GHA Discovery - New Program 2021
Feb 7, 2022, 10:40 am
#106
Join Date: Feb 2018
Programs: Bonvoy :Ambassador , ALL :Diamond, Skywards :Silver, Krisflyer :Silver
Posts: 2,808
I got my D$50
Haven't got chance to stay at GHA hotel yet, but I might try to get the titanium tier with stays at 3 different brands.
Its very doable from where I live,
Haven't got chance to stay at GHA hotel yet, but I might try to get the titanium tier with stays at 3 different brands.
Its very doable from where I live,
Feb 13, 2022, 3:52 am
#107
Join Date: May 2018
Location: Muscat/Doha/Manchester
Programs: Oman Air Gold, Qatar Airways Platinum, Marriott Ambassador, HH Diamond, GHA Black, Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 432
After being a Black member for years I have no desire to stay in the properties unless I need to as I am really turned off by the new loyalty scheme. I have 1400 D$ to spend but theres very few experiences I would want to use it on as most of the previous experiences have disappeared.
I just don't understand why the overhauled/messed up the programme when they only really needed to just tweak it IMO
I just don't understand why the overhauled/messed up the programme when they only really needed to just tweak it IMO
Feb 13, 2022, 6:25 am
#108
Join Date: Dec 2013
Location: Homeless
Programs: Hyatt Glob; Hilton Dia; Marriott AMB; Accor Dia; IHG Dia Amb; GHA Tit
Posts: 4,835
After being a Black member for years I have no desire to stay in the properties unless I need to as I am really turned off by the new loyalty scheme. I have 1400 D$ to spend but theres very few experiences I would want to use it on as most of the previous experiences have disappeared.
I just don't understand why the overhauled/messed up the programme when they only really needed to just tweak it IMO
I just don't understand why the overhauled/messed up the programme when they only really needed to just tweak it IMO
Feb 21, 2022, 9:21 am
#110
Join Date: Oct 2017
Location: Singapore
Posts: 175
(3) unlike in the other major hotel loyalty programmes, bookings made through FHR/Virtuoso into GHA hotels are normally ELIGIBLE for earning D$, receiving in-hotel benefits and receiving tier credits. Most competitor loyalty programmes have now limited eligibility to direct channel bookings only. Note that if you are entitled to a 1-category room upgrade via FHR (etc) and a 2-category room upgrade as a Titanium GHA DISCOVERY member, those upgrades don't get added together to make a 3-category upgrade (!) - but you should still get the 2-category upgrade, subject to availability. TIP: to maximise your D$ earning you should really book direct with GHA or the brand because there will be cases, especially when booking a packaged rate through a travel agent or tour operator, where you will earn D$ at a reduced rate compared to booking direct.
Feb 23, 2022, 3:46 am
#111
Company Representative, GHA
Join Date: Nov 2021
Programs: GHA DISCOVERY
Posts: 75
I recently stayed at Capella Singapore via a FHR booking and received D$ and got most if not all elite benefits but didn't get the tier credit and received a response that "We understand that you have made your Amex FHR bookings via AmericanExpress. Kindly be advised that as advised by GHA the booking made through Online Travel Agents is not eligible for the claims." Is the hotel misinformed here because it is a new program or are there certain FHR rates that are not eligible for tier credits?
However if you received D$ for your stay then you should also have received tier credits automatically. If this isn't the case, then we apologise: please could you contact DISCOVERY Customer Care so they can sort this out for you? You can raise a ticket through this link: https://www.ghadiscovery.com/support/create_ticket
[Edit: a colleague has pointed out to me that we are currently running a special promotion so that if it is your first stay since the programme relaunch on December 7th then you will receive D$ even if the stay is "ineligible", eg. booked through an OTA. However the main point above is correct, since FHR is anyway not considered to be an excluded OTA.]
Last edited by GHA_Insider; Feb 24, 2022 at 1:18 am
Feb 28, 2022, 1:25 am
#112
Join Date: May 2006
Location: SIN
Programs: KF, MPC, BAEC // Bonvoy, WoH, Honors
Posts: 1,462
I recently stayed at Capella Singapore via a FHR booking and received D$ and got most if not all elite benefits but didn't get the tier credit and received a response that "We understand that you have made your Amex FHR bookings via AmericanExpress. Kindly be advised that as advised by GHA the booking made through Online Travel Agents is not eligible for the claims." Is the hotel misinformed here because it is a new program or are there certain FHR rates that are not eligible for tier credits?
Feb 28, 2022, 9:43 am
#114
Join Date: Oct 2017
Location: Singapore
Posts: 175
I got an upgrade from a sea view room to what I think was a Capella Suite which would be at least a double upgrade. I also received a bottle of wine and some chocolates by a local dessert chef which I assume were the welcome amenity and brand benefit. Excluding the still unresolved confusion about FHR rate eligibility (my ticket was rejected due to the room rate not being on the invoice so I sent a DM to GHAInsider and am waiting for a reply) I had an excellent stay although service is only good not great.
Feb 28, 2022, 8:15 pm
#115
Join Date: May 2006
Location: SIN
Programs: KF, MPC, BAEC // Bonvoy, WoH, Honors
Posts: 1,462
I got an upgrade from a sea view room to what I think was a Capella Suite which would be at least a double upgrade. I also received a bottle of wine and some chocolates by a local dessert chef which I assume were the welcome amenity and brand benefit. Excluding the still unresolved confusion about FHR rate eligibility (my ticket was rejected due to the room rate not being on the invoice so I sent a DM to GHAInsider and am waiting for a reply) I had an excellent stay although service is only good not great.
The hit or miss service at Capella is less of a GHA related issue and more reflective of Singapore service at large in my experience. Are there any properties in this city with through-and-through good service? I have yet to stay at one.
Feb 28, 2022, 9:48 pm
#116
Join Date: Oct 2017
Location: Singapore
Posts: 175
That's a pretty great benefit then, given how stingy they (and many other Singapore hotels) normally are with upgrades. If staying at 3x brands (e.g. Pan Pacific, Park Royal, Kempinski locally, not to mention cheaper properties in places like Thailand) is all it takes to renew Titanium, double upgrades at Capella staycations is a pretty solid outcome.
The hit or miss service at Capella is less of a GHA related issue and more reflective of Singapore service at large in my experience. Are there any properties in this city with through-and-through good service? I have yet to stay at one.
The hit or miss service at Capella is less of a GHA related issue and more reflective of Singapore service at large in my experience. Are there any properties in this city with through-and-through good service? I have yet to stay at one.
Feb 28, 2022, 11:17 pm
#117
Join Date: May 2006
Location: SIN
Programs: KF, MPC, BAEC // Bonvoy, WoH, Honors
Posts: 1,462
Agree the GHA benefits are good especially stacking with Amex FHR benefits (breakfast + one time set dinner). I would not pay nearly this much but the rate difference between seaview and Capella suite is like 500-600 SGD. I generally agree with your observation about service in Singapore although given that rates at Capella are multiples of rates at like Four Seasons you might still hope for better service. On the other hand there are many properties in Singapore where service is much worse than good.
On Singapore service, our 2020 stay at the Capella was comically bad -- presumably not helped by staffing issues early on during the pandemic, but still. I've had better service at the likes of DoubleTrees or Renaissances in Thailand than what we experienced at Singapore's supposedly most luxurious top-tier property. But as long as Singapore hotels enjoy 90%+ occupancy for decades then they don't really have any incentive to improve things.
Apr 24, 2022, 3:38 am
#118
Company Representative, GHA
Join Date: Nov 2021
Programs: GHA DISCOVERY
Posts: 75
It is possible that the brands are not treated as different brands for tier purposes: for example PARKROYAL and PARKROYAL Collection are treated as the same brand, even though they sometimes appear separately in marketing materials.
Last edited by GHA_Insider; Apr 24, 2022 at 4:15 am
Apr 24, 2022, 8:58 am
#119
Original Poster
Join Date: Oct 2020
Location: NYC
Programs: Hyatt Globalist, GHA Titanium, AA Platinum Pro
Posts: 283
I just wanted to voice a couple of small complaints regarding the redeeming of Discovery Dollars.
1) The need to redeem them at checkout vs using them as a method of payment during booking, just like every other major hotel program when using points (or points+cash) on reserving a room. This extra step requires one to remember to actually request it at front desk. I hope this wasn't by design as a means to increase breakage...
2) As a result of #1 above, it doesn't seem like one can redeem them towards prepaid bookings? If true, this seems like it's an unnecessary restriction.
1) The need to redeem them at checkout vs using them as a method of payment during booking, just like every other major hotel program when using points (or points+cash) on reserving a room. This extra step requires one to remember to actually request it at front desk. I hope this wasn't by design as a means to increase breakage...
2) As a result of #1 above, it doesn't seem like one can redeem them towards prepaid bookings? If true, this seems like it's an unnecessary restriction.
Apr 24, 2022, 9:07 am
#120
Join Date: Jul 2006
Posts: 1,345
Sorry, I missed this question earlier and I hope it all processed properly soon afterwards. It should happen at the same time that your night credits are recorded. If not, you should contact customer care: https://www.ghadiscovery.com/support/create_ticket
It is possible that the brands are not treated as different brands for tier purposes: for example PARKROYAL and PARKROYAL Collection are treated as the same brand, even though they sometimes appear separately in marketing materials.
It is possible that the brands are not treated as different brands for tier purposes: for example PARKROYAL and PARKROYAL Collection are treated as the same brand, even though they sometimes appear separately in marketing materials.