UAE-headquartered Global Hotel Alliance (GHA) has delivered outstanding full-year 2025 financial results, reflecting the continued expansion of its brand network, increased member engagement, and rising demand across key markets, especially for international leisure travel, underscoring the alliance’s strength and resilience in a dynamic global hospitality landscape.
Total revenue
generated by the GHA DISCOVERY loyalty programme reached $3.2 billion, a 21%
increase from the previous record set in 2025.
Repeat stay revenue
climbed 18% to $1.8 billion, highlighting the growing engagement of loyal
members, while cross-brand stay revenue surged by 15%, reaching $424 million,
driven by members staying in a different brand than where they enrolled.
Growth in loyalty
programme membership and engagement was achieved in 2025, with enrolments
rising 25% to 4 million vs. 3.2 million in 2024 and total GHA DISCOVERY
membership surpassing 34 million.
DISCOVERY Dollar (D$)
redemption grew by 55% to D$31 million, with the December holiday season
marking the strongest period, as members spent their D$ on hotel stays and a
wide range of experiences, from dining to spa days and more.
In 2025, GHA welcomed
eight new hotel brands to its portfolio and, together with ongoing growth from
existing brands, added 175 new properties to the GHA DISCOVERY programme,
almost tripling 2024 growth numbers.
A significant
milestone was Rotana, one of the leading hotel management companies in the
Middle East, Africa, Eastern Europe, and Turkey, joining the alliance, adding
over 70 hotels. Other new hotel brands include Sunway, Lanson Place and SAii.
These brands have
enhanced GHA DISCOVERY’s footprint in key leisure destinations such as Thailand
and the UAE, while also broadening its reach across a more diverse range of
locations, including China, Malaysia, the Philippines and Eastern Europe.
The UAE
remained one of the most preferred stay destinations among members in 2025.
GHA’s UAE hotels recorded 985,500 room nights and 252,300 stays, each
representing a 29% increase year-on-year compared to 2024, underscoring
sustained growth in demand throughout the period.
Domestic demand played
a leading role in 2025, with members residing in the UAE representing 25% of
stays at GHA’s UAE hotels - more than twice the volume generated by the UK, the
destination’s top international source market.
Anantara The Palm
Dubai Resort, Kempinski Hotel Mall of the Emirates and NH Collection Dubai The
Palm, emerged as the top-performing GHA hotels in the country, generating the
highest revenue from stays made by members of the GHA DISCOVERY loyalty programme
in the UAE in 2025.
Following the recent
addition of Rotana, GHA now boasts a robust portfolio of around 70 hotels
across 16 brands in the UAE, reinforcing the alliance’s position among the
country’s leading hospitality groups.
Chris Hartley, CEO of
GHA, commented: “2025 was a year of solid growth for GHA, with luxury and
international leisure travel remaining strong. These results reflect the
attractiveness of a collaborative loyalty programme for independent brands and
its ability to drive incremental revenue streams, while encouraging channel
shift to direct bookings and away from high-cost third parties. We are on track
to reach the 1,000 hotel milestone this year, further expanding GHA’s global
presence and offering even more choice to our members.”
Travel preferences
of GHA DISCOVERY members in 2025:
Global travel
remains dominant
International stays
contributed 67% of all revenue in 2025, with countries receiving the most being
Thailand (93% international), Portugal (87%), the Netherlands (85%), Hong Kong,
SAR (83%), UAE (77%) and Singapore (75%).
US and UK
travellers remain the top spenders
The US and UK once
again claimed the top spots as the most important international feeder markets,
with GHA DISCOVERY members based in these countries generating a combined $432
million in room revenue from international stays – up 18% from 2024. Germany
retained third place with $92 million (+10%), followed by Australia (+6%) and
China at $75 million (+15%).
Top destinations
stay consistent
Thailand maintained
its status as the most popular destination by room revenue from international
stays, driven by members based in the US (generating $14 million) the UK
($13.7 million) and Russia ($10.1 million), while the UAE retained its
runner-up spot, favoured by members from the UK ($24.2 million),
Russia ($15.2 million) and Germany ($9.5 million). Singapore
secured the third position, with travellers in China ($17.6 million),
Australia ($13.7 million) and the UK ($9.3 million) flocking to the
destination, and Spain was the fourth most popular location for international
guests, thanks to members based in the UK ($14.1 million), the US
($13.9 million) and Germany ($7 million).
Direct booking
channels preferred
GHA’s direct web and
app platforms recorded strong growth in 2025, with generated room revenue
rising 26%, room nights up 30%, and bookings increasing 29%. More than 70% of
all direct bookings on GHA’s web and app platforms were for cross-brand stays,
highlighting how members increasingly travel across the alliance rather than
staying with a single brand. The average spend per member was 86% higher than
other channels, showing a clear preference for GHA’s channels among engaged
members. Guests booking through GHA consistently deliver more value, with
higher spend, longer stays and more regular engagement by members.
Chris Hartley, CEO of GHA, concluded: “Looking ahead, we see continued growth in international demand, driven by an emerging younger generation who tell us that they see travel as a core part of their lifestyle; we are witnessing accelerating momentum from emerging markets such as India and South East Asia; and we are reassured that travellers remain remarkably resilient to geopolitical noise. Together, this underpins our optimism for sustained growth in demand and in particular another strong year for international leisure travel in 2026.” -TradeArabia News Service
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