Global Hotel Alliance, or GHA, is an independent hotel alliance. There are single or multiple independent hotel brands under the GHA Discovery Program. Here is the ultimate guide to the GHA Discovery Program.
GHA Discovery Brands
The GHA Discovery Program partners with 40 brands. The Indian Hotel Chain The Leela is also part of this Alliance. Other popular Hotel chains, such as Anantara, Avani, Kempinski, and Pan Pacific, are also part of this program.
GHA Discovery Membership Elite Status: Eligibility
GHA Discovery is a free-to-join hotel loyalty program. You will be upgraded or downgraded to an Elite status based on number of stays or spending.
- Silver: Base Member
- Gold Status: 2 Stays or $1000 Spends
- Platinum Status: 10 Nights or $5000 Spends or 2 Brand Stays
- Titanium Status: 30 Nights or $15000 Spends or 3 Brand Stays
Gold Status may look like an easy task. However, you must complete two separate stays instead of two-night stays to be eligible for this status. Also, the spending excludes taxes, tips, fees, and redeemed DISCOVERY Dollars.
Validity of Elite Status
Your elite status eligibility is calculated on a calendar year basis. If you attain an elite status this year, it will remain until the end of next year. If you fail to achieve the eligibility criteria next year, you will be downgraded to the immediate lower tier. That means Platinum Elite will be downgraded to Gold Status and Silver Status.
GHA Discovery Members Elite Status: Benefits
GHA Discovery members enjoy certain benefits during their stay at GHA Brands. These are:
Silver Member Benefits
This is the lowest tier and a base membership which have the following benefits:
- 4% DISCOVERY Dollars [D$1 equals USD 1]
- Discovery Dollars Expiry: 12 Months
- Membership Rates discount of 5-10% on the Best Available Rate
- Complimentary Wi-Fi
Gold Elite Member Benefits
As a Gold Elite Member of the GHA Discovery Program, you are eligible for the following benefits:
- 5% DISCOVERY Dollars
- Discovery Dollars Expiry: 18 Months
- Membership Rates discount of 5-10% on the Best Available Rate
- Complimentary Wi-Fi
Platinum Elite Member Benefits
As a Platinum Elite Member of the GHA Discovery Program, you are eligible for the following benefits:
- 6% DISCOVERY Dollars
- Discovery Dollars Expiry: 24 Months
- Membership Rates discount of 5-10% on the Best Available Rate
- Complimentary Wi-Fi
- Upgrade to the next higher room category [Upon Request and Subject to Availability]
- Late Check-Out up to 3:00 PM, subject to availability
- Welcome amenity [As Decided by Hotel Brand]
The Platinum Elite status is the least status to get benefits out of the GHA Discovery Program.
Titanium Elite Member Benefits
As a Titanium Elite Member of the GHA Discovery Program, you are eligible for the following benefits:
- 7% DISCOVERY Dollars
- Discovery Dollars Expiry: 24 Months
- Membership Rates discount of 5-10% on the Best Available Rate
- Complimentary Wi-Fi
- Double Upgrade to the higher room category [Upon Request and Subject to Availability]
- Early Check-In from 11:00 AM. The request should be made two days prior
- Late Check-Out up to 4:00 PM, subject to availability
- Guaranteed reservations before 48 Hours with a request
- Additional brand benefit
- Welcome amenity [As Decided by Hotel Brand]
- Share Titanium Tier status with one member
- Breakfast at select hotel brands
Limit on Earning Discovery Dollars
If you stay at any GHA Brand for more than 30 days, you will earn Discovery Dollars on room charges for the first thirty days. This applies to Tier credit. In case of multiple room bookings, only two rooms can earn Discovery Dollars.
Also, GHA may restrict net eligible spending on a suo motto basis. This may, though, have a higher cap.
Non-Eligible Spends
Apart from limits on earning D$ there are ineligible spends on which you will not earn any D$:
- Third-Party Bookings
- Complimentary rooms
- Employee & Travel Industry Rates, Tours
- Transactions at ineligible outlets
- Taxes, tips and fees
- Gift Cards and vouchers
- Complimentary or gratis items
- Food & Beverage – Banquet, catering and events, Outside catering, Nightclubs
- Retail products
- Membership fees, coaching and training fees – Spa, golf, health club, gym
- Miscellaneous – Business Centre, Equipment rental, Fax, Florist, Paid-outs, Cash drop, Check drop, Commission, Deposit, Donation, Dry cleaning, Exchange fee, Fitness, Gym, Laundry, Loss, Medical/doctor, No show-room, F&B, other, Parking, Partnerships, Payment type, Pool equipment, Profit, Rental, Retail, Service, Tax, Tobacco, Transfer/Transport/Limousine.
Upgrades
Even though Platinum & Titanium members are eligible for room upgrades, they should specifically ask for this benefit. Further, upgrades may include rooms on higher floors with better views, corner rooms with special amenities, and Club or Executive floor rooms. Also, upgrades may not be available to certain speciality suites, presidential and multiple-bedroom suites, residences, villas, etc.
Welcome Amenity
This benefit will vary based on the hotel brand you stay at, and there is published amenity information available. You will probably get a locale-inspired gift upon arrival. I think it can be a discount on food & beverages, complimentary spa etc.
GHA Discovery Elite Status Fast Track
GHA and MasterCard have been offering an Elite Fast Track offer for the past two years. With this offer, you can even reach the top elite status of the GHA Program. This year, Visa has also joined and is offering complimentary GHA Staus.
| Card Variant | Complimentary GHA Elite Status |
| MasterCard Platinum & Titanium | GHA DISCOVERY Gold |
| Mastercard World | GHA DISCOVERY Platinum |
| Mastercard World Elite | GHA DISCOVERY Titanium |
| VISA Gold | GHA DISCOVERY Gold |
| VISA Signature, Platinum & Rewards | GHA DISCOVERY Platinum |
| VISA Infinite | GHA DISCOVERY Titanium |
To get complimentary status via VISA, click here, and for MasterCard, click here.
Sharing of Titatinum Elite Status
You can share this elite status with the other members as a Titanium Elite Status member. However, to be eligible for sharing, you must have met the elite status requirement based on the 30 nights, $15,000 spent, or three brand stays.
The validity of the shared tier status will be for the same year and next year.
Redeeming Discovery Dollars
You can only redeem Discovery Dollars in increments of D$1, and the minimum amount to redeem is D$10. That means a Silver member must spend $250 without taxes and fees to earn D$10.
For example, if you have a bill of $100.50, you can only pay $100 using D$100, and the rest 0.5 Cents needs to be paid in cash.
Transfer of Discovery Dollars
If you have earned Discovery Dollars, then you can share this with the other GHA Discovery members subject to certain conditions, which are:
- Can transfer D$ after 90 days of membership
- A maximum of two transfers per day
- Receive a maximum of two transfers per day
- The expiry date will be the same
- Minimum Amount of Transfer: D$ 100.
- Maximum Amount of Transfer: D$ 500.
Transfers of D$ to other members are free of charge. You can also transfer D$ using the GHA DISCOVERY app only.
Customer Support
To contact GHA Discovery customer support, use their email ID: [email protected].
GHA is more than just for Hotel Stays
GHA not only offers hotel stays but also offers Experiences, Dining, and Golf Spa options. You also have the option of a Vacation Rental.
Spa:
Should you Book using the GHA Website or App?
There is one peculiar thing about booking GHA Brands hotels. These brands also have websites and apps and run independent offers. These offers are usually for MasterCard, Visa and Amex Cardholders. Apart from that offers are available on both Hotel and GHA websites/APP.
Bottomline
The GHA Discovery Program is decent. You can use this program since there are several participating hotels and hotel brands. Also, based on the websites of participating hotels, there is no disparity between the benefits available to members, unlike other independent hotels’ loyalty programs.
