The Hotel Industry in Sandefjord: Current Status and Outlook

The hotel industry in Sandefjord is an important part of the municipality's economy, with 10 registered companies and over 500 employees in 2026. The industry has been marked by large variations in sales and employment over the years, with an extreme increase in 2023 followed by a decline in 2024. This indicates a dynamic industry that can be both challenging and promising for new players.

Economic Trends

• Sales: The industry had a sales surplus of NOK 57.7 million in 2025, with an annual decline of 8.5% from 2024. The highest sales were recorded in 2023 with NOK 80.7 million.
• Employees: The number of employees increased sharply from 2022 to 2023 (from 255 to 1059), but has since fallen to 485 in 2026. This variation indicates an industry with large fluctuations in capacity and labor demand.
• EBITDA: The EBITDA margin has varied significantly, with a negative margin of -12% for AS companies in 2026, while FLI companies had a positive margin of 11% in the same year.

Key Players in the Industry

• Oslofjord Hotel AS (Melsomvik): 245 employees, but with zero sales and operating income in 2025. The company is registered as an AS and was founded in 2022.
• Scandic Park Sandefjord (Sandefjord): 158 employees, but with zero sales and operating income in 2025. The company is an older AS dating back to 1965.
• Torp Hotel AS (Sandefjord): 41 employees, with a positive EBITDA of NOK 780,000 in 2025. The company was founded in 1990 and had a high sales growth of -1% in the same year.
• Strand Leirsted (Sandefjord): 20 employees, with a high sales growth of 27% in 2025 and an EBITDA margin of 11%.
• Aarholt Tunet AS (Stokke): 9 employees, with a negative EBITDA of -11% in 2025, despite sales growth of 1%.

Geographic Distribution

• Sandefjord: 4 companies, 258 employees, operating income of NOK 64.0 million and sales of NOK 59.7 million in 2025.
• Melsomvik: 2 companies, 249 employees, but with a negative operating income of NOK -10.8 million and sales of NOK 9,000 in 2025.
• Stokke: 1 company, 9 employees, with an operating income of NOK 5.3 million and sales of NOK 5.2 million in 2025.

> Melsomvik's Oslofjord Holding AS has extremely negative figures, with an EBITDA margin of -221% and an operating income of NOK 4.8 million, but sales of only NOK 9,000.

Business Dynamics and Bankruptcy Statistics

• Bankruptcy: No companies in the hotel industry in Sandefjord are registered as bankrupt in 2025, but several companies have negative EBITDA values, such as Oslofjord Holding AS (-221%) and Aarholt Tunet AS (-11%).
• Operational Economics: There is significant variation in the operating result, with both positive and negative figures. For example, Strand Leirsted had a positive EBITDA of NOK 1.1 million, while Oslofjord Holding AS had a negative EBITDA of NOK -10.7 million.
• Employees: There is an extreme variation in the number of employees, with an increase from 255 to 1059 in 2023, but a decline to 485 in 2026.

Outlook for Entrepreneurs

The hotel industry in Sandefjord has both opportunities and challenges. The extreme growth in 2023 (315.3% increase in employees) indicates an industry with potential for growth, but the subsequent decline (50.4% in 2024) also shows significant uncertainty. Entrepreneurs should consider focusing on cost control and differentiation, especially in a market situation where many companies have negative EBITDA values. It is also possible that tourism in the region could provide opportunities for specialized hotels, but it is important to be aware of the large variations in sales and operating results.

Comparison with Accommodation

• The Accommodation industry in Sandefjord has 24 companies, showing that the hotel industry is part of a larger market. Compared to accommodation, the hotel industry had a higher sales growth in 2023 (35.2%) compared to accommodation (27.9%), but a larger decline in 2024 (-21.8% vs -16.9%).
• Peer Companies: Examples of accommodation companies that are not hotels include Kicamp AS (camping, NOK 6.0 million in sales) and Langeby Camping AS (camping, NOK 4.9 million in sales). These companies have lower EBITDA than many hotels, but higher sales.
• Conclusion: The accommodation sector has a more stable development than the hotel industry, but hotels may have potential in a market segment with higher sales growth.

The hotel industry in Sandefjord is a dynamic and fluctuation-driven sector with both opportunities and challenges. With 10 companies and over 500 employees in 2026, as well as significant variations in sales and operating results, it is important for entrepreneurs to be aware of the large fluctuations in the market. SmartGrunder can help analyze potential locations in Sandefjord for the hotel industry, focusing on development trends and operational economics.