Arild Sjødin started his career as a waiter in Trondheim, before going on to gain 30 years of management experience in the industry. He will now be moving "home" to Trondheim to take over the baton from Ida Dønheim at Britannia.

 "Arild knows the five-star hotel industry like the back of his hand and is passionate about creating luxurious, world-class guest experiences. He has a flair for the industry and the right expertise to ensure both effective operation and uphold the very highest of quality at the city`s preferred meeting space. For Arild it is important that work should be both fun and profitable, and those are very important values for us," Odd Reitan says. 

Arild Sjødin will be bringing many years of international experience from the five-star segment back to Trondheim, the city he grew up in. Sjødin was raised in a hotel family and gained extensive industry experience from the former Rica hotel chain, before he embarked upon his international career in the Baltics, Germany and the Middle East.

He has been responsible for the Emirates Palace in Abu Dhabi, one of the world's most complex and luxurious hotels, operated by Kempinski and Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group. Sjødin is a graduate of the Norwegian School of Hotel Management and has an Executive MBA from NEOMA Business School in France.

"I'm taking on this new endeavour with great pride and humility. I'm looking forward, along with all my new colleagues, to continuing and further developing the fantastic product and service that Britannia Hotel provides to its guests every single day.

Thanks to Odd Reitan's dream, Britannia has opened up an entirely new standard of guest experiences in Norway, and the hotel has joined the ranks of the very best hotels in Europe," says incoming managing director Arild Sjødin.

Britannia Hotel has a history that extends as far back as 1870. The newly renovated Britannia Hotel opened its doors on 1 April 2019, and since the opening, it has received several prestigious prizes and awards. Ida Dønheim has been in the role of acting general manager since the autumn of 2022.

"Ida has managed the hotel with a steady hand, and we've achieved record revenue streams and good operational results during this period. She's a leader I have a lot of confidence and trust in, so we're glad to have Ida stay on with us at REITAN," says Odd Reitan.

"At Britannia Hotel, it's all about creating world-class guest experiences. I see significant value in having local managers that are visible - so the General Manager at Britannia needs to live in our city," Odd Reitan says.

Ida Dønheim will transition into a role in the holding company REITAN AS, where she will be working with the Value Academy to systematise and cultivate culture training concepts such as the Britannia Academy, which so far has been one of the hotel's success factors.

"I'm looking forward to be continuing working in the REITAN organization, which is compatible with my travels to the US. With my new role in REITAN, I will continue to be a resource for Britannia, after Arild takes over. His international experience will bring new and exciting expertise for the hotel and the City of Trondheim.

I'm grateful that I was chosen to steward Odd's dream, as the top executive at Norway’s most magnificent hotel, with the most fantastic employees," Ida Dønheim says, and continues: "It's been incredibly educational and fun!"