. The terror attack on the World Trade Center in New York on 11 September hits the whole tourism industry hard.

2002
We are integrated into the successful Hilton family. The guest programme Scandic Club ceases and our frequent guests become members of Hilton HHonors.

2003
We decide to work to gain the Swan ecolabel for all our Swedish hotels. Our logo is modernised to strengthen the brand and a comprehensive website is launched.

2004
Swan ecolabelling of all our Swedish hotels is completed. All Scandics in the Nordic region are equipped with wireless Internet. We announce a move into franchising.

2005
The first franchise hotel opens: Scandic by Hilton – Bari in Italy. Scandic is now established in 10 countries. At the end of the year, a new, simpler pricing system is introduced, called FLEX & EARLY.

2006
We launch mini-shops that are open 24 hours a day at our hotels. On 23 February Hilton International is sold to Hilton Hotel Corporation. They merge and together become the world's largest hotel group. By the end of the year all Scandic hotels in Sweden, Denmark and Norway are ecolabelled.

2007
EQT purchases Scandic from Hilton Hotel Corporation for EUR 833 million. The purchase, which is completed on 2 March, includes a total of 132 hotels.