(Posted 05th June 2026)
Global Hotel Alliance (GHA), the world’s largest alliance of independent hotels brands, has won three 2026 Freddie Awards. Representing a significant milestone, GHA DISCOVERY has graduated from its previous recognition as an emerging loyalty programme to being named Programme of the Year, underscoring its continued growth, innovation and strong member engagement worldwide.
Reflecting its growing global influence and continued success in delivering exceptional member value, the programme secured the prestigious Programme of the Year and Best Elite Programme awards across the Middle East and Asia-Pacific regions. GHA DISCOVERY was also recognised as Up and Coming Programme of the Year in Europe and Africa. Together, these accolades highlight the programme’s growing popularity and its commitment to enhancing the travel experience through meaningful rewards, personalised recognition, and unique member benefits across its global portfolio of hotel brands.
The Freddie Awards are the longest standing and most prestigious recognition in the travel loyalty industry. Every year millions of votes are cast by members to recognise the loyalty programmes they appreciate most. This year’s awards garnered an impressive 7.7 million votes.
Kristi Gole, EVP Strategy at Global Hotel Alliance said: “GHA remains committed to understanding and responding to the evolving needs of our members. We are conducting frequent research which shows today’s travellers are clear about what they value in a loyalty programme – its scale, generosity, and simplicity, combined with benefits they can immediately understand and use. At the same time, expectations are expanding beyond the stay, with travellers increasingly looking for programmes that deliver broader lifestyle value through meaningful partnerships.”
“Receiving this recognition is especially significant, as it reflects the value members place on the programme and the distinctive collection of hotel brands available through GHA DISCOVERY”, added Gole.
GHA DISCOVERY has grown to 50 brands and 1,000 hotels in 100 countries, with over 35 million members. It is known as one of the most diverse loyalty programmes globally, featuring distinct independent brands that offer exceptional hospitality experiences. The programme has also expanded through a partnership with Plum Guide, giving members access to a curated selection of over 40,000 exceptional homes worldwide.
It was launched in 2010 as the first programme dedicated to experiential travel, then was reimagined in December 2021 to introduce the industry’s first digital rewards currency, DISCOVERY Dollars (D$), meeting the needs of modern travellers with more straightforward rewards and greater flexibility.
GHA DISCOVERY continues to elevate its member experience with valued stay benefits, increasingly including complimentary breakfast for Titanium members who book direct, and the ability to use DISCOVERY Dollars (D$) at the time of payment for direct bookings on the GHA DISCOVERY website and app. The programme is also rapidly expanding its lifestyle ecosystem through strategic partnerships. This includes earning and spending D$ for dining at the restaurants of The Wolseley Hospitality Group in London and nearly 300 restaurants across Rotana Hotels without a stay, premium mobility services with Blacklane, cruising with ultra-luxury cruise line Regent Seven Seas Cruises, luxury travel with beOnd, a premium leisure airline, and car rentals with Sixt. Recently, GHA introduced its first points-to-payment conversion initiative with Klarna, allowing their customers to convert their cashback points to DISCOVERY Dollars, further enhancing flexibility, convenience, and value for members.
In addition to winning three awards, GHA DISCOVERY was also among the finalists for ‘Best in Customer Service’, ‘Best Redemption Ability’, and ‘Best Promotion’ categories for hotels.
Introduced in 1988, the “Freddies” are named in honour of Sir Freddie Laker and have grown in stature and importance to become the most prestigious member-generated awards in the travel loyalty industry.
For more information about the Freddie Awards and the full list of 2026 winners, please click here. Logos and award trophy images can be found here.
For more information visit Global Hotel Alliance and GHA DISCOVERY
GHA DISCOVERY is complimentary to join, and travellers can sign up online or download the GHA DISCOVERY app and register on their mobile phones. Travellers can also connect with GHA DISCOVERY on Instagram and Facebook.
