Nordic Choice Hotels

Nordic 

choice 

Journal 

2011 //

The Joys of growTh 

The sTory of our compaNy sTarTs 

some 16 years ago. iT’s a sTory which 

iNcludes growiNg paiNs, buT mosT 

of all is abouT The saTisfacTioN ThaT 

follows growTh aNd The value of a 

smile. Nordic choice hoTels’ sTory is 

oNe of a rebellious youTh aNd of a 

more playful kiNd of hoTel compaNy 

wiTh bags of eNergy, courage 

aNd eNThusiasm. 

in 16 years we have gone from 2 to 162 hotels. we now have 

almost 10,000 employees. we are up to almost 7.5 million over- 

night stays, and already have some of the most attractive hotels in 

europe including clarion hotel post, yasuragi hasseludden and 

Quality spa & resort Norefjell. and, we’re still proudly opening the 

doors to new ventures: Quality hotel expo, comfort hotel grand 

central and clarion hotel & congress Trondheim. 

in 16 years, we have become the largest hotel company in the 

Nordic region. our hotels are the most innovative, exciting and 

unique of their kind, and our guests see Nordic choice hotel 

employees as full of energy, courage and enthusiasm as the brand 

itself. Nordic choice hotels is coming of age. 

being an adult involves greater responsibility for providing our 

customers with a good product. That means that we have to take 

better care of each other and submit to greater demands for coexistence 

with the society around us. for that reason, we need to 

make changes to the company, to satisfy the new demands and 

make sure that growth takes place in a responsible manner. all 

this is to ensure that we can still deliver the best possible expe- 

Nordic choice Journal 2011 

rience to each and every guest. but we mustn’t forget to employ 

some of that youthful spirit which made us so unique, in our adult 

stage. we have to go on being playful, exploratory and imaginative. 

we have to continue rebelling against the status quo. after all, 

that is what Nordic choice hotels is all about. 

Nordic choice hotels manages the hotel chains comfort hotels, 

Quality hotels, clarion hotels, clarion collection and Nordic 

hotels & resorts. all of them have developed their own distinct 

identities. They all share common values, but express them in 

different ways. in 2012, we shall be giving them more space to 

stand on their own and show what they can do. 

in a few years’ time, after millions more overnight stays, we will 

look back on this period and think that this was the beginning of 

perhaps our most innovative and creative era. for with an adult’s 

body and the light-heartedness of youth, anything is possible. 

3

coNTeNTs 

07 12 16 

14 22 26 30 34 39 56 64-99 

Nordic choice hotels The hotel chains comfort hotels Quality hotels Quality resorts clarion hotels clarion collection Nordic hotels 

about the hotels about the employees sustainability report 

& resorts 

key figures 

accounts for 2011 

environmental and social responsibility 

employee survey

Nordic 

choice 

hoTels

8 Nordic choice Journal 2011 Nordic choice Journal 2011 9 

The esseNce of Nordic choice key figures 

comforT 

hoTels 

29 hotels 

3 732 rooms 

668 employees 

shared services 

is // iT 

bdo – purchasing 

properties project 

QualiTy 

hoTels 

52 hotels 

8 313 rooms 

3 244 employees 

fiNaNcial services 

accounting 

bi 

finance 

corporate governance 

QualiTy 

resorTs 

13 hotels 

2 601 rooms 


Nordic choice hoTels 

clarioN 

hoTels 

18 hotels 

4 411 rooms 


commercial services 

marketing 

revenue & distribution 

sales 

clarioN 

collecTioN 

42 hotels 

4 204 rooms 


we care 

human resources // 

corporate responsibility 

(hr/cr) 

Nordic hoTels 

& resorTs 

8 hotels // 1 575 rooms // 1 475 employees 

6 chaiNs // 

162 hoTels // 

24 836 rooms // 

approx. 10 000 employees // 

7 461 576 guesTs // 

162 iso-cerTified hoTels // 

Nok 1 173 millioN iN shareholders’ 

capiTal // 

country Number of hotels 

Norway 

83 

swedeN 

deNmark 

esToNia 

laTvia 

72 

5 

1 

1

QualiTy hoTel waTerfroNT 

clarioN collecTioN hoTel 

skageN brygge 

QualiTy spa & resorT 

dalecarlia 

comforT hoTel xpress 

New hoTels iN 2011 

comforT hoTel xpress // 

QualiTy hoTel waTerfroNT // 

QualiTy spa & resorT dalecarlia // 

clarioN collecTioN hoTel skageN brygge // 

clarioN collecTioN hoTel plaNeTsTadeN // 

QualiTy hoTel waTerfroNT 


11 

clarioN collecTioN 

hoTel plaNeTsTadeN

comforT hoTels is The mosT iNNovaTive hoTel 

chaiN iN The Nordic regioN. buT iT wasN’T 

always like ThaT. prior To 2006, comforT hoTels 

embodied The TradiTioNal NorwegiaN hoTel 

sTyle…TheN someThiNg New happeNed. 

Nordic choice Journal 2011 15

comforT hoTels 

iNNovaTioN for The fuTure 

it all started in 2006 at comfort hotel børsparken. out went the staff uniforms, the heavy 

furniture, minibar, wardrobe, evening buffet and floral bedspreads. in came bright colours, 

well-stocked sales desks in the lobby with reasonably priced goods and contemporary 

solutions for creating community feeling in the lobby area. instead of just a place for work, 

the hotel became a place for socialising. This was a hotel revolution. some protested. but 

we met with an overwhelmingly enthusiastic response from one demographic element 

which needed a concept tailored to their specific needs; namely, the modern traveller. 

These are the travellers who give us most feedback via social media for the work that 

we do. 

Today, other hotels are slowly following suit, while we have already gone all out and 

transformed the way we do things. our rooms are reasonably priced, because we have 

eliminated anything that does not provide our guests with a clear added value. at our 

hotels, you will find self-activated check-in/check-out, and excellent beds in great rooms. 

we’re active on the social media and meet guests where they are. 

but comfort hotels refuses to rest on their laurels. we continue our innovative journey 

with our energetic, dedicated employees. we need to nurture the ideas which have taken 

us to the top of our game and build on the things which currently make us the natural 

choice for our future guests. comfort is not for all, but for some, comfort is everything. 

Nordic choice Journal 2011 17 

facTs comforT 

hoTels 

Brand promise: 

Time, means and opportunity 

for other things 

Slogan: 

Pretty damn good 

Number of hotels: 

29 hotels in Norway and Sweden 

New projects: 

Comfort Hotel Grand Central, 2012 

Comfort Hotel Vilnius, 2012 

Chain Director: 

Arne Olav Haugen 

Turnover 2011 (incl. franchises): 

NOK 715 million 

Hotel of the year: 

Comfort Hotel Union Brygge 

Number of employees: 

668

haviNg The word QualiTy iN The Name puTs 

us uNder a cerTaiN Type of obligaTioN aNd 

creaTes high expecTaTioNs. aNd ThaT’s how we 

like iT. we waNT you To expecT QualiTy iN our 

hoTels. we waNT you To experieNce whaT we 

kNow - ThaT QualiTy meaNs The besT for 

meeTiNgs aNd coNfereNces. 


QualiTy hoTels 

we want your expectations to be high long before you arrive at the hotel. our course and 

conference consultants take care of that when they talk to you on the phone. They have one 

goal, and that is to help you arrange the most productive conference you have ever organised. 

we want you to expect availability and efficiency when you visit Quality hotels. because we 

know it’s important for you to get hold of us at any time. whether in a boardroom or the lobby, 

our consultants are on call and with you all the way. 

we know that no-one does their best on an empty stomach. so we provide refreshments 

for breaks in a nearby location all day long. This is an important resource for recharging on 

energy and maintaining an optimum productivity level throughout the day. 

we want you to expect that little bit more from us on behalf of those around us. whether 

that’s a hungry family of swans who need feeding or running for uNicef. we provide quality 

to those who need it. we won’t re-invent the wheel. but we strive to provide the right setting 

to help you reflect on and formulate your thoughts and ideas. 

we are doing our job best when you don’t even notice us doing it. The aim is to always be one 

step ahead of you as our guest. To know your needs and so meet them without you requiring 

to ask. 

everything you need is close at hand, so that you feel you’re in safe hands. it’s hard work to 

shape a concept with the idea of being the best. but that’s what we’ve done at Quality, and we 

are pretty proud of it. 


a Name which creaTes aN obligaTioN 

facTs QualiTy hoTels 


best for courses and conferences 

Slogan: 

It’s taken care of 


52 hotels in Norway, Sweden 

and Denmark 

Hotel openings in 2011: 

Quality Hotel Waterfront Ålesund 

Quality Hotel Strand Gjøvik 

Hotel projects 2012: 

Quality Hotel Expo Fornebu 


Eivind Tangvik 


NOK 2307 million 

Hotel of the year: 

Quality Hotel Nacka 


3244

Thomas JeffersoN oNce said ThaT he 

preferred The dreams of The fuTure To 

The hisTory of The pasT. iT’s as if he could 

predicT our QualiTy resorT. 


QualiTy resorTs 

look forward To good Times 

some people can’t bear waiting for the future. but everyone likes having something 

to look forward to. and there’s so much to look forward to these days. it may be a big 

conference or a short holiday. it may be a seat at a long dining table or a romantic 

dinner for two. you can look forward to first-rate meeting rooms or the marvellous water 

park. you can enjoy the thought of a mountain hike or finally making that presentation to 

your colleagues. 

all of this is possible at a Quality resort hotel. The facilities on offer are first-class, and 

we’ll make sure there’s plenty of diversions: a relaxing jacuzzi, fantastic golfing opportunities, 

huge skiing facilities, a zoo and one of Norway’s biggest water parks. we’re there 

with the reliably comfortable beds, but let us also ply you with memorable experiences. 

freshly picked mountain cloudberries, a variety of culinary impressions, or a hotel just 

made for children. we’ve realised that a hotel is not just a place where you stay. it’s a 

place where you live. look forward to living at Quality resort. 


facTs QualiTy resorTs 


experiences you’ll never forget 

Slogan: 

something to look forward to 


13 hotels in Norway and sweden 


Quality spa & resort dalecarlia 

in Tällberg 


andré schreiner 


Nok 781 million 

Hotel of the year 2011: 

Quality hotel & resort sarpsborg 


1050

we love good cookiNg. we love aTTracTive 

coNfereNce rooms aNd we love good beds. 

maybe ThaT’s why clarioN has beeN choseN 

as swedeN’s besT hoTel chaiN Three years 

iN a row. 


clarioN hoTels 

we love To love 

Just after clarion hotel post had opened, an old man was seen wandering round the 

hotel. he wasn’t a guest; he was a curious local, checking out the hotel. up in the old 

post hall, where food is currently prepared like some love letter to the guests, he 

approached one of the hotel’s employees. “don’t touch the old pigeon holes, don’t 

touch the ceiling.” he told the staff member. he had worked in the post hall in the 1960’s 

and wanted us to preserve the fine interior. our employee was able to reassure him: it 

will stay the way it has always been. at clarion, we do what needs to be done and improve 

whatever needs a facelift. 

we know that the staff our guests meet in the hotels makes the big difference. clarion 

consists of staff with a true passion for service. courageous employees who dare to offer 

the best of themselves. 

at clarion hotels, guests encounter true commitment, dedication and an ardent attitude 

of service. it’s contagious and spreads to our guests. That’s why clarion is a hub of living 

meeting places - a space for encounters between people of different backgrounds, 

different jobs and different interests. 

clarion is a community centre for hotel guests and the local population. we organise this 

through the clarion livingroom concept. here, our guests are able to sense the life and 

pulse of the town without even needing to leave the hotel, by means of good food, art, 

music and design that they are experience here. 


facTs clarioN hoTels 


a modern meeting point in 

attractive surroundings 

Slogan: 

service with passion 


18 hotels in Norway and sweden 


clarion hotel post 

clarion hotel & congress Trondheim 

clarion hotel arlanda airport 


katalin paldeak 




clarion hotel gillet 


2024

we live iN a sTressful world. chaNges come 

fasTer ThaN ever. we, as professioNals, have 

Never before beeN so accessible or had To 

deal wiTh so maNy sympToms of sTress. iN a 

Time wheN work caN always fiNd us, aNd The 

aNNual holiday is our oNly real Time of resT, 

iT’s good To have someThiNg we caN rely oN. 


clarioN collecTioN 

all-iNclusive 

clarion collection is often referred to as the little pearls of Nordic choice. and that 

is precisely what we are – real pearls of a hotel. Through our values of friendship, 

individuality and scandinavian lifestyle, we customise our hotels to give guests a 

personal service at all 40 hotel pearls in scandinavia. 

maybe it’s because of our genuine commitment to their needs that guests feel at home 

when they stay at clarion collection, whether on a girls’ weekend break or a business 

trip. or maybe it’s because we know that life also goes on outside the hotel, and we do 

what we can to provide a great experience in every respect. 

at clarion collection, it’s the small things which turn your stay into something 

extraordinary. in the afternoon, we serve our guests coffee and waffles or some 

other home-baked treat, and in the evening, we offer a free buffet. sometimes you 

might even be presented with a smoothie and croissant on the way out. a little token of 

our appreciation. 

some call it all-inclusive. at clarion collection we call it a little extra care. 


facTs clarioN collecTioN 


small personal hotels with good service 

Slogan: 

feel at home 


42 hotels in Norway, sweden, denmark 

and latvia 


clarion collection hotel skagen stavanger 

clarion collection hotel planetstaden 


Trond bastiansen 




clarion collection hotel havnekontoret 


1291

eighT hoTels wiTh eighT differeNT ideNTiTies 

buT oNe commoN aim: To give our guesTs a 

uNiQue experieNce. ThaT’s Nordic hoTels 

& resorT. 


Nordic hoTels & resorTs 

a uNiQue experieNce 

you don’t visit a hotel in the Nordic hotels & resorts chain for any ordinary overnight 

accommodation. you don’t visit us just because you’re hungry and need to fill up. you 

don’t spend the day with us just because you need to write up your notes. 

you visit a hotel in the Nordic hotels & resorts chain when you want a good night’s 

sleep. guaranteed. you visit us if you want delicious wholesome food, but also to be 

transported on a taste journey. you spend the day with us to get your notes written up, 

but more importantly, to get fresh inspiration for your work. 

whether it is inspiration you need or a weekend break from day-to-day hustle and 

bustle, we’ll make sure you get a unique experience with us. whether you visit 

copperhill mountain lodge , farris bad, Nordic light, Nordic sea, stenungsbaden 

yacht club, selma spa, aronsborg or call in at yasuragi hasseludden. 

at Nordic hotels & resorts you leave the everyday behind you as you enter the door. 


facTs Nordic hoTels 

& resorTs 


eight unique brands with fantastic 

guest experiences 


eight hotels in Norway and sweden 


Tobias ekman 

Turnover 2011: 

Nok 736,907 


copperhill mountain lodge 


1475

abouT The hoTels

40 Nordic choice Journal 2011 

awards iN 2011 

Nordic choice is a compaNy which has aTTracTed 

aTTeNTioN boTh NaTioNally aNd iNTerNaTioNally. 

over The pasT year, The hoTel chaiN has 

received Numerous awards. 

QualiTy spa & resorT NorefJell 

«Norway’s leadiNg spa resorT» 

clarioN hoTel & coNgress TroNdheim 

«TaleNT huNT» 

simeN viNge 

«besT youNg maNager iN The iNdusTry» 

01 // clarion collection hotel arcticus accepted the Nho reiseliv hse award 

(Nho Tourism life safety award). 

02 // Quality spa & resort Norefjellwas honoured for the second year running with 

the title Norway’s leading spa resort by world Travel awards. 

03 // at sector organisation hsmai’s Travel marketer awards in Norway, known as 

”the travel market’s oscars”, Nordic choice hotels made off with 

several prizes. in connection with the opening of xpress hotel, we won the 

prize for best pr campaign with «rock’n’roll revolution». simen vinge took 

to the floor as «best young manager in the industry». Two of our hotels also 

received honourable mentions. Quality spa & resort Norefjellin the category 

of social responsibility for its wecare project and clarion hotel & congress 

Trondheim in the category pr for its campaign «Talent hunt», a completely new 

way of tackling recruitment. 

clarioN hoTels 

«besT hoTel chaiN iN swedeN» 

04 // in sweden, the hotel chain clarion hotels once again won the prize for 

«best hotel chain in sweden» during the big grand Travel awards 2011. 

group director for clarion hotels, katalin paldeak, was one of three persons 

nominated for the prize «manager of the year in the Travel industry». 

05 // during the Norwegian version of grand Travel awards, Nordic choice was 

rewarded with the coveted award «best workplace».


New hoTels 

iN 2012 

clarioN hoTel posT, goTheNburg // 

QualiTy hoTel expo, oslo // 

clarioN hoTel & coNgress TroNdheim // 

comforT hoTel graNd ceNTral, oslo // 

clarioN hoTel arlaNda airporT, sTockholm // 

comforT hoTel lT, vilNius // 

clarioN hoTel posT // January 2012

QualiTy hoTel expo clarioN hoTel & coNgress 

// march 2012 

TroNdheim // 

may 2012

comforT hoTel graNd ceNTral // 

march 2012

comforT hoTel lT clarioN hoTel arlaNda airporT // august 2012 

// November 2012

50 Nordic choice Jornal 2011 

your experieNce 

sTarTs aT 

choice.No 

iN 2012, a hoTel experieNce doesN’T sTarT 

wheN we check iN aT The hoTel. iT sTarTs oN 

The iNTerNeT, aT The very momeNT we sTarT 

lookiNg To book a room which maTches our 

iNdividual reQuiremeNTs. 

in June 2012, Nordic choice hotels will be launching a completely new internet portal. 

we have collected all of our hotels and special offers together and are displaying them 

side by side on the same site. since october 2011, over 2000 Nordic choice club members 

have been able to access the new system. They have tested the service and given 

us their feedback. we, in turn, have listened to their experiences, thoughts and advice. 

based on their feedback, we have restructured and altered our priorities to match theirs 

(and yours) in this new system. if we’re launching the new portal now, it’s because the 

test group has given us the green light. They have confirmed that the new portal is far 

better than our old system. The right offer to the right customer at the right time. with 

the new portal you can easily find the hotel which is perfect for you. The new ”my page” 

functionality will give you a more personal internet experience. if you have a favourite 

room, it has to be easy to book it again. if you are often in the same town, we offer you 

updated information about your destination. it might be a newly opened restaurant or 

an unusual concert experience-either way the information will be made available to you 

online. if you are a Nordic choice club member, you can easily track and spend your 

bonus points. 

in 2012, we shall be moving to internet pages via mobile units such as mobile phones 

and tablets. in that way, our new web portal will be a perfect match for the equipment 

you use the most to book accommodation at one of our 166 hotels.

Nordic choice club 

- a club for all 

The club iNsTiNcT is iNhereNT iN humaN beiNgs. 

ThaT’s why we have fooTball clubs, sTamp clubs, 

dog clubs aNd daNciNg clubs. a club gives us 

a feeliNg of beloNgiNg. iT’s a place where we 

feel iNcluded, aNd where we geT ThaT liTTle 

someThiNg exTra. 


Today, there are few clubs bigger than Nordic choice club, and that’s not surprising. members 

receive benefits and bonus points at all our hotels. and since we formed a partnership with 

sokos hotels, finland’s largest hotel chain, in 2011, you will be able to earn points at even more 

hotels and in even more countries including russia, latvia, and, of course, finland. 

our club has been a great success. over the last three years, membership has grown by 70 

percent, and over 600,000 people have a blue card in their pocket as proof of this membership. 

That makes us one of the largest in the Nordic region. in 2011, club members made purchases 

for over Nok 1.5 billion. That corresponds to approximately 27 percent of all room nights. 

we are proud of our club, but we know it can be better. That is why we are continuing to develop 

our member services, improve our affiliate programme and acquire more partners to cooperate 

with in order to increase the size of our club and with it the benefits to our club members. 

53

employees


my Nordic choice 

workplace 

Hanna Sawarell // Conference Manager 

Quality Hotel Nacka. 

i work for Nordic choice hotels for several reasons. 

The chain offers great personal development opportunities, 

but most importantly it is a workplace which 

cares for its employees, its guests and the world 

around us. Not because they have to, but because 

Nordic choice hotels wants to. 

Patrick Pousette // Resepsjonist 

Clarion Collection Hotel Bastion 

i work for an innovative and vibrant company which 

is constantly developing and improving. in a setting 

like that, it’s good to know that my work is noticed 

and my voice is heard. 

Mirjana Olsen // Inhouse Sales Manager 

Conference, Clarion Hotel Oslo Airport 

some people have tried their luck with other companies, 

but the grass is never greener on the other 

side when you’ve been a Nordic choicer. when i go to 

the winter conference and share my story with 2000 

other people, i’m proud of my workplace. what we 

say is: once a Nordic choicer - always a 

Nordic choicer. 

Sara Jensen // Service Manager 

Comfort Hotel Union Brygge 

it’s a workplace where we love to have a laugh, both 

with colleagues and guests. we’ve understood that we 

do our best work when we do it with a smile. 

Franziska Lang // Spa-koordinator 

Nordic Hotels & Resorts, Farris Bad 

The challenge of working in scandinavia’s best and 

most beautiful spa is the constant work of sustaining 

and improving our guests’ experience. in that context, 

it’s marvellous to have professionally confident, inspiring 

and committed fellow workers. and the fact that 

the workplace maintains a high international level all 

adds to the mix. 

Richard Paulsen // General Manager 

Quality Hotel & Resort Hafjell 

a hotel manager’s job can be a challenging one. but 

it helps to have wonderful co-workers and to meet 

wonderful guests. and the icing on the cake is that 

we’re surrounded by wonderful scenery. for me, 

there’s no better place to be than Nordic choice 

hotels, because i’m helping to build the world’s 

best workplace.


The wiNTer coNfereNce - 

Two days of eNergy, courage 

aNd eNThusiasm 

for The 15Th year iN a row, The wiNTer 

coNfe-reNce lefT The sTarTiNg blocks. 

The Theme was face2face. 

more than 2250 employees and a handful of customers and suppliers met together for 

two days of energy, courage and enthusiasm in the major stockholm venue, globen. 

The audience heard inspiring speakers such as karina hollekim, mike walsh and hans 

rosling, together with a handful of our own employees. 

one of the year’s absolute highlights was the Nordic choice awards, which are 

presented at the annual awards dinner. here, we distribute prizes to the employees 

of the year, the wecare hotel of the year and the hotel manager of the year. 

if the winter conference is our ritual, then globen is our church. for two days, only one 

thing counts: Nordic choice hotels. and each year, we are more and more confident: we 

are the best hotel chain in scandinavia and we have the world’s best employees.


wiNNers aT 

wiNTer coNfereNce 2012 

WeCare Hotel of the Year 2011 

Quality spa & resort Norefjell 

New Hotel of the Year 2011 

comfort hotel xpress 

Comfort Hotel of the Year 2011 

comfort hotel union brygge 

Quality Hotel of the Year 2011 

Quality hotel Nacka 

Quality Resort Hotel of the Year 2011 

Quality hotel & resort sarpsborg 

Clarion Collection Hotel of the Year 2011 

clarion collection hotel havnekontoret 

Clarion Hotel of the Year 2011 

clarion hotel gillet 

Nordic Hotel & Resort of the Year 2011 

copperhill mountain lodge 

Sales Person of the Year 2011 

bente i. sollien // clarion hotel oslo airport 

General Manager of the Year 2011 

knut Nordbø // Quality airport hotel gardermoen 

Department Manager of the Year 2011 

lina bengtsson // comfort hotel xpress 

dag Åge larsen // Quality hotel residence 

martin swieykowski // Quality spa & resort Norefjell 

lotta eriksson // clarion collection hotel kompaniet, 

rune Jønsberg // clarion hotel stavanger 

lars sigfridson // selma spa+ 

employees of The year 

elin weigardh 

Clarion Collection Hotel Kompaniet 

elin weigardh is a wonderful person who 

always pops up with a smile, someone 

who helps other staff members, regardless 

of the task, someone who will always 

do what’s best for everyone and who is a 

tremendous asset to the hotel. 

elin took responsibility for wecare at 

the hotel and initiated various activities, 

ranging from clothing collections for 

the homeless to power walks for the 

hotel’s guests. 

at kompaniet’s annual easter festival, she 

turned up in costume to take the children 

out looking for easter eggs. it was all a 

huge success. Thank you letters poured in 

from satisfied guests who wanted to come 

again next easter. 

hans marius christiansen 

Quality Hotel Fredrikstad 

hans marius has, with professional pride 

and an enormous enthusiasm for the 

Nordic choice concepts, charmed guests 

and employees during the whole of 2011. 

he’s always ready to volunteer in his own 

department, and even in other departments 

if they need help. 

hans marius has a big wecare heart and 

still has projects underway. 

2011 was a hectic wecare year for hans 

marius. in his own free time and on his 

own initiative, he planned and constructed 

an entire organic garden on the hotel roof. 

The herbs and vegetables from the garden 

are used in our à la carte restaurant. 

with help from hotel staff, hans marius 

took the trip out to hvaler and fed 50 cold 

and hungry swans. he was also at the 

forefront when a christmas lunch for the 

needy was organised. 

we are all proud of the work hans marius 

carries out and look forward to seeing 

what he does next.

creaTiNg shared values 

wiTh eNergy, courage aNd eNThusiasm we are 

creaTiNg a beTTer world – wecare! 

creating shared value with our stakeholders is a strategy that underpins our activities. 

in order to create long-term value, we have to create value for our co-workers, our 

guests and for the world around us. it is a question of turning in a profit – in terms of 

finance, people and the environment. consequently, we will continue to report on all 

these areas for the current year. 

since 2008 we have purposefully and systematically worked on environmental measures, 

which helped to ensure that all our hotels were once again certified in accordance with 

the internationally recognised environmental standard iso 14001 in 2011. in 2008 we set 

2012 as the target year for achieving our most important environmental aspects, and are 


now well on the way to achieving many of these. in 2011 we also reinforced our initiatives 

within the other focus areas in addition to the environment. measures have been put in 

place for our co-workers, for creating more sustainable products, for stimulating greater 

local involvement and for increased dialogue with our stakeholders. This is how we take 

responsibility. 

on the following pages you can read about the most important results of our initiatives 

to make Nordic choice even more sustainable. read more about our work and focus 

areas, and view our full report on our website, www.choice.no. // arne olav haugen 

63

64 Nordic choice Journal 2011 Sustainability Report Sustainability Report Nordic choice Journal 2011 

65 

our fooTpriNT 

Nordic choice shall lead The way. we kNow 

ThaT our busiNess leaves a fooTpriNT. Therefore, 

we waNT To be a respoNsible aNd opeN 

compaNy, for our co-workers, our guesTs 

aNd our surrouNdiNgs. we caN oNly make 

progress by measuriNg aNd publishiNg 

our fooTpriNT. 

mapping our business, and how our business impacts and is impacted by our stakeholders, 

enables us to define our most important stakeholders. These are our co-workers, 

our guests, our suppliers, our owners and society in general. Thanks to our strategic 

processes, dialogues with stakeholders, surveys and ordinary operational activities, we 

have identified our focus areas and therefore what we deem to be most important for 

our stakeholders and Nordic choice hotels. iso 26000 has inspired us in this work. 

with 10,000 co-workers and nearly 170 hotels, it is impossible to cover all the measures 

and issues that are relevant to our business from a sustainability perspective. The 

topics we report on here have been selected because they are key for us strategically 

and in terms of profitability, and because they match what we perceive as our stakeholders’ 

expectations. we have divided this report in accordance with our five focus areas 

for sustainability: the environment, co-workers, community involvement, products and 

dialogue. This in turn defines the content of this report. 

Nordic choice Journal 2011 follows the guidelines of the global reporting initiative 

(gri), an independent, international framework for sustainability reporting. The report is 

on level c. you can find the gri content index with page references on page 88. 

in the following pages you can read more about how we are working to create value for 

us as a company, for stakeholders and for the world around us. we value your interest in 

our footprint. This way, we can move forward together. 

focus areas 

eNviroNmeNT 

The transport and tourism industry 

is responsible for a substantial 

proportion of the world’s greenhouse 

gas emissions, and we as a major 

player have an important responsibility. 

producTs 

a hotel stay is made up of many goods and 

services. some goods and services have 

greater environmental, social and financial 

impact than others, and these are particularly 

important in our work to create a 

more sustainable business model. 

co-workers 

our co-workers are our most important 

stakeholders and our most important 

resource. The well-being of our coworkers 

is essential for the well-being 

of our guests – making it a key success 

factor for us. 

dialogue 

creating a good dialogue with our 

most important stakeholders is a key 

focus area for us, and is vital if we are 

to survive in the long run. 

commuNiTy 

iNvolvemeNT 

with nearly 170 hotels throughout the 

Nordic region, being a good neighbour and 

a player in the community is an important 

corporate responsibility. it also represents 

important opportunities for influence.

66 

Nordic choice Journal 2011 Sustainability Report 

eNviroNmeNT 

164 hoTels isocerTified 

In 2007 Nordic Choice decided to obtain 

environmental certification for all of 

our hotels. We chose ISO 14001 as the 

environmental management system, as 

this is a process-oriented certification 

that requires continual improvements. 

Since November 2007, Nordic Choice has 

worked with DNV (Det Norske Veritas) 

as the certification body. Within Nordic 

Choice the project is called Operation 

Penguin. 

2011 iN brief: 

all Nordic choice hotels remained iso-certified in 2011. we made the greatest progress through 

targeted energy savings initiatives, where we achieved a saving of 6.7 per cent per guest night. 

why? 

The transport and tourism industry is responsible for a 

substantial proportion of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions, 

and we as a major player have an important responsibility. 

hotels with annual internal audit (iso 14001) 

*Percentage of hotels that were registered as at 1 January 2009 

whaT? 

energy, water, chemicals, waste and transport are our most 

important focus areas in terms of reducing the environmental 

and climate impacts of our hotel operations. as part of our 

environmental responsibility beyond our operations, we support 

rainforest conservation. 

InteRnal audIt 

100 % 

100 

100 % 100 % 

Target 2012 

100 % 

ISO-ceRtIfIcatIOn 

100 % 

100 

100 % 100 % 

90 

90 

80 

80 

70 

70 

60 

60 

50 

50 

40 

40 

30 

30 

20 

20 

10 

N/A 

10 

N/A 

0 

0 

2008 2009 2010 2011 2008 2009 2010 2011 

iso 14001 certified hotels 

*Percentage of hotels that were registered as at 1 January 2009 

Target 2012 

100 % 

eNergy 

reducing energy consumption and changing to more environmentally friendly energy sources are 

two of the most important measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions on a worldwide basis. 

This also applies to Nordic choice. The energy sources we use at our hotels are primarily district 

heating, electricity, oil and gas. electricity is our most important source of energy, and we are 

working to reduce our consumption. we are also endeavouring to reduce our oil consumption. 

led lighTiNg aT 

Nordic lighT 

When the Nordic Light Hotel was 

due for renovation in 2011, there was 

never any doubt that we would choose 

LED lighting. The hotel, which sets 

high standards in terms of lighting 

and atmosphere, was able to further 

improve the guest experience and 

reduce energy consumption by 

almost 10 per cent. 

uNiTs of measuremeNT 

Most environmental indicators are stated in both absolute values – such as kilograms, litres 

and kilowatt-hours – and as guest nights. By using indicators per guest night, we get values 

that enable us to compare hotels and different years. 

elecTriciTy 

since 2003 we have implemented a number of energy efficiency measures that have resulted in 

substantial reductions in our electricity consumption. Nonetheless, we use 2008 as a starting 

point for our electricity measurements in order to ensure that all environmental measurements 

have the same basis year. because our result for 2010 fell so short of the desired level, we 

decided to reinforce our initiatives in 2011. Therefore, we gave energy consumption a clearer 

focus in all communication with the hotels. consequently, many of our hotels switched more 

quickly to energy-saving light sources and technical installations, water-saving shower heads 

and combination taps. 

In 2011, 14 hotels did not report their energy consumption. The most common cause for this is that the 

hotels are a part of a larger building shared with other tenants, making it difficult to separate the energy 

consumption. The reduced consumption is partially attributable to the saving measures mentioned 

above, but also to a relatively warm winter in 2011. In order to ensure that measurement results are not 

affected by seasonal variations, we will set temperature-adjusted targets for energy consumption at the 

end of the current measurement period. 

KWh 

50 

45 

40 

35 

30 

25 

20 

15 

10 

5 

0 

Baseline 

-0,90 % 

31,43 kWh 31,15 kWh 

2008 

2009 

-2,01 % 

30,78 kWh 

2010 

Sustainability Report Nordic choice Journal 2011 

-6,7 % 

29,32 kWh 

2011 

Mål 2012 

15 % 

26,72 kWh 

reduction in electricity consumption 

per guest day 

67

68 Nordic choice Journal 2011 Sustainability Report 

Sustainability Report Nordic choice Journal 2011 69 

oil 

fuel oil is not considered a climate friendly energy source, and in order to achieve our target, 

Nordic choice will have to change to other energy sources. in 2007 a total of 27 Nordic 

choice hotels used fuel oil for heating. by the end of 2011 this figure had fallen to nine. 

The increase in overall consumption in 2010 is attributable to the incorporation of a new hotel 

into the chain with a high percentage of oil in the energy mix, and to the fact that 2010 was 

an unusually cold year. In 2011 we worked to reduce consumption compared with 2010. We 

succeeded in this undertaking, and we also achieved a reduction compared with 2009. The 

reduction was partially attributable to the fact that only nine of the 14 hotels that could have 

used oil as a heating source chose to do so. The result for 2009 has been adjusted, as the reported 

figure proved to be misstated. 

OIl 

Litres 

1 000 000 

900 000 

800 000 

700 000 

600 000 

500 000 

400 000 

300 000 

200 000 

100 000 

0 

Kartlagt 

N/A 

+32,4 % 

624 000 litres 

Baseline 


-11,7 % 


2008 2009 2010 2011 

change in oil consumption 

Target 2012 

-70 % 


reNewable eNergy iN Nordic choice 

Nordic choice currently purchases renewable energy with guarantees of origin from 

ishavskraft as for 122 of our hotels. The hotels that use renewable energy emit 0.02 grams 

of co per kilowatt-hour, in comparison with hotels using a standard energy mix, which emit 

2 

112.5 grams of co per kilowatt-hour. The use of renewable energy at the 122 hotels has 

2 

thus enabled us to reduce our co emissions by 22,000 tonnes. 

2 

The reason for the fall is that a number of hotels not using renewable energy 

have been added to the Nordic Choice portfolio 

ReneWaBle eneRgy 

% 

100 

90 

80 

70 

60 

50 

40 

30 

20 

10 

0 

Kartlagt 

N/A 

79 % 78 % 

Target 2011 

81 % 

77 % 

2008 2009 2010 2011 

Number of hotels using 

renewable energy 

Target 2012 

80 % 

geoThermal heaTiNg aT yasuragi 

hasseluddeN 

With water at the centre of the hotel experience, Yasuragi Hasseludden 

naturally needs to heat up considerable volumes of water. In 2008 the 

hotel started to use geothermal heating to reduce the consumption of 

oil for heating. The savings have increased as the plant has become 

more efficient, and in 2011 Yasuragi Hasseludden reduced its consumption 

by around 70 per cent. 

WateR 

Litres per guest night 

290 

280 

270 

260 

250 

240 

230 

220 

210 

200 

190 

waTer 

Baseline 

271,57 litres 

-6,91 % 

252,81 litres 

-12.8 % 

236,77 litres 

-18 % 

233 litres 

2008 2009 2010 2011 

reduction in water consumption 

per guest night 

Target 2012 

-25 % 

203,68 litres 

water consumption is an important environmental aspect for us, as the purification and 

transport of water entail a relatively large consumption of energy and chemicals. heating 

water also requires a great deal of energy. 

in order to reach our 2012 targets, we have implemented a number of measures at our 

hotels. These include water-saving showers, tap aerators, dual-flush toilets, new cleaning 

methods and improved water consumption procedures. 

29 hotels did not report their water consumption for 2011. The most common cause for this is that 

the hotels are a part of a larger building shared with other tenants, making it difficult to separate 

the water consumption. 

guesTs make eNviroNmeNTally 

aware choices iN sTavaNger 

Quality Airport Stavanger has introduced new procedures 

allowing guests to decide how, and how much of, their room 

is cleaned. The guests often opt for simpler cleaning routines, 

which reduces both waste and chemical consumption. 

ReSIdual WaSte 

kg/guest 

Baseline 

1,1 kg 

9,0 litres 

1,1 

1,0 

0,9 

0,8 

0,7 

0,6 

0,5 

0,4 

0,3 

0,2 

0,1 

2008 

wasTe 

-22,7 % 

0,8 kg 

6,9 litres 

2009 

-41,5 % 

0,61 kg 

5,1 litres 

-41,4 % 

0,66 kg 

5,1 litres 

2010 2011 

reduction of residual waste 

per guest day 

Target 2012 

50 % 

0,55 kg 

hotel operations generate a considerable amount of waste. sorting this waste is environmentally 

efficient, as it creates increased opportunities for recycling as well as more effective and more correct 

handling methods that reduce the effect on the environment. 

our efforts to reach our target for 2012 have primarily consisted of increasing the number of waste 

fractions at the hotels, introducing equipment that makes waste handling and sorting easier, and 

training co-workers in waste sorting and handling. 

some hotels measure their waste in kilograms, whereas others measure in litres. This varies with the 

collection service at place. in order to calculate the total amount of residual waste from the last three 

years, we must therefore use both units of measurement. 

32 hotels did not report their amount of residual waste for 2011. This is primarily because the hotels 

are in buildings shared with a number of other tenants, which makes measurements difficult. This does 

not mean that these hotels are not making an effort to reduce their residual waste. Moreover, we are 

continuing our efforts to put methods in place to measure waste at all hotels.

70 Nordic choice Journal 2011 Sustainability Report Sustainability Report Nordic choice Journal 2011 71 

chemicals 

The use of chemicals is an important environmental factor, as some chemicals can be very 

harmful to health and the environment. we are particularly focusing on cleaning chemicals, 

as these are the chemicals most frequently used at the hotels. 

we have divided the cleaning chemicals we use into three groups – red, yellow and green 

– based on how harmful they are to health and the environment. The red group chemicals 

have the greatest negative impact, and our target with all of these is to switch to less harmful 

chemicals. The chemicals in the yellow group are necessary for certain tasks, such as washing 

dishes, cleaning ovens, disinfection and removing limescale, which makes it hard to find quality 

substitutes. 

we are working with our chemicals suppliers, ecolab and diversey, to replace as many yellow 

and red chemicals as possible. 

chemIcalS chemIcalS 

0 

-5 

-10 

-15 

-20 

-25 

-30 

-35 

-40 

-45 

-50 

2008 2009 2010 2011 2008 2009 2010 2011 

0 

Baseline Baseline 

-16,6 % 

-5 

-10 

-15 

-20 

-25 

-30 

-20,7 % 

-31,1 % -31,1 % 

-40,8 % -41,0 % 

-35 

-40 

Target 2012 -45 

Target 2012 

-50 % -50 

-50 % 

change in the number of different chemicals reduction in environmentally 

harmful chemicals 

TraNsporT 

The number of deliveries to our various hotels varies greatly. The small hotels have as few as 

20 deliveries per month, while the larger hotels can have up to 300. we have calculated the 

average for all hotels. 60 hotels have not reported the number of deliveries to their premises. 

2008 2009 Result 2010 Result 2011 target 2012 

Transport N/A N/A 1150 1061 980 

Reduction in deliveries/year - -8,3 % -15 % 

cleaNiNg of shark TaNks 

iNspires iN bergeN 

Clarion Hotel Bergen Airport has developed 

a model for cleaning rooms using virtually no 

chemicals at all. By using special sponges of the 

same type that Bergens Akvarium uses to clean 

its shark tanks, the hotel has reduced chemicals 

used in the cleaning of rooms by 93 per cent. 

greeNhouse gas emissioNs 

Nordic choice calculates its greenhouse gas emissions on an annual basis. The accounts, 

calculations and reporting are carried out in accordance with the requirements of iso 14064 

part 1. The principles on relevance, completeness, consistency, accuracy and transparency 

are followed. furthermore, the greenhouse gas emission reporting is prepared within the 

framework of a certifiable iso 14001 environmental management system. 

we include all emission sources laid down under the ghg protocol’s scope 1 (own direct 

emissions) and scope 2 (emissions from purchased energy), in addition to business travel 

within scope 3 (other indirect emissions). 

The table below shows the total co2 emissions from Nordic choice hotels for the last three 

years. between 2008 and 2011 emissions increased from 18,073 to 21,670 tonnes. during this 

period the number of hotels included in the carbon footprint increased from 151 to 163. 

The absolute increase can be explained by the fact that Nordic Choice has added a number of new 

hotels to the portfolio that have a normal energy mix rather than renewable energy. 

gReenhOuSe gaS emISSIOnS 

kg cO /guest day 

2 

5 

4 

3 

2 

1 

0 

3,02 

2,99 

2,99 

3,01 

25 000 

20 000 

15 000 

10 000 

5 000 

18 073 

18 725 

21 044 

21 670 

0 

2008 2009 2010 2011 2008 2009 2010 2011 

co 2 emissions (measured in kg) per guest day 

in accordance with the ghg protocol 

(scopes 1, 2 and partly 3) 

Total co 2 emissions 

cO-WORKeR tRaInIng 

% 

100 

90 

80 

70 

60 

50 

40 

30 

20 

10 

0 

25 % 

n/a n/a 

2008 2009 2010 2011 

co-workers who have completed environmental e-learning programme 

co-worker TraiNiNg 

Target 2011 

75 % 

as part of our efforts to create better environmental results, we work continually to increase 

the know-how of our co-workers. in 2010 we launched our own e-learning programme on the 

environment and environmental management: “The battle for the environment”. 

As we have not achieved our ambitious targets for the percentage of co-workers undergoing 

e-training, we have decided to change our methodology for increasing know-how. Instead of 

our focusing on e-training, co-workers who work on environmental issues at head office 

will spend more time at the hotels in order to be able to convey information and enhance 

environmental work. 

29 % 

Target 2012 

35 %

72 

Nordic choice Journal 2011 Sustainability Reportt 

RaInfOReSt fOundatIOn 

hectares millions of tonnes of cO2 Target 2012 

60000 

53600 

56 200 hectares 

50000 

40000 

47800 

17,1 

51300 

18,3 

19,1 

20 

15 

/ 20 million tonnes of cO 

Target 2011 

2 


/19,6 million tonnes cO2 30000 

20000 

10000 

12000 

4,3 

0 

0 

2008 

2009 

2010 

2011 

conservation of rainforest (hectares) and equivalent prevention of co emissions 

2 

(millions of tonnes) 

raiNforesT fouNdaTioN 

conserving the rainforest is one of the most environmentally effective measures. conserving 

the rainforest prevents the emission of co from felled timber and safeguards the absorption 

2 

of co by living forest. since 2008 Nordic choice has supported rainforest foundation 

2 

Norway in its work to protect the rainforest in New guinea and the amazon. for each night 

that our guests have stayed with us, we have donated an amount allowing the rainforest 

foundation to protect 100 m² of rainforest for one year. 

The CO savings are calculated based on an indicator from the Brazilian Amazon Fund, which 

2 

calculates that a hectare of rainforest stores 357 tonnes of CO . (For comparison, the UN’s panel 

2 

on climate change, the IPCC, calculates a saving of 550 tonnes of CO per hectare.) Naturally, we 

2 

do not use this figure in our own greenhouse gas reporting, but we choose to let this highlight the 

impact of rainforest conservation – in addition to reducing emissions from our own operations. 

10 

5

74 

Nordic choice Journal 2011 Sustainability Report Sustainability Report Nordic choice Journal 2011 75 

co-workers 2011 iN brief: 

we employ more staff than ever – 10,000 in fact, the overwhelming majority of whom are women. we are 

also proud of the fact that almost 63 per cent of our middle managers are women. in 2011 the percentage 

of our co-workers with non-scandinavian backgrounds rose to 26 per cent. sick leave remains at a low 

level compared to the industry as a whole. 

why? 

our co-workers are our most important stakeholders and our 

most important resource. The well-being of our co-workers 

is essential for the well-being of our guests – making it a key 

success factor for us. 

The workiNg eNviroNmeNT acT 

whaT? 

for Nordic choice, three areas stand out as particularly important 

when it comes to our co-workers: understanding and compliance 

with the national working environment act; well-being, health and 

work attendance; and working to promote diversity and integration. 

during 2011 the Norwegian labour inspection authority carried out a series of major inspections of our hotels and the industry in general. 

a total of 43 of our hotels in Norway were inspected, and no non-compliances were identified at nine of these. The other hotels reported a 

varying number of non-compliances and are currently working to address these within given deadlines. several of our hotels were also subject 

to inspections on foreign workers’ work permits. The findings highlighted our responsibilities in this area and we have now informed everyone 

involved of the potential pitfalls associated with temporary work permits. in 2012 we will carry out a central risk assessment of the entire area 

in order to identify in which particular areas of the working environment act we are at the greatest risk of non-compliance. 

Understanding and awareness of 

compliance with laws and regulations 

2009 2010 target 2011 Result 2011 target 2012 

N/A N/A 

Develop 

indicator 

Not 

implemented 

We do not believe it to be particularly expedient to develop an indicator for the area. Instead, we 

will perform further risk mapping and take the necessary improvement measures. 

Carry out risk assessment for the 

area and initiate necessary measures. 

Increased co-operation with trade unions. 

SIcK leave 

% 

5 

4 

3 

2 

1 

0 

4,1 % 

2008 

4,6 % 

2009 

3,9 % 

2010 

The figures include all operating hotels 

4,0 % 

2011 

Target 2011 

3,6 % 

Target 2012 

3,7 % 

well-beiNg, healTh aNd work aTTeNdaNce 

sick leave has traditionally been relatively high in the hotel and restaurant industry, although 

the figures have improved over the last year. our sick leave statistics are well below the 

industry average and we will continue to focus on measures to improve attendance. in 2011, 

sick leave throughout the group was 3.95 per cent, while the figure for Norway alone was 

5.2 per cent. sick leave for all industries in Norway was 5.2 per cent, compared with a hotel 

and restaurant industry average of 6.8 per cent. an important tool in our work is our goal 

of improving the health of all our co-workers. measures intended to help achieve this goal 

include targeted work to encourage healthy eating habits and physical activity, ergonomic 

working arrangements and initiatives to stop smoking. 

Nordic Choice Hotels carries out an annual co-worker survey, one of the goals of which is to chart 

co-workers’ well-being. You can find out more about this in the section on “Dialogue”. Together 

with sick leave, this is an important indicator of co-workers’ well-being. 

diversiTy aNd eQual opporTuNiTies 

The hotel industry employs a high number of women and people from many different cultural 

backgrounds. as many as 61 per cent of our co-workers are women, and 26 per cent of our 

co-workers come from non-scandinavian backgrounds. This group contains many different 

nationalities and mother-tongue languages. integration is an important challenge in the 

scandinavian countries, but diversity also provides strength and creates opportunities. Nordic 

choice hotels aims to be a company that creates positive value by promoting cultural diversity 

and integration. we shall also take responsibility for integration of “new scandinavians”. from 

2012 we are making a number of placements available to recently arrived refugees at our 

Norwegian hotels through the Norwegian labour and welfare administration’s introduction 

scheme. The nature of many of our positions allows us to accept refugees with limited language 

knowledge, training and work experience. This enables us to help those most in need, who 

could otherwise easily be marginalised by society. The target is for all our hotels in Norway and 

sweden to be able to offer this opportunity. 

2008 2009 2010 2011 target 2012 

Female management* N/A N/A 59 % 62,9 % 

Middle management from a 

non-Scandinavian background 

Diversity and equal 

opportunities 

Placements for recently arrived 

refugees 

*Department managers and hotel managers 

placemeNTs for refugees aT 

QualiTy hoTel 33 

Quality Hotel 33 at Økern in Oslo was the first pilot 

hotel for our involvement with NAV Grünerløkka’s introduction 

program. Ali Hassan Dhiisow (Somalia), Frewini 

Teclemariam (Eritrea), Sheama A. Abdullatif (Iraq) and 

Kaltoum Idriss Ahmed (Djibouti) have gained valuable 

work experience under the expert and considerate 

guidance of housekeeper Ana Rita Årdal. The candidates 

have shown impressive commitment during the practice 

period as they work towards their goal of employment in 

the hotel. 

The percentage of women in management 

shall reflect the organisation as a whole 

N/A N/A 6,7 % 8,7 % 10 % 

N/A N/A Baseline 

Target 

developed 

N/A N/A N/A N/A 

Recruitment of recently arrived 

refugees to hotels in Oslo, Trondheim 

and Stockholm. Start-up of internal management 

course for co-workers of 

a non-Scandinavian background 

Placements available at our hotels in 

Oslo, Trondheim and Stockholm. 

2009 2010 target 2011 2011 

target 

2012 

Ethical guidelines for co-workers N/A N/A Develop and implement Process initiated Launch of



producTs 2011 iN brief: 

Nordic choice continued its commitment to organic food in 2011. work was also continued to 

assess the environmental and social effects of the goods and services involved in a hotel stay, 

including bedclothes and bathroom textiles. 

why? 

a hotel stay is made up of many goods and services. some goods 

and services have greater environmental, social and financial 

impact than others, and these are particularly important in our 

work to create a more sustainable business model. 

whaT? 

food and textiles are two product groups that are often important 

for our guests but that also affect the environment and people in 

the supply chain. in 2012 we will therefore continue our work in 

these fields in addition to assessing the life cycle of even more 

products. 

more susTaiNable food 

food production and consumption have considerable impact on 

the environment and climate. The various health directorates 

stress the importance to health and well-being of eating healthier 

food. food affects our guests, as well as it makes up an important 

element of the hotel experience. offering healthy and more 

sustainable food is important to us in our drive for value creation. 

Nordic lighT hoTel: The world’s 

firsT meaT free moNday hoTel 

In November the Nordic Light Hotel in Stockholm launched its 

“Meat Free Monday” concept. Reducing meat consumption is 

good for both the environment and our health. The Nordic Light 

Hotel has put this matter firmly on the agenda and aims to use 

Meat Free Mondays to boost awareness of these benefits and 

reduce negative climate impact in a simple and effective way. 

Neither guests nor co-workers are served meat on Mondays. 

cerTified orgaNic 

All of our breakfasts served in Norway and Sweden are approved by Debio and Kiwa 

Aranea (the respective organic certification bodies in those countries) with respect to their 

requirements on the serving and marketing of organic breakfast. In Denmark it is not possible 

solely to certify breakfasts, but our hotels there live up to the same requirements as those in 

Norway and Sweden. 

• Organic food is grown and produced without the use of pesticides, 

artificial flavourings and colourings, or gmOs 

• Organic production is safer for the health of the farmer and the farmer’s family 

than conventional production. 

• Organic production provides greater protection for biological diversity. 

• Organic agricultural methods may contribute to increased availability of food 

for the world’s population. 

• Sales of organic food account for 6 per cent of the total market in Denmark, 

4.5 per cent in Sweden and 1 per cent in Norway (2009 figures). 

orgaNic breakfasT 

since 2008 Nordic choice has been offering organic breakfasts to its guests in all its hotels. 

from time to time we are asked why we serve organic food. we believe it is healthy to eat food 

that has been produced without the use of pesticides and artificial additives. we also think that 

animal welfare includes natural animal behaviour and that conventional food production may 

have consequences of which we are not yet aware. we wish to take precautions and offer our 

guests healthy, safe food. 

Only 6 per cent of our guests stated that they were unable to choose organic breakfasts at our hotels. 

However, nearly 38 per cent were unaware that we offer organic breakfasts. Therefore in 2011 

we reassessed our organic focus with a view to bringing this to the attention of more guests, and 

appropriate measures will be implemented in 2012. 

we have identified several improvement opportunities, and in order to guarantee even better 

quality in our organic food, a number of measures are being implemented in 2012. 

ORganIc BReaKfaSt 

% 

100 

90 

80 

70 

60 

50 

40 

30 

20 

10 

0 

100 % 100 % 

2008 2009 

ORganIc BReaKfaSt 

% 

100 

90 

80 

70 

60 

50 

40 

30 

20 

10 

0 

N/A 

2008 

N/A 

2009 

100 % 

2010 

55,7 % 

2010 

100 % 

2011 

56 % 

2011 

Target 2012 

100 % 

orgaNic purchasiNg power 

percentage of hotels offering 

organic breakfast 

Target 2012 

see sustainable 

food indicator 

percentage of guests stating that organic 

breakfast was made available to them 

Nordic Choice is responsible for more than 20 per cent of organic sales in the large-scale 

kitchen segment in Norway. 

In 2011 Nordic Choice’s purchases of organic food included 118 tonnes of organic 

coffee, and we served more than 13 million cups of organic coffee to our guests. We also 

purchased nearly 1 million organic eggs and more than 40 tonnes of organic tomatoes 

and cucumbers in Norway alone.

78 

Nordic choice Journal 2011 Sustainability Report 

Vi tar DyrevelferD 

pa alvor! 

Vi må alle ta ansvar! Sjekk retningslinjene under før innkjøp. 

Skal IKKE kjøpes 

• Gåse- og andelever 

foIE graS fra tvangsforet fugl 

• gjøKalv (hvitt kalvekjøtt) 

• Kjøtt av typen ”bElgIan bluE” 

Still spørsmål og 

bEgrEnS innkjøp 

grunnEt dyrEvElfErd grunnEt dyrEvElfErd 

truEt noE truEt 

• uEr 

• norSK HummEr 

• langE 

• Ål 

• torSK fra nordSjøEn 

• KySttorSK 

• vIllfangEt KvEItE 

• bluE fIn tuna 

• pangaSIuS (mIljøtruSSEl) 

• ScampI/tIgErrEKEr/ 

KongErEKEr 

• Egg fra burHønS 

• rødSpEttE 

(kjøp fisk over 30 cm) 

• SjøKrEpS 

• brEIflabb 

Kjøp gjerne 

• øKologISKE produkter 

• faIr tradE produkter 

• torSK fra barEntSHavEt 

/SKrEI 

• øKologISK oppdrEttSlaKS 

• blÅSKjEll 

• HySE 

• Havabbor 

• SEI 

• KongEKrabbE 

• rEKEr 

• maKrEll 

• SIld 

• alaSKa pollocK 

• KamSKjEll 

• øStErS 

• vanlIg tunfISK 

• anSjoS og SardIn 

Listen er utarbeidet i samarbeid med WWF og Dyrevernalliansen 

- gÅSElEvEr Oppdrett av gjess og ender i trange bur 

og tvangsfôring med trakt for at dyrene skal utvikle 

patologisk fettlever 

gjøKalv Kalvene holdes i trange bokser uten lys og med inadekvat 

fôring (bl.a. lavt jerninnhold) slik at de utvikler alvorlig 

anemi (blodfattige); derav det lyse kjøttet 

bElgIan bluE Storfe-rase med programmert genfeil som gir 

abnorm muskelmasse. Kuene kan bla ikke kalve uten keisersnitt, 

og får store muskel/skjelettproblemer grunnet hurtigvoksende 

muskelmasse 

uEr-bestanden er på et historisk lavmål og er listet som 

sårbar på den norske rødlisten. Det tas årlig rundt 15.000 tonn 

med vanlig uer og snabeluer tilsammen i Barentshavet. Norge 

tar det aller meste av dette. 

norSK HummEr Det har vært relativ jevn nedgang i antall 

hummer fra slutten av 1940-tallet, og bestanden er på 

historisk lavt nivå. I all hovedsak skyldes dette overfiske, 

ulovlig fiske og mangelfull forvaltning. Tyvfiske er den største 

trusselen mot hummerbestanden. 

langE fiskes over store deler av Nord-Atlanteren, men det 

finnes ikke beregninger på bestandsstørrelsen. Arten er 

oppført som nær truet på Artsdatabankens rødliste. 

Ål er listet som kritisk truet på norsk rødliste, og er nylig 

inkludert som en kritisk truet art på den internasjonale rødlisten. 

Bestanden er på et historisk lavmål i de fleste områder, 

og er fortsatt synkende. 

torSK har status som sårbar på den internasjonale rødlisten. 

Nordsjøtorsken er listet som nær truet på den norske rødlisten 

og gytebestanden er langt under kritisk nivå. Fiskeriet er svært 

lite bærekraftig og bør stenges. Torsk fra Barentshavet kan 

kjøpes! 

vIllfangEt KvEItE har status nært truet på norsk rødliste. 

Vurderingen er basert på norsk fangststatistikk i løpet av de 

tre siste generasjonene (45 år). Denne viser en reduksjon i 

fangstene på 70-80 %. Nord for Stad har bestanden tatt seg 

opp de siste 10 år, mens sør for Stad har bestanden flatet ut 

på et svært lavt nivå etter 1995. 

bluE fIn tuna Bestanden av blåfinnet tunfisk er redusert 

med nærmere 90 % siden 60-tallet. 

pangaSIuS-oppdrett i sørøst-Asia kan føre til overbelastning 

av naturen, med spredning av medisin og pesticider, og spredning 

av sykdommer til ville fiskebestander. Så lenge vi ikke kan 

garantere for miljømerket pangasius velger vi å sette den på 

vår rød-liste. 

ScampI er en norsk samlebetegnelse på tropiske reker som 

tigerreker og kongereker. Scampi importeres til Norge fra 

tropiske land, i hovedsak fra Sørøst-Asia (Bangladesh, 

Vietnam, India, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia). En tredjedel 

av rekene vi spiser kommer fra oppdrettsanlegg, og resten 

er viltfanget, men begge metoder er forbundet med miljøproblemer. 

Viltfangede reker fiskes med trål som skader 

havbunnen, koraller og andre bunnlevende organismer. De 

har i tillegg ofte høy bifangst av havskilpadder og andre dyr. 

Scampi-oppdrett anses av mange å være en av de største 

truslene mot mangroveskoger og andre sårbare kystmiljøer. 

Mangroveskogene hogges ned for å gi plass til oppdrettsanleggene, 

hvilket får alvorlige miljømessige og sosiale 

konsekvenser. Man regner i dag at halvparten av verdens 

mangroveskoger er utryddet på grunn av rekefarmene. 

I tillegg blir rekene ofte oppdrettet med masse kunstig 

gjødsel og pesticider, som forurenser og utpiner miljøet 

omkring farmene. Store Grønlandsreker er et godt alternativ 

til Scampi. 

Nordic choice red lisT 

in 2010 Nordic choice, with help from the wwf (The world wide fund for Nature) and the 

Norwegian animal protection alliance, drew up its own guidelines for the purchase of fish, 

shellfish and meat. This “red list” was drawn up because some food products are produced 

in a manner that is not very environmentally friendly and without sufficient concern for animal 

welfare. even though the red list has been launched internally, work still needs to be done to 

secure compliance at our hotels. remedial measures are being implemented in 2012. The red 

list is revised on an ongoing basis with help from the wwf, the Norwegian animal protection 

alliance and biodiversity information centres in Norway and sweden. 

Purchasing guide 

for shellfish, fish 

and meat 

2008 2009 2010 target 2011 Result 2011 target 2012 

N/A N/A Introduced 

Implement followup 

system 

Sustainable food N/A N/A N/A Develop indicators 

TexTiles 

Initiated 

Partially 

developed 

Fully implemented 

in all hotels 

Launch 

we want to give our guests good nights in quality, clean bedding, as well as clean towels. Textiles 

are an important factor in our guests’ hotel experience, and they make up a substantial proportion 

of our purchasing. however, the life cycle of textiles is unfortunately often linked to major social 

and environmental challenges. in 2012 we will continue our collaboration with our launderers to 

map the life cycle of our textiles and take improvement measures. 

Environmental and social 

effects of the production 

and use of key inputs 

2008 2009 2010 target 2011 Res. 2011 target 2012 

N/A N/A N/A 

Survey textiles’ 

life cycle 

Initiated 

Continue mapping 

In 2011 we started to map the entire life cycle of our textiles. Textiles have a long and complicated 

supply chain, where traceability of cotton prior to processing presents a major challenge. Even 

though we have mapped much of the various textile chains, we must continue this work in 2012.

80 

Nordic choice Journal 2011 Sustainability Report Sustainability Report Nordic choice Journal 2011 81 

commuNiTy iNvolvemeNT 


many of our hotels have a long tradition of involvement with their local communities. in 2011 we 

focused on our community involvement for the first time and discovered great diversity among 

activities in our hotels. 

why? 

with 164 hotels throughout the Nordic region, being a good 

neighbour and a player in the community is an important 

corporate responsibility. as well as creating value for the local 

community, this also helps to generate pride and commitment 

among our co-workers. 

whaT? 


Guidelines for community involvement N/A N/A N/A Develop and implement Completed Follow up 

Share of hotels with at least one local activity N/A N/A N/A 100% 22% 60% 

The grounds for achieving the 2011 target were changed during the project. Mapping the hotels’ various 

measures also highlighted that we wished to establish more stringent criteria for establishing which activities 

should be approved. This also resulted in revised targets for 2012. 

mapping at the actual hotels shows that more of our hotels are 

getting involved in their local communities. we think it is important 

that even a centrally owned organisation is involved in this 

commitment. Therefore we are continuing our work to embed this 

work internally, and to highlight all the good work being done in this 

regard at the hotels. 

wecare hoTel 

of The year award 

Quality Spa & Resort Norefjell was named Best in 

Class for community involvement in Nordic Choice. 

The hotel is genuinely committed to getting involved 

in its own local environment and is committed on 

several fronts. For example, the hotel arranges an 

annual activity day in partnership with the Norwegian 

Red Cross in Krødsherad. The hotel’s co-workers find 

it inspiring to be able to give disadvantaged children a 

day full of positive experiences. 

parTNership wiTh 

The NorwegiaN red cross 

In collaboration with the Norwegian Red Cross, 

the Quality Hotel Alexandra in Molde invites families 

with children from the local community’s refugee 

reception and crisis centres to a Christmas party, 

with food, gifts and various activities. The management 

group and other co-workers come along 

voluntarily to help the children enjoy fun-filled and 

safe Christmas celebrations. 

iN 2011 The QualiTy hoTel 

ekoxeN iN liNköpiNg 

entered into a partnership with Unga Kris, which promotes 

the social rights of young people with criminal 

records. The hotel wishes to help ensure that young 

people who have dropped out of school get another 

chance in life. The youngsters receive coaching and 

training from the hotel’s own co-workers, while the 

hotel provides job placements. Each course day ends 

with a shared meal.

82 Nordic choice Journal 2011 Sustainability Report Sustainability Report Nordic choice Journal 2011 83 

dialogue 


we have never been happier in Nordic choice! The 2011 co-worker survey returned our best score yet. 

moreover, the response rate was 92 per cent, the highest ever. 

why? 

creating a good dialogue with our most important stakeholders 

is a key focus area for us, and is vital if we are to survive in the 

long run. 

whaT? 

we do not operate in a vacuum. co-workers, guests, suppliers, 

owners and other members of society shape us as a company 

and contribute to our results, just as we influence their lives and 

performance. focusing on purposeful dialogue shall provide Nordic 

choice with better results environmentally, socially and financially. 

dialogues can make our world better, for everyone. in 2011 we held a number of dialogue meetings with our 

stakeholders to gather input for improvements and to identify challenges that need to be addressed. 

Stakeholder discussions about 

key areas 

2008 2009 2010 2011 Res. 2011 target 2012 

N/A N/A 

Implement 

partially 

Carry out at least 

once a year 

Implemented 

Carry out at least 

once a year 

below are some of our mosT 

imporTaNT dialogues iN 2011: 

nORdIc chOIce PeOPle SuRvey 

7 

6 

5 

4 

3 

2 

1 

0 

n/a* 

2008 

5,64 

2009 

5,79 

2010 

* The NCPS measurement scale changed in 2009. 

Target 2012 

5,85 

co-worker dialogue: 

Nordic choice people survey 

each year Nordic choice carries out the co-worker survey known as the Nordic choice people 

survey (Ncps). Ncps is our most important tool in the co-worker dialogue, tracking work climate, 

culture, loyalty, management and the co-worker performance and development interview. The 

response rate increased from 91 per cent in 2010 to 92 per cent in 2011. our co-workers have 

never been as happy in their work. 

All co-workers who work more than 30 per cent of full time can participate in the survey. 

Find out more about NCPS on page 96. 

A steady increase for all main parameters explains the overall increase. 

5,82 

2011 

guesT dialogue 

Nordic choice hotels aims to be the first choice for travellers in the Nordic and baltic regions. To 

succeed in this, we must find out what affects the guests’ hotel choice. in 2011 all chains carried out a 

new guest satisfaction survey. 


Guest satisfaction, new survey: N/A N/A Surveyed Per chain: Per chain: Per chain: 

Clarion Hotels 86,75 43,07* 52,99* 

Clarion Collection 55 56 62,5 

Comfort Hotels 30 20,89 29,82 

Nordic Hotels & Resorts 45 51,6 59,5 

Quality Hotels 32,7 33,5 37 

Quality Resorts 32 30,4 32 

* clarion changed to joint customer satisfaction surveys in 2011. This produced new results and new targets. 

direcT dialogue wiTh our guesTs 

Nordic Choice has an open Facebook page with 

nearly 8,000 members. On Facebook we meet 

many of our stakeholders in an informal and open 

way that is often not possible in other channels. 

Here we provide information on what is happening 

at Nordic Choice Hotels and reply to incoming 

enquiries as they arrive. 

TripAdvisor is the world’s largest travel website, 

where travellers can relate their experiences and 

give recommendations on hotels. TripAdvisorbranded 

websites have more than 50 million 

unique visitors per month, making it easy for 

guests to give feedback to the hotels as well as 

share this information with all other stakeholders. 

This represents an important feedback channel 

for Nordic Choice, and all hotels display their 

TripAdvisor feedback on their websites.



supplier dialogue 

as a purchaser of goods and services, Nordic choice has a considerable responsibility to contribute 

to the best possible environmental and working conditions within our supply chain and to offer a 

sustainable product. Nordic choice has been a member of The ethical Trading initiative Norway 

since 2008. 

within Nordic choice we have our own ethical guidelines for our suppliers, and we constantly work 

to ensure these are followed. in 2011 we continued our work on risk assessments of our suppliers. 

This will be an ongoing process that will continue in 2012. dialogue with several of our most 

important suppliers has continued, forming the starting point for an action plan for measures for 

ourselves and for our suppliers. 

Supplier – map risk in 

supply chain 

2008 2009 Res. 2010 target 2011 Res. 2011 target 2012 

N/A N/A 290 Complete Completed Continue 

for the fourth year in a row, Nordic choice has submitted its annual report to The ethical Trading 

initiative Norway. a link to the report can be found at www.choice.no. 

Ethical Trading Initiative Norway (ETI-N) is a committing partnership between companies, trade unions, 

organisations and public institutions. ETI-N is a resource centre and an advocate for ethical trade 

practices. Ethical trade entails that companies and other involved parties work to strengthen workers’ 

rights and improve environmental practices in their existing value chains 

eThical TradiNg – dialogue 

wiTh selecTed suppliers 

Reducing the risk in our supply chain requires us to focus on the 

appropriate improvement points, both at our suppliers and for us 

ourselves. To understand what our suppliers see as challenges in their 

own chains and with having us as a customer, in 2011 we arranged a 

workshop with participants from our suppliers and the Ethical Trading 

Initiative Norway. Using the results of the workshop, we have planned 

and initiated more measures to achieve more ethical trading. 

eThical TradiNg iN The headliNes 

In 2011 we were informed that one of our cleaning service 

suppliers had for several years run their business in a way 

that did not comply with Nordic Choice’s ethical guidelines. This 

included non-payment of some taxes and charges. The supplier was 

offered the opportunity to address the irregularities, but unfortunately 

did not use this opportunity. Nordic Choice therefore decided 

to cancel the contract with the Swedish part of the company. 

Nordic Choice’s main priority was always to ensure that none of the 

supplier’s employees would be affected by the situation. A close 

and constructive collaboration with the Swedish union organisation 

helped to ensure that all the employees were able to keep 

their jobs. 

owNer dialogue 

an organisation’s results in terms of environmental and social responsibility are strongly influenced 

by its owners’ lead. The chairman of the board of directors of Nordic choice and its sole owner, 

petter a. stordalen, has ensured that this has been the topic of many board meetings during 

the year. 

socieTy: 

uNicef: collaboraTioN To coNTiNue 

Nordic choice shall take responsibility even outside the hotel doors. we set ourselves this target 

many years ago, and this also forms an important part of co-worker involvement. Nordic choice 

has supported a number of different measures within scandinavia, and since 2008 has been a 

signature partner for uNicef Norway. in 2011 we decided to continue the collaboration for a 

further three years. 

during the first half of 2012 all co-workers will have the opportunity to help decide what the focus 

of our partnership with uNicef shall be. 

“50 for life” - emergeNcy aid for 

The vicTims of horN of africa 

The drought and famine that hit the Horn of Africa was the 

biggest catastrophe to hit the region in more than 60 years. 

UNICEF provided food packages, vaccinations and vitamin supplements 

for the affected children. Our “50 For Life” emergency 

aid campaign gave guests the opportunity to add NOK 50 to 

their bill when they checked out. A total of NOK 200,000 was 

collected during September. This amount was subsequently 

matched by Nordic Choice, meaning that together with our 

guests we donated a total of NOK 400,000 to the victims of 

the catastrophe.

Nordic choice hoTels 

The maNagemeNT of 

Nordic choice hoTels comprises: 

Torgeir silseth // chief executive officer 

roar ingdal // senior vice president commercial service 

oscar engeli // senior vice president shared services 

helén borchgrevink // chief financial officer 

arne o. haugen // senior vice president hr & cr 

Trond bastiansen // senior vice president clarion collection hotels 

katalin paldeak // senior vice president clarion hotels 

Thomas westergaard // senior vice president comfort hotels 

eivind Tangvik // senior vice president Quality hotels 

Tobias ekman // senior vice president Nordic hotels & resort 

andré schreiner // senior vice president Quality resort 

The board of Nordic choice 

hospiTaliTy group: 

petter a. stordalen // chairman 

gunhild a. stordalen // board member 

henrik a. christensen // board member 

ragnar sjoner // board member 

bente rathe // board member 

kjell Nilsson // board member 

petter a. stordalen is the sole owner of the Nordic choice hospitality group 

through his company home invest as 

adress 

frederik stangs gate 22 -24 // p.o.box 2454 solli, No-0201 oslo 

T. +47 22 40 13 00 // post@choice.no // choice.no 

Sustainability Report Nordic choice Journal 2011 

87

88 Nordic choice Journal 2011 Sustainability Report Sustainability Report Nordic choice Journal 2011 

89 

gri coNTeNT iNdex 

This report covers the Nordic choice hospitality group for the period 1 January to 31 december 2011. 

1 StRategy and analySIS Page 

1.1 ceo’s statement 3 

2 ORganIzatIOnal PROfIle 

2.1 Name of the organization 8 

2.2 primary brands, products and services 8, 15-37 

2.3 operational structure 8 

2.4 location of organization’s headquarters 87 

2.5 Number of countries and location of operations 9 

2.6 Nature of ownership and legal form 87 

2.7 markets served 8-9 

2.8 scale of the reporting organization 8-9, 90 

2.9 significant changes regarding size, structure or ownership N/a 

2.10 awards received in the reporting period 40-41 

3 RePORt PROfIle 

3.1 reporting period 88 

3.2 date of most recent report 2011 

3.3 reporting cycle each year 

3.4 contact point for questions regarding the report 87 

3.5 process for defining report content 64 

3.6 boundary of the report 64 

3.7 limitations on the report’s scope or boundary No limits 

3.8 basis for reporting subsidiaries, joint ventures, 

and other entities affecting comparability 

3.10 explanation of re-statements N/a 

3.11 significant changes from previous reporting periods in the scope, 

boundary or measurement methods 

3.12 gri content index 88 

N/a 

None 

4 gOveRnance 

4.1 governance structure of the organization 87 

4.2 position of the chairman of the board 

chairman of the board 

is not an executive officer 

4.3 for organizations with a unitary board structure No unitary board 

4.4 mechanism for shareholder and employee consultation 96-97 

4.14 list of stakeholder groups 63-65 

4.15 identification and selection of stakeholders 64 

Performance Indicators 

ecOnOmIc PeRfORmance IndIcatORS 

ec1 direct economic value generated and distributed 

envIROnmental PeRfORmance IndIcatORS 

eN5 energy saved due to conservation and efficiency improvements complete 67-68 

eN14 strategies, current actions, and future plans for managing impacts on biodiversity. complete 78 

eN16 Total direct and indirect greenhouse gas emissions complete 71 

eN18 initiatives to reduce greenhouse gas emissions complete 66-72 

eN22 Total amount of waste by type and disposal method complete 69 

SOcIal PeRfORmance IndIcatORS 

la13 composition of governance bodies and breakdown of employees 74-75 

so6 

Total value of financial and in-kind contributions to political parties, politicians, 

and related institutions by country. 

so8 significant fines and sanctions for non-compliance with laws and regulations 

pr5 practices related to customer satisfaction and results of customer satisfaction surveys 82-83 

No financial and in-kind contributions 

to political parties, politicians, and related 

institutions. 

No significant fines or sanctions 

during the reporting period

90 Nordic choice Journal 2011 Nordic choice Journal 2011 

91 

key figures 2011 

tuRnOveR By chaIn In nOK mIllIOn* 

1600 

1400 

1200 

1000 

800 

600 

400 

200 

524 

1 482 

278 

0 

COMFORT QUALITY QUALITY 

RESORT 

* Figure excluding franchises. 

(Total turnover for franchise hotels: NOK 1790 million) 

Staff SuRvey - cPS Staff SuRvey - cPS 

1 476 

CLARION CLARION 

COLLECTION 

767 737 

NORDIC HOTELS 

& RESORTS 

ToTal score 5,82 5,77 

fIve hIgheSt ScOReS 

2011 2010 

i’m proud to be working at the hotel/hQ 6,24 6,23 

how satisfied are you with being part of Nordic choice? 6,19 6,18 

how satisfied are you with being part of your hotel chain? 6,16 6,17 

it’s important to me that my employer takes a corporate environmental 

and social responsibility (wecare) 

6,14 6,15 

how satisfied are you with being employed at this hotel? 6,08 6,08 

MNOK 

eBItda develOPment/RevPaR 

600 

500 

400 

300 

200 

100 

0 

378 362 

156 

64 

374 

103 

403 

182 

444 

280 

2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 

eBItda mnOK 

fIve lOWeSt ScOReS 

493 

415 

521 

520 

470 

332 

485 

397 

512 

413 

RevPaR nOK 

600 

500 

400 

300 

200 

100 

0 

NOK 

2011 2010 

i am confident that the management group will make the right decisions 5,74 5,74 

i regard the management group as a good team 5,73 5,73 

how attractive would you rate your hotel as a workplace, 

compared with other hotels? 

how attractive do you feel your hotel chain is, 

compared with the other Nordic choice chains? 

5,65 5,71 

5,41 5,33 

working environment; expertise 5,23 5,2 

caRBOn fOOtPRInt 

kg CO /guest days 

2 

5 

4 

3 

2 

1 

0 

290 000 

280 000 

270 000 

260 000 

250 000 

240 000 

230 000 

220 000 

210 000 

200 000 

190 000 

3,02 

2008 

2,99 

2009 

2,99 

2010 

3,01 

2011 

CO 2 emissions (in kg) per guest day in terms of GHG protocol 

(scope 1, 2 and partly 3) 

2008 2009 2010 2011 

KWh 

50 

45 

40 

35 

30 

25 

20 

15 

10 

5 

0 

Baseline 

-0,90 % -2,01 % 

31,43 kWh 31,15 kWh 30,78 kWh 

2008 

1,1 

1,0 

0,9 

0,8 

0,7 

0,6 

0,5 

0,4 

0,3 

0,2 

0,1 

2009 

Reduction of power consumption per guest day 

WateR ReSIdual WaSte 

Litres/guest day 

kg/guest 

Baseline 

271,57 litres 

-6,91 % 

252,81 litres 

-12.8 % 

236,77 litres 

Reduction of water consumption per guest day 

-18 % 

233 litres 

Target 2012 

-25 % 

203,68 liter 

Baseline 

1,1 kg 

9,0 litres 

2008 2009 

-6,7 % 

29,32 kWh 

2010 2011 

-22,7 % 

0,8 kg 

6,9 litres 

41,39 % 

0,6 kg 

5,1 litres 

Reduction of residual waste per guest day 

2010 2011 

Target 2012 

15 % 

26,72 kWh 

41,39 % 

0,6 kg 

5,1 litres 

Target 2012 

50 % 

0,55 kg 

chemIcalS 

0 

-5 

-10 

-15 

-20 

-25 

-30 

-35 

-40 

-45 

-50 

100 

90 

80 

70 

60 

50 

40 

30 

20 

10 

0 

N/A 

2008 2009 

Baseline 

100 % 

-20,7 % 

2010 

-31,1 % 

Reduction of environmentally harmful chemicals 

ISO ceRtIfIcatIOn 

100 % 100 % 

2009 * 

2008 2010 2011 

Proportion of ISO 14001 certified hotels 

*Proportion of hotels registered on 1.1.2009 

Target 2012 

-50 % 

Target 2011 

100 %


accouNTs for 2011 

Nordic choice hospitality group as 

2011 2010 

OPeRATING ReveNUe 5 270 956 4 764 175 

cost of goods 469 174 427 198 

pay costs 1 896 133 1 696 943 

depreciation 164 241 152 717 

write-downs 20 000 700 

other operating costs 2 493 141 2 242 984 

total operating costs 5 042 689 4 520 542 

Profit/loss from operations 228 267 243 633 

revenue, investments in subsidiaries, affiliated companies 312 0 

other financial revenues 29 533 37 138 

finance costs 30 319 26 906 

Net profit/loss on financial items -474 10 232 

Profit/loss before tax costs 227 793 253 865 

Tax costs 70 249 98 067 

Annual profit/loss from continuing operations 157 544 155 798 

profit/loss from discontinued operations -197 159 -270 845 

PROFIT/LOSS FOR THe YeAR -39 615 -115 047 

all figures in Nok thousands 

aSSetS 2011 2010 

iNTaNgible asseTs 

deferred tax benefits 29 232 21 105 

goodwill 65 661 71 453 

other intangible assets 21 338 23 610 

Total intangible assets 116 231 116 168 

fixed asseTs 

operating assets, fixtures and fittings, etc. 565 771 480 142 

Total fixed assets 565 771 480 142 

fixed asseT iNvesTmeNTs 

investments in affiliated companies and 

companies under common control 

794 479 

investments in other shares and units 4 127 3 568 

long-term receivables 13 637 11 443 

Total fixed asset investments 18 558 15 490 

Total non-current assets 700 560 611 800 

goods 47 162 47 155 

receivables 

Trade debtors 293 278 254 446 

other receivables 1 356 797 1 886 583 

Total receivables 1 650 075 2 141 029 

bank deposits, cash, etc. 31 474 41 061 

Total current assets 1 728 711 2 229 245 

TOTAL ASSeTS 2 429 271 2 841 045 

SharehOlDerS’ equity aND liabilitieS 2011 2010 

paid-iN capiTal 

share capital 1 500 1 500 

capital surplus 154 154 

other paid-in capital 1 118 000 1 118 000 

Total paid-in capital 1 119 654 1 119 654 

earNed capiTal 

other shareholders’ equity 54 592 -68 427 

Total earned capital 54 592 -68 427 

Total shareholders’ equity 1 174 246 1 051 227 

provisioNs for commiTmeNTs 

pension commitments 11 172 16 129 

deferred tax 60 129 44 075 

other provisions for commitments 46 302 260 688 

Total provisions for commitments 117 603 320 892 

shorT-Term liabiliTies 

Trade creditors 337 151 343 351 

Tax payable 72 802 31 320 

unpaid public sector charges 127 761 106 099 

other short-term liabilities 599 708 988 156 

Total short-term liabilities 1 137 422 1 468 926 

Total liabilities 1 255 025 1 789 818 

Total shareholders’ equity and liabilities 2 429 271 2 841 045 

all figures in Nok thousands


eNviroNmeNTal aNd social respoNsibiliTy 

taRgetS and ReSultS matRIx, envIROnmental and SOcIal ReSPOnSIBIlIty 2011 

aRea ReSult 2010 taRget 2011 ReSult 2011 taRget 2012 

eNviroNmeNT 

proportion of hotels with renewable energy 78 % 81 % 77 % 80 % 

electricity -2,01 % -15 % (2012) -6,7 % -15 % 

oil (l/guest day) 32,4 % -70 % (2012) -11 % -70 % 

water consumption (l/guest day) -12,8 % -10 % -18 % -25 % 

residual waste (kg and l/guest day) 

litres: -43,7 % 

kg: -41,5 % 

-50 % (2012) 

litres: -49,4 % 

kg: -41,4 % 

Number of various chemicals -40,8 % - 50 % (2012) -41% -50 % 

replacing environmentally harmful chemicals -31,1 % - 50 % (2012) -31,1% -50 % 

Transport baseline develop target -8,3 % -15 % 

proportion of hotels with annual internal audit (iso 14001) 100 % 100 % 100 % 100 % 

proportion of iso 14001-certified hotels (det Norske veritas) 100 % 100 % 100 % 100 % 

proportion of employees with e-learning within environment 25 % 75 % 29 % 35 % 

preservation of rain forests and prevention of co 2 emissions (1 

employees 

55 000 hectares and 

19,6 mT co 2 

55 000 hectares and 

19,6 mT co 2 

53 600 hektar och 

19,1 miljoner ton co 2 


20 mT co 2 

absence through sickness (2 3,9 % 3,6 % 3,95 % 3,7 % 

diversity and equality baseline develop target Target developed 

proportion of female managers (3 59 % develop target 62,9 % 

-50 % 

recruitment of recent 

refugees to hotels in oslo, 

Trondheim and stockholm. 

start of internal management 

course for employees with 

foreign backgrounds 

The proportion must reflect 

other parts of the organisation 

proportion of middle managers with non-scandinavian background 6,7 % develop target 8,7 % 10 % 

understanding and awareness of compliance 

with legislation and regulations 

N/a develop indicator Not implemented 

make risk assessment of area 

and introduce necessary 

measures. expanded cooperation 

with trade unions 

ethical guidelines for employees N/a develop and implement process started launch 

producT 

sustainable food N/a develop indicators partly developed implement 

proportion of hotels offering organic breakfast 100 % 100 % 100 % 100 % 

proportion of guests stating that they might select organic breakfast 55,7 % 75 % 56 % develop new indicator 

animal welfare list introduced 

environmental and social effect of production 

and use of important inputs 

local social respoNsibiliTy 

implement 

follow-up system 

commenced implemented 

N/a develop baseline for textiles commenced continue 

guidelines for local social responsibility N/a develop and implement completed follow up 

proportion of hotels with at least one local initiative N/a 100 % 22 % 60 % 

dialogue 

carbon footprint N/a develop indicator partly developed To be implemented 

employee index (4 5,79 5,85 5,82 5,85 

guest satisfaction, new measurement method 

clarion 

clarion collection 

comfort 

Nordic hotels 

Quality 

Quality resort 

baseline 

per chain: 

N/a 

55% 

30% 

45% 

32,7% 

32% 

supplier– define baseline risk in supplier chain commenced complete completed continuea 

stakeholder conversations on most important areas partly conduct at least once a year conducted conduct at least once a year 

1) UN Climate Panel IPPC estimates that approx. 300 tonnes is stored per hectare of tropical rain forest, corresponding 

to 550 tonnes CO 2 . The Brazilian Amazonas Fund uses an even more cautious estimate of 357 tonnes CO 2 per hectare. 

We chose to use the more conservative estimate, meaning that in 2011 we helped to prevent 18.3 megatonnes of CO 2 

being released into the atmosphere. Although we can correct for the probability that the forest in question will be felled 

and the duration of the preservation, the figure remains noticeably high. 

46,0 

57,7 

24,9 

51,6 

27,6 

30,7 

2) Absence through sickness includes all our operating hotels. 

3) Heads of department and hotel managers. 

4) Employee index measures a total of six different main parameters. 

In 2011, the response rate was 93%. 

52,99 

62,5 

29,82 

59,5 

37 

32


employee survey 

ncPS 2011 2010 

Ncps score 5,82 5,77 

leadership by Nordic choice 5,88 5,59 

my line manager clearly shows the direction we are to take 5,98 5,73 

my line manager motivates me in my job 5,77 5,48 

my line manager leads by example 5,6 

Nordic choice culture 5,89 5,85 

The hotel/hQ has a lively and humorous atmosphere 5,92 5,87 

at Nordic choice, everyone has the same opportunities, regardless of gender or background 5,93 5,92 

i’m proud to be working at the hotel/hQ 6,24 6,23 

it’s important for me that my employer takes a corporate environmental and social responsibility (wecare) 6,14 6,15 

management group 5,74 5,73 

i regard the management group as a good team 5,73 5,73 

i am confident that the management group will make the right decisions 5,74 5,74 

employee survey - Nordic Choice People Survey (NCPS) 

The annual employee survey is an anonymous survey that goes out to all employees at 

Nordic choice with more than 30% employment. The survey is divided into various areas. 

each area scores from 1-7. scores over 4 count as positive, and over 5.5 as high. 

The survey has been developed and administered by organisational consultants at 

scandinavian leadership. 

working environment 5,69 5,68 

ideas 5,81 5,81 

strategy - targets 5,68 5,59 

cooperation 5,69 5,72 

expertise 5,23 5,2 

information 5,87 5,9 

loyalty to one’s own hotel 5,87 5,9 

how satisfied are you with being employed at this hotel? 6,08 6,08 

how attractive would you rate your hotel as a workplace, compared with other hotels? 5,65 5,71 

loyalty to one’s own chain 5,79 5,75 

how satisfied are you with being part of your hotel chain? 6,16 6,17 

how attractive do you feel your hotel chain is, compared with the other Nordic choice chains? 5,41 5,33 

loyalty to Nordic choice 5,97 5,97 

how satisfied are you with being part of Nordic choice? 6,19 6,18 

how attractive would you rate Nordic choice, compared with other hotel chains? 5,75 5,76

Nordic Choice Hotels

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