Originally Posted by
James Luckard
I could be slightly off on this, but I remember reading once that it's quite complex/difficult/expensive (I can't remember which) for foreign hotel companies to operate in Sweden. I don't remember the details, it might have been to do with labor laws or something, but the article said most international hotel companies generally choose to just avoid doing significant business in Sweden.
Swedish's typical mode of hotel operations (leasing) does not fit into the asset-light approach favored by the large US and British hotel chains.
Also, the people from the Nordics traditionally preferred the regional brands such as Scandic. Of course, tourism from those who prefer the big chains to places like Stockholm and Copenhagen has risen strongly in recent years. Climate change also works to direct higher tourist flows to Northern Europe going forward. So, I would not be surprised if Marriott and the other big chains find new ways of expanding their footprint in the Nordics.