The Hotel Industry in Molde

The hotel industry in Molde is a significant part of the municipality's economy, with 10 registered companies and 219 employees in 2025. The industry has shown both challenges and resilience, with a sharp decline in sales in 2020 (40.5%) followed by a gradual increase since. The large hotels such as Scandic Seilet and Thon Hotel Moldefjord dominate the market, while small and specialized offerings such as Molde Fjordstuer and Eira Gjestegård also have their place. There are no bankruptcy registrations in the sector, but some companies report negative EBITDA values. Molde has a clear geographic advantage with more companies and employees compared to Midsund, highlighting the municipality's role as a tourist destination in Møre og Romsdal.

SmartGrunder can help entrepreneurs analyze potential addresses in Molde for the hotel industry, with a focus on natural conditions and market prospects.

The hotel industry in Molde has had a complex development in recent years:

• Sales: Sales increased sharply by 118.1% from 2018 to 2019, but fell by 40.5% in 2020 due to the pandemic. There has since been a gradual increase, with a rise of 9.1% from 2024 to 2025.
• Employees: The number of employees has varied significantly, with a decline of 26.5% in 2020, but stabilization since. In 2025 there are 219 employees, which is 1.9% lower than in 2024.

The table below shows annual figures for sales and employees:

This development shows a clear dependence on tourism and global events, but also a gradual adaptation and improvement after 2020.

In Molde, 10 companies are registered in the hotel industry, with the dominant organizational form being AS (6 companies). The key companies include:

1. Scandic Seilet (Gideonvegen 2, Molde): 88 employees, founded in 2002, operates with 0 revenue and EBITDA in 2025.
2. Scandic Alexandra Molde (Storgata 1-7, Molde): 54 employees, founded in 1995, operates with 0 revenue and EBITDA in 2025.
3. Molde Fjordstuer AS (Julsundvegen 6, Molde): 52 employees, founded in 2002, reports 39.8M in sales and -224K in operating profit in 2025.
4. Thon Hotel Moldefjord (Storgata 8, Molde): 13 employees, founded in 1998, reports 15.1M in sales and 1.4M in EBITDA in 2025.
5. Classic Norway Drift AS Avd Molde (Romsdalsgata 9, Molde): 10 employees, founded in 2003, reports 28.5M in sales and 3.2M in EBITDA in 2025.

There are also small companies such as Midsund Gjestestove AS (Bukthaugvegen 4, Midsund) and Eira Gjestegård AS (Torhusvegen 63, Eresfjord), which operate with a very low number of employees and uneven revenues. Many companies have 0 employees or revenue, which may indicate registration errors or specialized offerings.

The hotel industry in Molde is most concentrated in the municipality's center, with 5 companies and 217 employees in Molde compared to 1 company and 6 employees in Midsund. The main geographical differences are:

• Molde: 5 companies, 217 employees, 77.5M in sales, 2.4M in operating profit, 4.7M in EBITDA.
• Midsund: 1 company, 6 employees, 2.9M in sales, -550K in operating profit, -453K in EBITDA.

Molde has a clearly better economic performance compared to Midsund, with higher sales, operating profit, and EBITDA. This underscores Molde's role as a tourist destination in the region, while Midsund has a smaller market share and lower economic stability.

The hotel industry in Molde has been relatively stable with no bankruptcy registrations in the sector. Nevertheless, there are variations in the companies' financial health:

• Molde Fjordstuer AS has an EBITDA margin of 0% in 2025, indicating very low profit.
• Thon Hotel Moldefjord has an EBITDA margin of 9%, which is better than the average.
• Midsund Gjestestove AS has a negative EBITDA margin of -14%, indicating losses in operations.

There are no bankruptcy registrations in the sector, but some companies have negative operating profits and EBITDA values. This can be a signal of economic challenges for certain companies, especially in Midsund.

Outlook for Entrepreneurs

The hotel industry in Molde has shown resilience after the pandemic, with a sales increase of 9.1% from 2024 to 2025. This shows that tourism in the region has adapted and has potential for further growth. Molde's geographical position as a tourist destination in Møre og Romsdal and the presence of established companies such as Scandic and Thon can give entrepreneurs an advantage.

Nevertheless, there are challenges, such as high competition from both existing companies and other accommodation formats (such as camping and short-term cabins). Entrepreneurs should also be aware of economic variations in the sector, as shown by the companies' EBITDA values. It is possible to find addresses in Molde with good access to tourist traffic and infrastructure, which can support a new player in the sector.

The broader accommodation sector in Molde (which includes camping, short-term cabins, and other accommodation) has a larger market share than the hotel sector, with 36 companies compared to 10 in hotels. Economically, the accommodation sector shows an increase in sales of 9.4% from 2024 to 2025, which is slightly higher than the hotel sector (9.1%).

Peer companies in the accommodation sector include:

This shows that the accommodation sector has a more diversified structure with both large companies (such as Naf Camp) and small, specialized offerings. The hotel sector in Molde can therefore see both competition and collaboration opportunities with these companies.

The hotel industry in Molde has shown both challenges and opportunities, with a gradual increase in sales after the pandemic and a stable number of employees. The municipality has a clear advantage with more companies and employees compared to Midsund, highlighting Molde's role as a tourist destination. Nevertheless, there are variations in the companies' financial health, and entrepreneurs should be aware of both the competition and potential challenges.

The broader accommodation sector in Molde has a larger market share and higher sales, which can give entrepreneurs in the hotel sector both competition and collaboration opportunities. SmartGrunder can help analyze potential addresses in Molde for the hotel industry, with a focus on natural conditions and market prospects.