Global Hotel Alliance CEO, Chris Hartley: “With the renewed programme, hotels are no longer just places to travel or stay; they are local centres for working, socialising and relaxing close to home”

By creating a virtual currency and allowing its members to enjoy thChris Hartley, CEO of the Global Hotel Alliance explains to the Journal des Palaces the reasons that led to the rethinking of the reward system for member customers. He also looks ahead to the future direction of the Global Hotel Alliance.

Le Journal des Palaces : Why did you decide to completely rethink your GHA Discovery loyalty programme?

Chris Hartley : In 2019, the GHA team conducted an exploratory project and what we called "Big Talks" around the world, where we sought feedback from our members in different markets. Overwhelmingly, they asked us to be more accessible, more generous and rewarding, and more flexible - so that they could achieve elite status more easily and really enjoy what it offers. GHA teams worked on an improved loyalty programme based on this feedback just before the health crisis. Members' ideas, combined with the sudden and lasting changes in travel due to the crisis, gave us a clear picture of how we could better serve our hotels and members. The new loyalty programme reflects not only the feedback from our members, but also the general evolution of travel, which is becoming more local and shorter. GHA DISCOVERY caters as much to the new culture of 'luxury lunch breaks', 'spa afternoons' or 'own city tourism' as it does to members who are going on holiday abroad.

How do you think this new programme is better suited to the guests of GHA member hotels?

GHA DISCOVERY offers members a generous new reward currency, DISCOVERY Dollars (D$), which can be earned and spent on eligible purchases at more than 500 hotels in the collection. Members can also upgrade faster with an additional tier and three flexible paths to upgrade: nights/stays, eligible purchases and number of brands stayed. Most importantly, hotels in the GHA DISCOVERY global collection are eager to welcome members who live nearby as VIP guests with new dedicated local offers. Whether it's a romantic dinner, a spa treatment, an afternoon at the pool, a round of golf or a productive day of remote work, among other things, members can enjoy exclusive access to the hotels' facilities and amenities without a stay. In this way, we are reinventing the role and function of hotels. With the renewed programme, hotels are no longer just places to travel or stay; they are local centres for working, socialising and relaxing close to home, offering members a place to conduct business, dine, meet friends and family or relax.

Why are Discovery Dollars easier to use than traditional miles for your customers?

Our members have spoken, and we have listened. Our extensive market research revealed that travellers are frustrated by the complexity of points and miles and are looking for a more transparent, flexible and lifestyle reward system. GHA DISCOVERY now offers this flexibility, with the introduction of the industry's first digital rewards currency, DISCOVERY Dollars, which allows members to earn points on their first stay and redeem them on subsequent stays for hotel spend, from rooms to restaurants to spas to golf. With frequent local travel the new norm due to pandemic-related travel restrictions, our new programme is more accessible and generous, rewarding members at hotels closer to home. 

Source: Le Journal des Palaces

Read the full article at Global Hotel Alliance (GHA)

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