Elite status is a new feature in the game, adding an important incentive for gamers. In addition to being able to earn points and redeem them for rewards, users can participate in tournaments with even more incentives. Players are also able to get tons of free VIP items without spending any money or reaching certain levels just by playing often enough.,
The “airline elite status comparison” is a new program that allows users to earn points, which can be used to purchase upgrades and get closer to Elite Status.
GHA Discovery is perhaps the most well-known hotel loyalty program you’ve never heard of. They cover 37 brands, which is more than Marriott, and will soon reach a membership of 20 million people.
The Global Hotel Alliance (GHA) represents a number of lesser luxury hotel brands. The Discovery program is being relaunched and will be even more lucrative. Against industry trends, the new initiative actually costs hotel owners more in order to provide more to guests. Elite rank is becoming more accessible, and advantages are becoming more predictable. They’re also said to be a simple status match.
Viceroy, The Sukhothai, Parkroyal, Rydges, Outrigger, Pan Pacific, Kempinski, Marco Polo, and Anantara Hotels are among the brands included in GHA Discovery. NH Hotels will be joining in a few months, which is a huge coup. (Three years ago, Hyatt sought unsuccessfully to purchase NH Hotels in a transaction that would have increased the company’s presence by roughly 50%.)
GHA Vice President and Head of Transformation, Kristi Gole, talked with me about the new program and what it means for members.
What Is GHA Discovery, and How Does It Work?
GHA Discovery is the reward program for around a third of a dozen smaller hotel companies in Europe and Asia. The program now has 11 million members, after losing 7 million members on July 1st when OMNI hotels dropped out.
While GHA is headquartered in Dallas, the company only operates 14 hotels in the United States, the majority of which are Viceroy and Outrigger. Omni withdrew its 44 hotels from the program and now focuses on its own Select Guest program. It was always perplexing to be a part of two loyalty programs at the same time.
GHA Discovery now has over 500 hotels participating. In Europe, Elite World is about to begin. Sun International Resorts will be joining the group next week. When NH hotels become operational in the second quarter of 2022, they will have 360 properties. GHA now has over 900 hotels, putting it on par with Hyatt in terms of scale. The addition of NH Hotels will boost the total number of Discovery members to 20 million.
GHA Discovery has always prioritized experiences. Members earned ‘local experiences,’ which were sometimes spectacular and other times plain depending on the property at which they were redeemed, and got elite privileges based on the frequency of their stays across the program’s brands.
They didn’t have a points system, but these experiences served as the program’s refund component. The issue was that not every member wanted or had time to have an experience while staying at a hotel. They may be working alone all day. It’s preferable to be able to utilize the refund for a free stay or an experience whenever they want it; providing the member greater choice over the rebate increases the rebate’s worth.
GHA Discovery is engaged in the following activities:
- Introducing the program’s points. To interact with Discovery, members will no longer have to forego earning and redeeming points.
- Increasing one’s elite rank. They’re creating a new status tier and making it simpler to acquire status and take advantage of rewards in general.
- Members may be engaged in hotels even if they are not staying there. Hotels offer amenities and services that they may promote to members whenever they’re in the area, not just while they’re staying on site.
The new program and branding will begin on December 7. Everything should be more logical and consistent. Members may earn elite credit and advantages by booking directly via any direct channel – the GHA website, specific brand websites, corporate booking tools. Almost all prices are eligible, with the exception of certain deep discount wholesaler rates in Asia.
Award Redemption is a new feature introduced by GHA Discovery.
GHA will continue to provide Local Experience Awards, but these will be items that may be purchased with cash or points. Instead of local experiences, you’ll earn Discovery Dollars, which may be used to purchase these or most other items on site, including accommodation prices.
They’re being pretty generous for a program that didn’t have a points program previously, and this scheme will cost hotel owners more in order to provide more to consumers.
Customers will earn refunds ranging from 4% to 7% based on their status, and will be able to redeem as little as 10 Discovery Dollars at a time.
For a small program, a low redemption barrier is vital since it ensures that even the odd visitor does not strand points. They may earn ten dollars on one visit and use it towards a future stay if they like. There’s no benefit in saving up points for higher-value redemptions in the future since there’s no reward chart or ‘search for value.’
Discovery Dollars expire based on elite status, and bear in mind that this is dependent on when each dollar is earned, not how long you have to have points active in your account.
- 6 months for base (silver) members
- 18 months for gold
- 18 months for platinum
- 24 months for Titanium (and Red).
A Platinum member who earns Discovery Dollars on January 1 has until June 30 of the following year to spend them, independent of any subsequent activity in their account.
Most items invoiced to the room, including spa and golf use fees, may be used to gain points (but charging a golf membership to a room is excluded, and also excluded are limo transfers and valet parking). Because the technology is related to guest folios, there are presently no points earned or burned for activities while not staying as a guest.
New Elite Tiers have been added.
They intend to move from having 4% of members with elite status to having 20% of members with status after introducing a new elite tier and making status simpler to attain.
They renamed their existing top-tier elite tier, Black, to Titanium, and established a new lowest-tier tier (Gold).
Here’s how you get status:
- Silver is the starting point.
- Gold: 2 nights or $1000 in spending
- Platinum: 10 nights, $5000 in spending, or stays at two different brands
- Titanium: 30 nights, $15,000 in spending power, or three brands
If you stay at three separate brands in the network, you may achieve top tier elite status in only three nights. To achieve this, you might, for example, spend three nights in Bangkok hopping between three different types of hotels. And it’s on purpose. If you’re tasting their products, they’d want to thank you since one of their biggest challenges is getting people to recognize their brands and view them as an united program.
GHA Discovery is becoming more charitable in general as it prepares to compete. Working with hotels to supply elite perks, they decreased the requirement that establishments confirm room availability 72 hours in advance, but they still do so, just not as close to check-in. They’ve also changed the hours of the early check-in incentive to make it simpler for hotels to provide. However, the advantages are the same or superior in every other way. And how many programs encourage early check-in rather than late check-out?
The following are some of the most important elite advantages:
- Bonus point-earning opportunity: Depending on your status level, you will receive 4 percent, 5 percent, 6 percent, or 7 percent in dollars.
- Titaniums enjoy early check-in at 11 a.m. and late checkout at 3 p.m. Platinums may check out at 3 p.m., while Titaniums can check out at 4 p.m.
- Platinums get a single category upgrade, while Titaniums receive a double upgrade (subject to availability).
- Platinum and Titanium members enjoy a complimentary amenity.
- Titaniums also get extra advantages that differ by brand, like as breakfast, airport transportation, and free laundry.
Breakfast isn’t often included, and entrance to the club lounge isn’t always guaranteed. Unlike Hyatt, suites are not assured or confirmed in advance. They do, however, guarantee constant benefit delivery, and early check-in is ideal for early morning arrivals in Europe or Asia. In general, many people will find the elite privileges to be superior to those offered by Hilton and IHG.
Red Status Unpublished Invitation-Only Unpublished Invitation-Only Unpublished Invitation-Only Unpublished Invitation
Cobalt is available at Marriott, Courtesy Card is available at Hyatt, and Noir is available at MGM. In GHA Discovery, there are a few visitors who are yet unreleased. On the GHA website, there is a page for Red Level, however it is blank.
Krist was vague when I inquired about Red, but I gather it includes an upgrade to a suite, 10 a.m. check-in and 6 p.m. check-out, and more sophisticated amenities updated daily in the room. According to documents I’ve seen in the past, the late check-out bonus was 9 p.m., and there was butler service and “custom chef services,” but I don’t believe they are still available.
If any Red Level members are among the readers, I’d love to hear about their experiences.
Even if you are not a guest, you are welcome to visit GHA Hotels.
When members aren’t staying as guests, GHA Discovery is introducing “Love Local,” which will provide push alerts via their app and deals on their website for available hotel facilities. “Inviting members to enjoy a drink at the hotel bar..[or providing] gratis access to the pool, beach club, or gym,” according to Kristi Gole, or offering discounts like “two for one for supper.”
Their mission is to boost hotel and program participation, as well as bring additional income to properties.
Opportunity to Match Status
GHA Discovery is said to be rather excellent at delivering status matches upon request, generally by giving a copy of a current elite membership card or information from a competitor’s website. My impression is that they’re significantly more generous than the StatusMatcher.com site implies. Requests should be sent to discovery -at- gha.com, or customers could contact customer care and inquire for a status match.
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