5 Reasons To Join The Discovery Loyalty Program Right Now

A few months ago, I was made aware of the existence of DISCOVERY, the loyalty program of the Global Hotel Alliance, a group of 34 independent luxury hotel brands some of which you are probably aware of like Anantara, Per Aquum, Kempinski, and Alila. You can see the full list of brands here.

During my travels I generally steer away from big hotel chains most of which feel soulless to me. And I have been an admirer of Anantara’s growth and service over the past few years, so I decided to add this membership to the several others that I have with other hotel groups.

Joining is free and effortless through the website, and upon joining you are given Gold status (not too shabby, eh?!).

Other than it’s free, here are some reasons why I think it is worth joining.

1.DISCOVERY’s main selling point is the lack of points (pun intended). Unlike other hotel programs, your stays at DISCOVERY hotels don’t give you “points”, but they do contribute toward you receiving a Local Experience. What on earth is a “Local Experience” you ask? That is where the awesomeness of the program kicks in. Have you ever wanted to take an complimentary archery class in the desert of Dubai or go behind the scenes at the opulent Emirates Palace in Abu Dhabi? How about a complimentary cooking class in the Maldives or a Vespa tour in Rome? See what I mean by “local”?!

2. Another great thing about Local Experiences or at least some of them, is that you do not have to stay at the hotel itself to avail yourself of them. Let’s say that you got tired from all the walking around in Florence and you want to get a massage at the gorgeous Portrait Firenze hotel. You can choose to redeem your local experience there even if you are not staying at the hotel itself.

3. The Global Hotel Alliance, which the DISCOVERY loyalty program represents, is one of the world’s largest alliances of hotel brands. It covers 500+ unique properties in 76 countries, and offers 2,200 Local Experiences.

4. As a member, you get a 10% discount on the Best Available Rate if you book directly online.

5. Membership upgrades are pretty easy and quick, and just for joining, you get a few complimentary benefits. If you stay 10-29 nights per year, you are upgraded to platinum status. Stays of 30 nights and more per year get you Black status. And the higher your status, the better your “Local Experiences” are.

I recently had the opportunity to stay at two DISCOVERY brands and I simply loved it. You can read my reviews of the Anantara Veli and Per Aquum Huvafen Fushi to see what I am talking about.

You can also read more about DISCOVERY on their website, Facebook page, and Instagram.

And now I will leave you with some pictures that I and other guests have taken at DISCOVERY brands around the world!