Scandic Hotels has signed a long-term deal with property landlord Exilion to extend an existing agreement and undertake the rebranding of the centrally located Holiday Inn City Centre in downtown Helsinki.
The move comes as part of Scandic's strategic optimisation of its hotel portfolio in major Finnish cities.
Agreement extension and rebranding
Since 2017, Scandic has been operating the 174-room Holiday Inn City Centre near Helsinki Central under the current lease agreement with Exilion and a franchise deal with IHG. From 2025, the hotel will operate under the Scandic brand.
The extension of the agreement and the subsequent rebranding of Holiday Inn City Centre marks a significant step for Scandic Hotels in fortifying its foothold in Helsinki, aligning with the company's strategic goals and commitment to sustainability.
Comprehensive renovation and sustainability upgrades
As a pivotal aspect of the extended agreement, Exilion has committed to a comprehensive renovation of the property set to commence in September 2024.
The refurbishment will encompass not only aesthetic enhancements to the facade and interiors, but sustainable upgrades to reduce energy consumption and operating costs and enhance overall guest experience.
“During the renovation, we will renew all surfaces and bathrooms and make important sustainability-related investments to achieve an even higher environmental rating for the property,” said Ari Talja, CEO of Exilion.
Scandic's proprietary Room Collection design concept will be applied to furnish the hotel rooms, emphasising circularity and environmentally conscious elements. The furnishings will include materials certified to environmental standards or made from recycled materials.
Exilion also plans to recertify the property to Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design standards and the property will also be recertified by Nordic Swan Ecolabel, the official ecolabel of the Nordic countries.
In late November 2023, Scandic announced that it had recertified all its previously ecolabelled hotels in accordance with Nordic Swan Ecolabel’s stringent new environmental requirements.
87 Scandic hotels in Sweden, 30 in Denmark, 45 in Finland and 76 in Norway are currently ecolabelled and have been recertified under the new requirements.
