Get GHA DISCOVERY Platinum hotel status for just £16

There is a way of picking up Platinum (mid tier) status with Global Hotel Alliance for just £16! Let me explain.

Business Traveller magazine is running an excellent subscription offer at the moment.  If you didn’t think there was any reason to subscribe, because you always pick one up in the airport or in your hotel, read on ….

You can get a 45% discount via a Summer promotion.  This means:

• a 1-year digital subscription is £16.49

• a 1-year print and digital subscription is £23.62

…. and get free Platinum status with Global Hotel Alliance

The reason I am advocating a subscription to Business Traveller (apart from the quality of the writing of course) is that you will get Platinum status with Global Hotel Alliance for free.

Your Platinum membership will run until the end of 2023.

If you have a stay at a GHA hotel coming up, especially at a resort, it may be worth subscribing for a year just to get this benefit.

Once your subscription is confirmed, you need to sign up for The Club by Business Traveller and claim your GHA Platinum status as well as various other benefits. Ignore the £30 fee mentioned on that page – The Club membership is free with all subscriptions. You can confirm it here.

What is Global Hotel Alliance?

Global Hotel Alliance is a marketing group used by 40 upmarket hotel brands with a total of 800+ combined properties.

Kempinski is the biggest one you might be familiar with.  Other big names include Pan Pacific, Corinthia, Capella, The Doyle Collection and Anantara. NH Hotels joined this year, along with its sister brand nhow.

In general, these are strong national chains in their respective heartlands which have not – with the exception of Kempinski – made the jump to being global brands.

The full list of members, including sub-brands, is:

• Anantara
• Araiya
• Avani
• Campbell Grey Hotels
• Capella
• Corinthia
• Discovery Destinations
• Divani Collection
• The Doyle Collection
• Elewana
• Fauchon
• GLO
• Ja
• Kempinski
• The Leela
• Lungarno Collection
• Marco Polo
• Mysk
• NH Hotels
• NH Collection
• nhow
• Niccolo
• Nikki Beach
• Nuo
• Oaks
• Outrigger
• Pan Pacific
• PARKROYAL
• Patina
• The Residence
• Shaza
• The Sukhothai
• Sun International
• Tivoli
• Ultratravel
• Viceroy

GHA Discovery is the loyalty programme for Global Hotel Alliance

Because of the loose nature of the GHA grouping, it has not been possible to develop a points based redemption programme.  GHA does not have the muscle with its members to make them accept £20+ per night for a reward night, which is all the major hotel programmes pay to their properties if the hotel is not completely full.

Instead, you receive decent benefits plus DISCOVERY Dollars. This is essentially a cash rebate on your spending which you can put towards a future room booking.

Here is the full list of benefits but in summary:

• Silver is the entry level, given to you immediately when you sign-up.  This is well worth doing.  It gets you access to member-only rates, free internet and 4% back in DISCOVERY Dollars.

• Gold requires just two stays or $1,000 of spending but has no real additional benefits, except that your cashback increases to 5%

• Platinum is their mid-tier status given after 10 nights in a year or $5,000 of spending or, more easily, staying at two different brands.  Platinum gives you extra benefits on top – an upgrade to the next room category, a local amenity, 3pm late check-out and 6% back in DISCOVERY Dollars.

• Titanium status requires 30 nights, $15,000 of spending or, more easily, staying at three different brands. You receive an 11am check-in, 4pm late check-out, a double upgrade, a welcome amenity and 7% back in DISCOVERY Dollars.

The ability to reach Titanium and Platinum status by staying at just two or three brands is very interesting. If you were travelling in Asia, where GHA is strongest, you could achieve it relatively cheaply.

You receive Platinum status with your Business Traveller subscription – which will cost you as little as £16.49.  Whilst benefits are never guaranteed, I have had a few emails over the years from HfP readers who received good upgrades at GHA resorts.  Those people only joined after reading about the Business Traveller offer in previous HfP articles.

I’ve no idea if anyone will status match GHA Discovery Platinum, but that is clearly another interesting option to look into if you don’t have any other hotel mid tier memberships.

The Business Traveller offer is here. It is not clear when it closes.

Hotel offers update – December 2024:

Want to earn more hotel points?  Click here to see our complete list of promotions from the major hotel chains or use the ‘Hotel Offers’ link in the menu bar at the top of the page.

Want to buy hotel points?

• Hilton Honors is offering an 80%-100% bonus when you buy points by 31st December 2024. Click here to buy.

• IHG One Rewards is offering a 100% bonus when you buy points by 13th December 2024. Your annual purchase limit is increased to 300,000 points plus the bonus. Click here to buy.

• Marriott Bonvoy is offering a 40%-45% bonus when you buy point by 23rd December 2024. Your annual purchase limit is increased to 150,000 points plus the bonus. Click here to buy.

• World of Hyatt is offering a 25% bonus when you buy points by 4th January 2025. Your annual purchase limit is increased to 110,000 points plus the bonus. Click here to buy.