Guide to the GHA Discovery Program (2021)
Hotel Strategies, Hotel Loyalty Program Reference Guide
Quick Guide
- GHA Discovery is the loyalty program of the Global Hotel Alliance, a collection of a few dozen mostly higher-end hotel brands. The program's benefits are available on stays at any of the hundreds of participating hotels. And stays at any of these hotels contribute to your status level in the cross-brand program.
- GHA is just about status benefits. Unlike most other hotel programs, you don't earn points from your stays or redeem points for free nights.
- What can be somewhat confusing is that some of these brands also have their own brand-specific loyalty program. If so, you'll get the benefits of (and earn credits with) both programs on your stays and you might earn points with the hotel's own program.
- Once you get to mid-level status (Platinum), you’ll get a free “local experience”, such as an interesting free tour or meal. Platinum and higher members also get an additional local experiences every time that they stay in a new brand that is part of the GHA program.
- There are a few tricks for easily getting Platinum-level status and receive these extra benefits.
GHA Brands
While the program doesn't have any large global hotel brands, it includes a wide range of brands and some great hotels all around the world.
Member Benefits
One of the unique and valuable aspects of the program are access to free GHA local experiences. You'll earn one experience voucher when you reach Platinum level each year and another when you reach Black level. Platinum and Black members also get a voucher whenever they stay at a new GHA brand for the first time.
Vouchers can then be redeemed at experiences offered by the various GHA hotels around the world. Each hotel offers their own set of experiences and black-level experiences are more valuable than platinum-level ones. For example, in Singapore there are dozens of possibilities. At the lower "Platinum" level, these include a Vintage Sidecar Tour, gourmet picnic, or bespoke tailor-made shirt. Premium "Black" level experiences include a commercial flight simulator experience, Rum appreciation masterclass, or several different five-course meals. In some cases, you need to stay at the hotel to redeem. At other cases, you don't. So you could earn a certificate on a stay in Singapore and then redeem in your home city or the next time you visit a different city (like Paris).
Beyond the discounted member rates, much of the value of the program is with the free local activities.
Gold (entry level)
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| Platinum (10 nights) Adds the following benefits:
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| Black (30 nights) Adds the following benefits:
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Status Shortcuts
Most people aren't going to naturally stay 10 or more nights per year in GHA hotels and naturally qualify for Platinum status. Fortunately, there are some shortcuts that will let you access GHA's unique local experience.
- If you have status in another program, you can often get a status boost with GHA Discovery, even if you just received that status from a credit card. Try emailing a request and your current status information to discovery@gha.com. Often GHA will only bump you up one-level. So even if you have high end status with another program, entry-level GHA Discovery members will only get bumped to Platinum level. However, other times people have been bumped all the way to Black. /li>
- Members of the Business Traveller Club receive one year's Platinum membership. Membership costs 30 British Pounds per year. We haven't had an opportunity to test whether you the Platinum status from this membership will allow a one-level status match jump to get you to the Black level. Business Traveller Club Website.
- If you can get higher-level status with one of the participating hotels brands, you'll usually get higher-level status with GHA Discovery. For example, if you see any promotions or are able to status match to Thon Hotels' or Kempinski Hotels' loyalty program you should get the equivalent status at all the GHA brands.
