Your complete guide to GHA Discovery hotel loyalty program

When you think of hotel loyalty programs, the likes of Accor ALL and Hilton Honors are often first to spring to mind. Yet there are other slept-on gems worth looking into, depending on your travel habits and preferred destinations. GHA Discovery is one of them.

For the uninitiated, GHA Discovery is the abbreviated name for Global Hotel Alliance Discovery – a loyalty program combining 40 independent hotel brands in more than 100 countries under one umbrella. It has some great partners too.

Among its stable of some 800+ hotels you’ll find big-name luxury brands including Anantara, Parkroyal Collection and Kempinski, in addition to Elewana, Avani and Tivoli Hotels.

Though primarily in locations throughout Southeast Asia, there are plenty of Australian options too, including ever-reliable Oaks Hotels (60+ properties in metro and regional areas) and five-star Pan Pacific Hotels. There’s also the gorgeous Capella Sydney.

That’s not all. A relatively new partnership with premium all-inclusive cruise line Regent Seven Seas Cruises also allows members to be rewarded for their adventures on the high seas.

The Pan-Pacific Melbourne is one of many local properties in the GHA Discovery family.

How GHA Discovery works

GHA Discovery has four status tiers: Silver, Gold, Platinum and the brilliantly-named Titanium.

Tiers are progressed in three ways: by the number of room nights stayed, the dollar value spent, or by staying at more than one brand. See below for details on how to increase your status.

Plus, for every dollar spent at the hotel or resort, members earn ‘Discovery Dollars’. The exact earning rate depends on your tier status and ranges from 4-7%. Members also enjoy access to Local Offers, such as discounted dining and spa treatments, which do not require a stay.

Pan Pacific Discovery tiers span from Silver to Titanium.

Silver Status is where every new GHA Discovery member begins their journey up the loyalty ladder. After that, the qualifications needed to achieve Gold, Platinum and Titanium are:

• GHA Discovery Gold: stay 2 nights or spend at least USD$1,000
• GHA Discovery Platinum: stay 10 nights, spend at least USD$5,000, or stay at two GHA brands
• GHA Discovery Titanium: stay 30 nights, spend at least USD$15,000, or stay at three GHA brands

If you compare it to Hilton Honors and Accor All Live Limitless purely on total nights, you can achieve the equivalent fourth tier in 30 nights, compared to 42 at Hilton and 60 at Accor.

But, see that last point on Platinum and Titanium? That's your fast-track to top status right there!

You can achieve Titanium in only three nights, so long as each night is with a different brand. In Australia, your options are Parkroyal, Pan Pacific, Oaks Hotels, Capella and Avani. 

Singapore's unique and eco-friendly Parkroyal Collection Pickering.

Benefits of GHA Discovery 

For every dollar spent in the program, you’ll earn Discovery Dollars, which can be used to purchase members-only benefits such as cultural tours, spa discounts and dining deals.

Sadly, Discovery Dollars do expire, with the time you have to spend them dictated by your tier status.

Instead of allowing members to stockpile them for a rainy day, Silver members have just six months until dollars expire, with 18 for Gold and Platinum, and 24 months for Titanium.

These are the benefits of GHA Discovery Silver, the base tier on the loyalty ladder:

• Member Rates: Save 10% or more when you book direct
• Earn 4% Discovery Dollars on your total hotel spend
• Access member-only discounts and packages
• Enjoy complimentary Wifi access

Once you progress to the next level, the benefits of GHA Discovery Gold are as follows:

• Member Rates: Save 10% or more when you book direct
• Earn 5% Discovery Dollars on your total hotel spend
• Access member-only discounts and packages
• Enjoy complimentary Wifi access

Brasserie at Capella Sydney, one of GHA's newest properties in Australia.

Building on those gilded perks, GHA Discovery Platinum benefits include:

• Member Rates: Save 10% or more when you book direct
• Earn 6% Discovery Dollars on your total hotel spend
• Receive an enhanced room upgrade where available
• Stay longer with late check-out until 3pm
• Receive a “locale-inspired” welcome amenity on arrival
• Access member-only discounts and packages
• Enjoy complimentary Wifi access

The pinnacle of the status tiers, GHA Discovery Titanium gives you:

• Member Rates: Save 10% or more when you book direct
• Earn 7% Discovery Dollars on your total hotel spend
• Receive a double room upgrade where available
• Arrive early with early check-in from 11am
• Stay longer with late check-out until 4pm
• Receive a “locale-inspired” welcome amenity on arrival
• Gift status benefits to family and friends
• Access member-only discounts and packages
• Enjoy complimentary Wifi access

How to spend Discovery Dollars

Discovery Dollars can be spent however you like on rooms, dining, spa, golf and experiences. At check-out, simply put Discovery Dollars towards your bill. It doesn’t matter what membership tier you are either, the ways to spend the dollars are the same. 

GHA Discovery Local Offers

Sometimes you want a little indulgence, but don’t have time to stay at a hotel overnight.

With that in mind, GHA Discovery has a suite of Local Offers. Available across five categories – dining, spa, remote working, and golf and fitness amenities – they allow members to enjoy perks such as discounted dining and drinks or spa treatments, without a hotel stay.

An easy-to-use tool on the GHA website allows you to search through the available offers in the destination and date period you’re after, with the offers either free or at a discounted rate.

How the Regent Seven Seas-GHA partnership works

Members of GHA Discovery can also take advantage of a unique partnership with Regent Seven Seas Cruises. The brand boasts a fleet of lavish, mid-size ships in the sparkling waters of Europe, North America, Oceania and beyond.

For every Regent booking made by a GHA Discovery member, guests will be rewarded:

• Between D$750 and D$2,500 for every Regent cruise reservation made, which can be spent at any GHA hotel or resort worldwide, valid for 12 months
• Fast-track upgrade to Titanium status, valid for over 12 months, offering benefits such as double room upgrades, special amenities, early check-in, and late checkout at GHA hotels and resorts worldwide
• On-board welcome gift of premium chocolates and Champagne with any Regent voyage reserved by a Discovery member

Is GHA Discovery worthwhile ?

Definitely. And with the ability to reach Titanium status in just three nights – unlocking double room upgrades, early check in and late check out, and the ability to gift status to family - it represents incredible value. 

Although somewhat limited in Australia, the variety properties available through the program, particularly in Southeast Asia, is exceptional.

You could enjoy a stay at the green-clad Parkroyal Collection Pickering in Singapore, sip cocktails overlooking the Andaman Sea at Avani Ao Nang Cliff Krabi Resort, or live the Maldives dream with an escape to Anantara Kihavah Maldives Villas, to name a few.

For business, there’s also an array of hotels in cities like Bangkok, Singapore, Hanoi and Sydney.