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Global Hotel Alliance unveils loyalty program

Old Feb 28, 2019, 5:53 pm
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Global Hotel Alliance unveils loyalty program

Old Sep 27, 2012, 9:28 am
  #46  
 
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: Dubai
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I'm a Black card member thanks to stays with new Omni in Dallas (1,001 rooms but very nice BTW) and with Kempinski and First Hotels in Europe over the last year. I usually get at least a single upgrade and had a double this week in Geneva. I don't know how many on this forum are in the UK but there has been a big promotional push on by GHA over the summer with emails most weeks since the Jubilee in early June. It looks as if they've overhauled the "Local Experiences" and there are a lot more to choose from, although some of them are perhaps a bit less exclusive than the old ones.

For example if you stay in London you can get a free Kindle Touch with leather case in exchange for a Black award, or you can get a 150 shopping voucher for Harrods or Liberty (both pretty nice London shops). I don't really need to stay in London since I live near there - but is sounds like these are pretty easy rewards to take. I think they just give you the Kindle at the check-in desk if you book it online.

On the downside I see that they have said that they are phasing out Gold "Local Experiences" completely. You still get the Gold level rewards like free wifi and free water and you still earn nights on your account but there won't be any dedicated Gold "Local Experiences" after 31 December. Most of them looked a bit useless anyway, to be honest...
Forgot to add that Omni actually run their own loyalty scheme (Select Guest) in parallel with the GHA scheme, so you can "double dip" by earning points or nights towards free Omni nights at the same time as you are earning nights that count towards GHA Discovery tiers/ Local Experiences.

This confused me a bit as the place I enrolled happened to be an Omni in the USA, even though I live in the UK.

Last edited by Bossarb; Sep 28, 2012 at 9:13 am
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Old Sep 29, 2012, 11:06 am
  #47  
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Originally Posted by Somewhere Over the Atlantic
Can anyone with Black status speak to their experience with the "double upgrade" benefit?

I'm particularly interested in learning about two things:
  • How common it is for domestic properties to honor this benefit.
  • Whether the upgrades are meaningful (e.g., From "Deluxe" to "Superior" to "Suite, instead of "Deluxe" to "Superior without a view" to "Superior with a view").


It's exactly what it says - two level upgrades. Every hotel lists on his website the different room types. I always book two levels below the room which I want.
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Old Sep 30, 2012, 11:47 pm
  #48  
 
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Originally Posted by TallestHotelInJapan
It's exactly what it says - two level upgrades. Every hotel lists on his website the different room types. I always book two levels below the room which I want.
I'm afraid this wasn't the case with my experience on two ensuing stays (Berkshire and Chicago). Even though the inventory online showed that suites two levels higher than my booked room were for sale, I only received an upgrade of one level. My protests to the Loyalty Ambassador were met with "But you're already getting an upgrade to a suite".

Suffice to say, I've relegated this program into the dustbin, along w/ SPG and its unfulfilled upgrade promises.
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Old Oct 4, 2012, 7:18 am
  #49  
 
Join Date: Jan 2010
Programs: Ba gold, gha black
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As a black member with 57 stays this year at various gha hotels i thought id share my experience... Firstly, the brand of hotels are generally of great quality and much better than hilton... Have generally found that i have got an upgrade 95 per cent of the time, 50 per cent of that double upgrade... The problems then start at the hotels comes with the consistency... One london property in kensington leads the way for me, always a welcome card, fantastic local amenities re stocked every day, chef inspired dish... But, and a big but this is the exception to the rule, most offer you nothing apart from a bottle of water and often i end up calling to say what should i be receiving which usually follows an apology and then a minibar choc selection might arrive, hardly inspiring...but the biggest issue for me, is that the GHA parent lets the hotels down very badly.. As mentioned in a previous post, my stays dont get credited, my airmiles dont get credited... I have redeemed two black level experiences at two different brand hotels to be given no experience as we dont recognize this sir or a completely dunmed down version of the one i was meant to get (probably why they are making the black awards less attractive and phasing out gold... Gold awards are the new platinum and so forth with platinum)..when i call GHA to complain they do nothing, seem to be able to do nothing... After many mails, a lot of the airline miles im due are still missing and i shouldnt have to keep chasing on everything... This would not happen with hilton, starwood.
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Old Oct 4, 2012, 7:21 pm
  #50  
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Question Airline Miles

Originally Posted by copenhagenBA
...After many mails, a lot of the airline miles im due are still missing and i shouldnt have to keep chasing on everything... This would not happen with hilton, starwood.
Can we earn airline miles when we stay at GHA hotels? I did not know about that. In which hotels can we earn how many miles?
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Old Oct 5, 2012, 12:30 am
  #51  
 
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http://www.gha.com/About-GHA/Our-Partners GHA airline miles.. i usually if credited get 500 miles a night with BA:
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Old Oct 5, 2012, 12:57 am
  #52  
 
Join Date: Jan 2010
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GHA Local Experience Report

I recently had a great (gold) local experience at the Vier Jahreszeiten (I am black but the gold experience is what was available).

It was an afternoon with the hotel's tea sommelier and I really enjoyed it.

A complete report is online here.

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Old Oct 5, 2012, 7:37 am
  #53  
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Miles for 3rd party bookings

Originally Posted by copenhagenBA
http://www.gha.com/About-GHA/Our-Partners GHA airline miles.. i usually if credited get 500 miles a night with BA:
Oh, wow, that is something new to me, thank you for pointing out.

The fine print says "* Eligible Rates do not include tour operator rates, groups and packages, free/complimentary stays, travel industry rates and internet wholesaler/ third party rates."

I do not see that 3rd party rates, such as expedia and orbitz, are not eligible for the purpose of airline miles. Should I get miles for such bookings?
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Old Oct 5, 2012, 10:08 am
  #54  
 
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Originally Posted by copenhagenBA
[snip] ... I have redeemed two black level experiences at two different brand hotels to be given no experience as we dont recognize this sir or a completely dunmed down version of the one i was meant to get (probably why they are making the black awards less attractive and phasing out gold... Gold awards are the new platinum and so forth with platinum)..when i call GHA to complain they do nothing, seem to be able to do nothing...
Actually I think their awards are moving in the other direction. They are phasing out Gold and giving better awards for Black and Platinum, hence the Kindles and 150 shopping vouchers etc. At least that's what it looks like in UK/ Europe. It might be different in the rest of the world.

What were the Black experiences that didn't work out for you?
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Old Oct 5, 2012, 10:47 am
  #55  
 
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I redeeemed a will we rock you tour in london.. 3 course meal for 2 with bottle of champagne included then tickets to the show and VIP backstage tour. I got two tickets that was it, nothing more....it was embarassing as the concierge said goto the theater and use the do u know who i am approach...we got nowhere, so embarrasing...second one was in l.a two weeks ago.. Redeemed chauffaur tour of l.a followed by chopper ride with champagne... Hotel knew nothing of it when i arrived despite me having a full confirmation.. The omni to its credit hastily arranged a makeshift tour at 12 hours notice but not the point... When i complain to GHA about everything, its pointless, they do nothing.
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Old Oct 5, 2012, 11:48 am
  #56  
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Originally Posted by copenhagenBA
I redeeemed a will we rock you tour in london.. 3 course meal for 2 with bottle of champagne included then tickets to the show and VIP backstage tour. I got two tickets that was it, nothing more....it was embarassing as the concierge said goto the theater and use the do u know who i am approach...we got nowhere, so embarrasing...second one was in l.a two weeks ago.. Redeemed chauffaur tour of l.a followed by chopper ride with champagne... Hotel knew nothing of it when i arrived despite me having a full confirmation.. The omni to its credit hastily arranged a makeshift tour at 12 hours notice but not the point... When i complain to GHA about everything, its pointless, they do nothing.

What do you mean by "full confirmation"? Did you have it confirmed with the hotel? Only getting a voucher from the Internet is not sufficient.
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Old Oct 5, 2012, 11:09 pm
  #57  
 
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If i redeem an award and then get a confirm back a day later with confirmed number surely that suffices.. It worked once partly, it didnt work a second time.. It shouldnt be the responsibility of the customer to have to chase the hotels should it, this is why its arranged by GHA. Its their responsibility to have the correct communication channels to the hotels in my opinion.
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Old Oct 6, 2012, 12:09 pm
  #58  
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Originally Posted by copenhagenBA
If i redeem an award and then get a confirm back a day later with confirmed number surely that suffices.. It worked once partly, it didnt work a second time.. It shouldnt be the responsibility of the customer to have to chase the hotels should it, this is why its arranged by GHA. Its their responsibility to have the correct communication channels to the hotels in my opinion.
No, it isn't good enough in most cases! I know because I also felt on the mouth on my first redemption!

I took the first black level experience which I found on the GHA website - Unique Dining Experience.

Parts of the T&Cs say:
To book this Local Experience, please click the 'Redeem' button above. After booking a Local Experience you will automatically receive a redemption voucher electronically. When redeeming your Local Experience, please provide your redemption voucher or voucher number during check-in at the hotel front desk. Please note that this Local Experience must be confirmed by the hotel (the electronic redemption voucher is not sufficient confirmation of this Local Experience). The hotel will contact you to confirm and arrange the details of this Local Experience as soon as possible. In the meantime, if you have any queries regarding this Local Experience please email the hotel a [email protected] or call on +966 4 829 0001.
Most of the local experiences have such conditions in the fine print!
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Old Oct 24, 2012, 9:28 am
  #59  
 
Join Date: May 2012
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Originally Posted by copenhagenBA
http://www.gha.com/About-GHA/Our-Partners GHA airline miles.. i usually if credited get 500 miles a night with BA:
I just made a booking on GHA and nowhere was I given the option to enter my BA frequent flyer number. How do you link your GHA account to one of their partner airlines?
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Old Oct 26, 2012, 6:50 pm
  #60  
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Originally Posted by nocloud
I just made a booking on GHA and nowhere was I given the option to enter my BA frequent flyer number. How do you link your GHA account to one of their partner airlines?
Me? - I give my airline program number at check in
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