GHA DISCOVERY has been a hotel loyalty program I’ve had my eye on lately. While its footprint in North America is small—only four properties in Canada—it’s a solid option when travelling through Europe and Asia.
As a Titanium member, my experiences so far have been excellent, and it’s quickly become one of my go-to programs in Asia, right alongside Marriott, Hilton, and Hyatt.
While Titanium is easy to earn in Asia by staying at three different brands, it’s much harder for Canadians, especially without a co-branded credit card.
Fortunately, there’s a potential shortcut through a status match with Rotana Rewards, a Middle East–based hotel program.
With Rotana set to join GHA DISCOVERY by late 2025, matching to their top tier could soon translate into GHA Titanium—without having to stay at a single hotel.
What Is Global Hotel Alliance?
Global Hotel Alliance (GHA) is the world’s largest network of independent hotel brands. Its loyalty program, GHA DISCOVERY, covers about 950 properties across 100+ countries, from beach resorts to city hideaways. Notable brands include:
- Anantara
- Capella
- Kempinski
- Pan Pacific
- NH Hotels & NH Collection
While the North American footprint is small, the program shines in Europe, Asia, the Middle East, and parts of Africa, where you’ll find GHA properties in prime city centres, beachfront locations, and exotic resort destinations.
GHA DISCOVERY has four tiers: Silver, Gold, Platinum, and Titanium.
The real value kicks in at the Titanium level, which offers double room upgrades, late check-out, and complimentary breakfast at select brands like Avani, Capella, Pan Pacific, and PARKROYAL.
While even the top tier doesn’t offer executive lounge access like Marriott or Hilton, there’s a trade-off. In my experience, lounges at those bigger brands have been feeling the strain—crowded with “elites” who earned their status via premium credit cards, with food quality and atmosphere often taking a hit.
By contrast, breakfast at GHA DISCOVERY properties tends to feel calmer, higher quality, and less like a status free-for-all. That’s because it’s primarily served to paying guests—meaning you can actually enjoy a proper, plated breakfast without jostling for space at the buffet.
So, how can you get Titanium status? Normally, you’d have to either spend 30 nights or stay at three different brands within a calendar year. For Canadians, that’s a tall order—especially with only four properties from a single brand in the entire country.
That’s where Rotana Rewards comes in. This Middle East–based hotel program is currently offering an easy status match that could help you climb straight to the top tier without the usual stay requirements.
Rotana’s Status Match Offer
Rotana Hotels, a major hospitality player in the Middle East, North Africa, Eastern Europe, and Turkey, is mid-transition from Rotana Rewards Select into the GHA DISCOVERY program. While the integration won’t be fully complete until late 2025 or early 2026, their current status match offer is already live.
Here is how the status is expected to be matched at the moment.
- Marriott Bonvoy: Platinum Elite and above members will be matched to Rotana Platinum, Gold Elite will be matched to Rotana Gold.
- Hilton Honors: Diamond members will be matched to Rotana Platinum, Gold members will be matched to Rotana Gold
- IHG One Rewards: Platinum and Diamond members will be matched to Rotana Platinum, Gold members will be matched to Rotana Gold
- Accor Live Limitless (ALL): Platinum and above members will be matched to Rotana Platinum, Gold members will be matched to Rotana Gold
How to apply: Simply fill out your personal information on the Rotana Rewards status match form and provide proof of your current elite status (membership card or account screenshot) with one of the programs above. Lower-tier statuses (Blue, Silver, Club, etc.) aren’t eligible.
What Happens After Rotana Joins GHA DISCOVERY?
Rotana is expected to fully integrate into GHA DISCOVERY by late 2025 or early 2026. While no official details have been released about how Rotana Rewards tiers will map to GHA DISCOVERY tiers, past integrations within GHA have typically seen top-tier members migrate into the equivalent GHA tier.
If a similar approach is taken here, it’s possible that:
- Rotana Platinum could align with GHA Discovery Titanium
- Rotana Gold could align with GHA Discovery Platinum
However, this hasn’t been confirmed, and the eventual mapping could change when the merger happens.
Still, given the simplicity of the current Rotana status match, the fact that it’s free, and that there’s no downside to applying, there’s potential for an easy path to higher GHA status—if the transition works in your favour.
Elite status matches don’t last forever, and there’s no guarantee this will still be offered once Rotana officially moves into GHA DISCOVERY.
If you already have qualifying elite status with Marriott, Hilton, IHG, or Accor, this is one of the easiest paths to GHA’s upper tiers—perfect for those who love upgrades, late check-outs, and a little extra D$ in the bank.
Conclusion
Rotana’s status match program could be a low-effort way to position yourself for higher GHA DISCOVERY status once the integration happens.
While there’s no guarantee on how tiers will convert, applying now costs nothing and could put you in a good spot to enjoy extra perks across GHA’s global portfolio if the transition works in your favour.
Sometimes, the best upgrades start with a quick form and a little patience.
This story originally appeared on princeoftravel
