The hotel group is changing its name and positioning itself as a challenger and rebel in the travel industry. The company's DNA of constant growth and a strong beating heart for society remains, but the scope of what it offers guests will be significantly broadened.
For more than 25 years, Nordic Choice Hotels has been a hotel player with the ambition to challenge a traditional market and contribute new experiences for guests. Today, the company changes its name and launches the new company Strawberry.
– We are no longer a pure hotel company. Today we operate 120 restaurants, 20 spas, gyms, meeting places and arenas. We offer experiences across the Nordic region and we therefore want to have a brand and a name that represents the entire portfolio. The goal is still to be the best when it comes to hotel and guest experiences, but with a new name we will expand the universe offered to guests and the loyalty club's 2.4 million members, says Strawberry's founder and owner Petter Stordalen.
The name change marks the company's ambition to be by far the best in experiences in the Nordics – through more external partners, hotels, restaurants and much more. The hub of the new Strawberry is the loyalty club. Members not only get access to Strawberry's own hotels and products, but also to the range of services and products from partners.
– The heart of Strawberry is still the hotels, but with partners we will be able to offer a wider range than today. For example, Strawberry members can use bonus points at Preferred Hotels when they want to stay at one of their 650 unique hotels around the world. And through concert organizer Live Nation, they will get exclusive access to concerts and events throughout the Nordic region. And this is just the beginning. The launch we are making today is the first step. It is not a finished product but will develop and grow. Because one thing is certain and that is that Strawberry will never be fully built, says Stordalen.
Actively contributing to solutions to society's major challenges will continue to be an important part of Strawberry's operations. One new development is that Strawberry is entering into a partnership with the Nobel Peace Center.
– We have a long history of supporting causes and organizations that fight for the values we stand for, whether it is UNICEF, Pride or legal aid for refugees. As we now change our name, it is important for us to signal that our values are at least as strong as before. The Nobel Peace Center is an important institution that promotes dialogue and peace, and as their partner we want to support their work because we know that dialogue promotes understanding, respect and tolerance, says Strawberry's CEO Torgeir Silseth.
The name change to Strawberry does not affect the names of the hotels or hotel chains.
According to a press release.
