Swedish hotel group Pandox has signed a new lease agreement on one of its two hotels in Bodo, Norway as it looks to optimise income from its portfolio.

The deal will see the Radisson Blu hotel in the town rebranded, following the ending of its lease agreement. In place of the current leaseholders, the property will be taken over by the Nordic hotel operator Strawberry, which has signed a long term lease from the start of 2027. The 13 storey block, with 191 rooms, will undergo a refurbishment of its entrance area, jointly funded by Pandox and Strawberry.

The Winning Bidder for a New Lease

From 2027, the hotel will join Strawberry’s substantial portfolio, which currently lists 259 hotels across the Nordic region. Aside from its own independent properties and the home grown Stopover and Home brands, Strawberry operates a number of hotels under Choice hotel group brands. These include 67 Quality hotels, and 44 Comfort branded places to stay.

The Bodo property will operate as Clarion Hotel Bodo, joining 35 Strawberry properties trading under the brand. Strawberry has a long term, master franchise agreement with Choice Hotels to develop the Choice brands across Scandinavia and the Baltic countries.

“The interest from hotel operators in running the hotel has been strong, which confirms the city’s attractiveness and good growth conditions,” noted Tobias Ekman, SVP Asset Management Nordics at Pandox. “Together with Strawberry, we see good opportunities to further develop the hotel and strengthen its position in a growing market.”

The coastal town of Bodo is just north of the Arctic Circle, and is the administrative centre of Norway’s Nordland county. In 2024, the destination was named a European Capital of Culture. Pandox also operates a second property in the town, the Scandic Hotel Bodo, with 136 rooms.

Strawberry is continuing to grow the Quality brand across the region, and recently renovated the Quality Hotel Augustin in Trondheim, a heritage property with 150 rooms. It is also planning the substantial, 656 room Skywalker Hotel Arlanda Airport, which will open in early 2029 as a Quality hotel. Further Quality hotels are planned for Hamar and Visby.

The group is also working on a major makeover of its Hotel Skt Petri in Copenhagen, which will relaunch as 1 Hotel Copenhagen. In the heart of the Danish capital, from early 2027 this will be the first property in the region for Starwood Hotels and its 1 brand.

Building Local Brands

Strawberry is also creating and growing its own, local brands. In 2024, it introduced Stopover, a new planned chain of roadside hotels designed to meet the needs of drivers travelling long distance. Stopover Hotel Mariestad, with 151 rooms, is one of the sites already in development.

Strawberry also operates the Home Hotel brand, with more than 50 sites across Finland, Norway and Sweden. It is planning an addition to the chain in the Swedish town of Finnslätten, currently pencilled in for opening in early 2029.