Most hotel loyalty programs only come to mind when you are planning an overnight stay. No room, no reservation, no benefits.
GHA Discovery takes a broader view with its Local Offers. Instead of limiting rewards to room nights, the program lets members access hotel experiences such as dining, spa visits, pool or gym access, and work-from-hotel packages, often without booking a stay at all.
For anyone who lives near a participating property, or regularly passes through cities with strong GHA coverage, Local Offers can turn hotels into practical places for targeted experiences while also, in some cases, earning or redeeming DISCOVERY Dollars (D$).
In this guide, we will look at what Local Offers are, the types of deals you can expect, and how to use them as part of your broader hotel and points strategy.
What Are GHA Discovery Local Offers?
Rather than tying every benefit to a room night, GHA allows members to book hotel services on an à la carte basis, while still engaging with the loyalty program.
In practice, that might mean reserving a restaurant package, a spa treatment, a pool day pass, or a work-from-hotel bundle and having the spend treated as eligible activity in your account.
A few general features apply across most offers:
- They are available to all members, including brand-new Silver members
- Many can be booked without an overnight stay
- At participating brands and properties, eligible spend may earn D$, and in many cases you can redeem existing D$ toward the cost, typically starting from D$10.
Not every Local Offer will earn or accept D$, and the rules can vary by brand and hotel, so it is important to check the terms and conditions of each offer before you book.
Taken together, Local Offers turn participating hotels into something closer to local clubs or lifestyle hubs, rather than places you only visit when you need a bed.
Types of GHA Discovery Local Offers
Each property designs its own Local Offers, so the exact line-up will vary. However, they tend to fall into a few broad categories.
Dining
Dining offers may include set menus, afternoon tea packages, member-exclusive pricing, or a fixed percentage discount at specific restaurants and bars.
For local guests, this can be a structured way to try hotel dining while potentially earning D$ on what would have been a regular evening out.
For in-house guests, booking a Local Offer may provide better value than simply charging meals at the standard rate.
Spa
Spa-related Local Offers often bundle a treatment with additional inclusions such as use of thermal facilities, welcome drinks, or savings on retail products.
Given that hotel spa pricing can be relatively high compared to local stand-alone spas, these offers may help narrow the gap, especially where they qualify for D$ earning or partial D$ redemptions.
Golf and Sports
Resort and golf properties may publish Local Offers around green fees, practice facilities, tennis courts, or structured fitness packages.
If you value specific facilities – for example, access to tennis courts or a well-equipped gym – these offers can provide predictable pricing and guaranteed access, rather than negotiating ad hoc day rates.
Work From Hotel
Work From Hotel offers are designed for remote workers or business travellers who need a quiet base for the day. Typical inclusions might be:
- Use of a room or designated workspace during the day
- Wi-Fi
- Coffee, tea, or light snacks
- Access to shared facilities such as the pool or fitness centre
For anyone working remotely, this can be a more comfortable alternative to spending the day in a café, with the added benefit of earning or using D$ on the booking.
Day Passes and Facility Access
Some Local Offers focus primarily on access, such as:
- Pool or beach club day passes
- Gym-only access
- Entry to member lounges or relaxation areas
These can be particularly useful in resort destinations if you are staying at a more modest property but would like to spend a day enjoying the facilities at a higher-end hotel.
My Local Offer Experience: Afternoon Tea at Avani+ Riverside Bangkok
Recently, I put GHA Discovery Local Offers to the test in Bangkok with an afternoon tea at Avani+ Riverside Bangkok.
The offer was priced at around 1,000 THB plus taxes (roughly $50 CAD), noticeably below what you would expect to pay at somewhere like the St. Regis or Waldorf Astoria.
The food and presentation were perfectly decent for the price point – not a once-in-a-lifetime tea tower, but absolutely fair value.
What really helped the experience stand out was everything around it: the riverfront setting, the chance to linger in the hotel’s airy lobby lounge and bar, and the boat ride along the Chao Phraya River.
In this case, the ferry is actually operated by the neighbouring Anantara Riverside hotel, but Avani guests are welcome to use it as well, so the Local Offer effectively came with a return boat transfer and some bonus sightseeing built in.
For a relatively modest spend, it turned a random afternoon into a mini outing, and it was a good reminder that Local Offers do not always need to be ultra-luxurious to be worthwhile.
Sometimes a reasonably priced treat, a comfortable space, and a scenic boat ride are exactly what you are looking for.
Conclusion
GHA Discovery Local Offers broaden the scope of a traditional hotel loyalty program by allowing members to access meaningful benefits without always booking an overnight stay.
Whether you are at home and looking for a structured way to enjoy hotel facilities, or travelling and hoping to add a spa visit, pool day, or work-from-hotel package to your itinerary, these offers can help you earn and redeem DISCOVERY Dollars more frequently and with greater flexibility.
This story originally appeared on princeoftravel
