By:  Christopher Hartley, CEO at Global Hotel Alliance

 

Well it’s been another incredible six months for Global Hotel Alliance and so as we head into the summer holiday season up north, I thought I would reflect on some of our biggest achievements and milestones so far this year.

 

Business has continued to recover strongly, with #leisuretravel still leading the way, while #businesstravel and #meetings and #events are coming back at a more modest pace. US travellers are leading the way in international travel demand, followed by the UK, while China is showing the first signs of a recovery six months after reopening.

 

Our GHA DISCOVERY revenues grew an amazing 122% to US$1.2 billion, of which US$135 million was cross-brand revenue (i.e. revenue from customers moving between our member brands, which is what we’re all about!).

 

We saw several significant new hotel openings, further expanding and enriching the choice for our GHA DISCOVERY members, including some new icons such as the Anantara Plaza Nice Hotel, the NH Collection Dubai The Palm, Capella Hotels and Resorts in Sydney and in Japan, the BELLUSTAR TOKYO, A Pan Pacific Hotel and HOTEL GROOVE SHINJUKU, A PARKROYAL Hotel which are already our most booked hotels!

 

We are very proud that four of our hotel brands appeared in Travel + Leisure Co. world best awards, with Capella Hotels and Resorts being at number one, The Leela Palaces, Hotels and Resorts at number three and Viceroy Hotel Group and Anantara Hotels, Resorts and Spas also in the top 20!

 

We had an in-person gathering of our three most senior committees, with our CEO meeting hosted by Sun International in Cape Town, our Alliance Strategy Board hosted by Anantara Hotels, Resorts and Spas in Dubai; and our Brand Champions at the beautiful Hotel Adlon Kempinski Berlin. And it’s so much more productive and fun to be meet again in person!

 

And last, but certainly not least, we launched a first-of-a-kind partnership with Regent Seven Seas Cruises, meaning customers booking a luxury cruise with Regent Seven Seas can earn our expanding digital currency, Discovery Dollars (D$), of which we have now issued over D$100 million (= same in US$). We have a like-minded customer base that love travel and luxury experiences, and so this has all the makings of a fruitful collaboration.

 

Thanks to all my colleagues in the fabulous GHA team, and to all of our member brands around the world for making this alliance such a successful (and fun!) business to work in.

 

More to come in the second half of 2023 and beyond!

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