October 20, 2026 — Hilton and Scandic Hotels Group, the biggest hotel company in the Nordic countries, have signed a multi-year deal to develop Hilton-branded hotels across Sweden, Norway, Denmark and Finland. The first project named is a 284-room Hilton beside Copenhagen Airport, and a loyalty tie-up between Hilton Honors and Scandic Friends is coming.
What is happening
The agreement was announced on October 19. Scandic says it covers individual development projects in all four countries and is “not a broad conversion” of Scandic’s existing hotels. Scandic has run Hilton-franchised hotels in Helsinki for more than two decades.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| First new hotel | Hilton Hotels & Resorts property at Scanport, next to Copenhagen Airport (name TBA) |
| Rooms | 284 |
| Operator | Scandic, under a Hilton franchise |
| Construction start | TBA — once remaining conditions are met |
| Expected opening | 2029 |
| Planned facilities | Restaurant and bar, meeting and event space, wellness and fitness areas, executive lounge overlooking the Öresund Strait |
| Existing Hiltons run by Scandic | Hilton Helsinki Airport, Hilton Helsinki Strand, Hilton Helsinki Kalastajatorppa; a multi-phase renovation of Hilton Helsinki Airport is planned (dates TBA) |
The loyalty piece
Both companies say Hilton Honors and Scandic Friends members will get new benefits, with details “at a later date.” No start date or list of perks has been published. Scandic has about 320 hotels with roughly 68,000 rooms open or under development in more than 150 destinations, so a link-up would give Hilton members a much bigger Nordic footprint.
What it means for airline travelers
- A walkable airport hotel at CPH: Scanport sits next to Copenhagen Airport, which makes it a natural choice for early departures, late arrivals and misconnects — but not before 2029.
- Helsinki Airport: if you use Hilton Helsinki Airport for layovers or overnights, watch for the planned renovation. No dates or disruption details have been released.
- Watch the loyalty announcement: if earning or using Hilton Honors points at Scandic hotels becomes possible, that could matter on Nordic trips. Nothing is live yet.
- Rates: the announcement did not mention travel-industry or airline-employee rates.
Sources
- Scandic Hotels Group — “Scandic and Hilton sign new Nordics strategic agreement” — scandichotelsgroup.com
- Hospitality Investor — “Hilton and Scandic sign new Nordics strategic agreement” — hospitalityinvestor.com
- Rus Tourism News — “Hilton Announces Nordic Expansion With New Copenhagen Airport Hotel” — rustourismnews.com
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