I love when loyalty programs get better for members, instead of devaluing. Hotel loyalty program GHA Discovery has just added a robust breakfast elite benefits. And there’s nothing being taken away. That’s a big add in a program that has fantastic hotels.

In general I find that the best hotel loyalty comes from smaller programs that have to deliver more to the customer to get them to stay loyalty, it’s easy to stick with Marriott or Hilton but takes effort to stay with a chain that has a smaller footprint; premium brands where there’s higher room revenue and margins to invest in loyalty, and where there’s a greater payoff to the incremental business; and owned hotels because it’s easier to integrate the program and ensure consistent benefits delivery. Franchise hotels value the customers delivered by a brand, but have an incentive to free ride rather than contribute back to the brand.

The big hotel loyalty programs are mostly divorced from ownership. But smaller programs that skew premium deliver best. That’s why Hyatt is better than Marriott and Hilton. And it’s also an advantage of GHA Discovery, which is a coalition loyalty program which serves as the platform across around 40 smaller hotel chains such as Anantara; Viceroy; Sukhothai; Parkroyal; Pan Pacific; Outrigger; NH Hotels; Marco Polo Hotels; The Leela; and Kempinski.

They have a smaller footprint in the U.S. (especially once Omni left to go it alone) – about a dozen hotels – but they’re order of magnitude 800 hotels across 100 countries which is a total not far behind Hyatt.

Two years ago GHA, the Global Hotel Alliance, completely relaunched their program.

• They used to be experienced-based, with no points
  
• They introduced an earning and redemption currency – even if members prefer experiences, they no longer have to give up the points they’d earn somewhere else to stay at a GHA-participating property
  
• And made elite status easier to earn, with top-tier Titanium available after 30 nights or $15,000 spend or 3 brands (you can actually earn top tier elite status after just 3 nights if you did it at 3 different brands in the group, which can be accomplished in Washington, DC). Benefits naturally include bonus points, upgrades, and early and late check-out.

Now they’ve added breakfast as an elite benefit for Titanium members.

• Eligible brands: So far they’ve added Lore Group, Lungarno Collection, Marco Polo Hotels, Maqo Hotels, Mysk Hotels, Niccolo Hotels, Nikki Beach Hotels & Resorts, Shaza Hotels, and Grand Hotel Heiligendamm. The Set Collection hotels add the breakfast benefit starting May 1. More brands are coming.

• Book direct. As with hotel benefits generally, booking through direct channels (either GHA Discovery, the hotel brand or individual hotel) is required for eligibility. However “”[s]tays booked on discounted corporate rates will only be eligible at the hotel’s discretion.”

• How breakfast is defined: This isn’t a weak Marriott ‘continental breakfast’ – it must be “the same breakfast type that the hotel offers to guests who have booked a room and breakfast package.” It “does not apply to room service breakfast.” Since Titanium status doesn’t include club lounge access, breakfast cannot be taken in the lounge.

Those of you interested in GHA Discovery should consider that they’re reportedly good about status matches up to Titanium if you’ve stayed at least a single night at one of their hotels in the past 24 months.

(HT: The Shutterwhale)