Scandic Hotels has announced a significant revamp of its loyalty program, Scandic Friends, with the aim of enhancing its commercial offerings, increasing member loyalty, and providing more personalized experiences for its guests. This overhaul marks a transformation of the existing program into a more digitally integrated platform aimed at enriching the guest journey.
Scandic Friends, already the largest loyalty program in the Nordic hotel sector with 3 million members, has ambitious goals to double its membership by 2030. This reflects the company’s commitment to customer engagement and satisfaction. The program’s significance is evident in its contribution to driving Scandic’s business, with members accounting for approximately 38 percent of all room nights sold in 2023. The revamped loyalty program is expected to further increase member bookings and significantly contribute to revenue growth.
The new iteration of Scandic Friends introduces a fresh structure and design, expanding from five to seven membership levels. Each level offers a curated selection of benefits, ensuring both frequent and infrequent guests find value in their membership. Key enhancements include streamlined methods for earning and redeeming points, access to exclusive member benefits, and tailored opportunities to elevate the guest experience.
Members now have the ability to easily upgrade their stays or enjoy pre-ordered room refreshments, making their interactions with Scandic even more rewarding. Through these strategic changes, Scandic aims to solidify its position as a leader in the hospitality industry by fostering a deeper connection with its guests and driving loyalty through innovative, customer-centric offerings.
“Loyal and returning guests are central for us at Scandic. They drive our growth and create a strong and stable community around our brands. We now have a solid platform that will improve the member experience and have laid the foundation to continue developing the program and add new exciting partnerships. This will enable us to continue building long-term relationships with stronger incentives to choose Scandic for future hotel stays,” says Jens Mathiesen, President & CEO at Scandic Hotels Group.
Developing the new Scandic Friends program involved extensive interviews with both current and potential members, alongside thorough research into the travel industry and other sectors. These insights, combined with Scandic’s own customer data, have shaped the design of the revamped program. The goal is to deliver a more tailored and personalized membership experience that fosters greater member interaction, enhances incentives, and boosts long-term engagement with Scandic.
“Creating a guest-focused loyalty program designed to make the most of every member interaction has been the fundamental focus during the entire development process. We have put a lot of emphasis on digital investments to enable and create an ecosystem we can develop over time. This is just the beginning, and I’m convinced that our members will appreciate the new features and offerings that we’ll gradually be adding,” says Thérèse Cedercreutz, Chief Commercial Officer at Scandic Hotels Group.
The revamped Scandic Friends program officially launched on August 27, 2024. Existing members are being gradually transitioned into the new system. This launch marks the beginning of a new era in loyalty programs, with Scandic planning to introduce additional features, personalized benefits, and exclusive offerings over time to further enhance the member experience.
The new Scandic Friends program features the following membership levels:
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[Level 1]
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[Level 2]
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[Level 3]
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[Level 4]
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[Level 5]
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[Level 6]
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[Level 7]
These levels are designed to reward members progressively, offering more exclusive perks and experiences as they advance.
