IHG Hotels & Resorts has signed for a dual branded Crowne Plaza and Holiday Inn Express site outside Stockholm, marking the group’s return to the Swedish market.

Set to open in 2026 at Stockholm Arlanda Airport, Crowne Plaza and Holiday Inn Express Stockholm Arlanda Airport is the result of a strategic partnership with owning company Björnbäckens Fastighets AB.

Nordic strengthening

IHG believes the franchise deal strengthens its presence in the Nordic markets and underscores the company’s growth ambitions for Sweden and beyond.

The dual-branded property will see a total of 420 rooms – 120 housed in the Crowne Plaza property, and 300 rooms at the Holiday Inn Express hotel. It will also feature a full-service conference centre and gym facilities, as well as a stunning bar and restaurant to enjoy some downtime.

The new-built hotel will cater to leisure and business travellers and will be operated by Mogotel Development Holding, a key hotel operator in the Baltics.

Franchise challenge

Miguel Martins, head of development Northern Europe at IHG Hotels & Resorts, said: “As a market with a predominately leased deal structure and dominated by domestic brands, Sweden – like most Scandinavian countries – has traditionally been challenging to conquer for hotel companies with a franchise-based business model.

“We are therefore very excited to be entering Sweden with this diverse dual-branded property which is a fantastic representation of both our premium and essentials brand portfolio. We are confident that this new partnership with Björnbäckens Fastighets AB will only be the beginning of our strategic expansion into the Nordic markets.”

Leading example

Alexander Yavuz, CEO, at Björnbäckens Fastighets AB, commented: “We believe the Swedish market offers great opportunities for the hospitality sector and we are delighted to be bringing the Crowne Plaza and Holiday Inn Express brands to market. Trusting in its scale, brand recognition and international expertise, IHG Hotels & Resorts is the ideal partner to successfully grow our portfolio of hotels.”

Ivans Dokicans, chairman of the board, Mogotel Hotel Group, added: “As an international hotel operator we are keen to further expand our footprint in other European markets and are very excited to add this promising project to the mix. Our strength lies in the stable growth of key performance indicators, and we believe that Crowne Plaza and Holiday Inn Express Stockholm Arlanda Airport will become a leading example of our growing portfolio.”

In addition to the newly signed Crowne Plaza and Holiday Inn Express Stockholm Arlanda Airport, the pipeline for the Nordics also includes two Six Senses properties: Six Senses Svart in Norway, and Six Senses Össurá Valley in Iceland.

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