- Q1 2025 total stay revenue picks up 15% year-on-year
- DISCOVERY DOLLAR (D$) redemptions increase 60%, encouraging more spend
- International stays account for 70% of total revenue
- UAE ranks among the top four countries for hotel room revenue from international guests
- Members in China, UK, France and Spain post strongest growth in international spend
Dubai, UAE-: UAE-headquartered Global Hotel Alliance (GHA), the world’s largest alliance of independent hotel brands, has reported strong first-quarter results for 2025, with continued double-digit gains across all key metrics. Robust returns and sustained momentum reflect the growing impact of its award-winning loyalty programme, GHA DISCOVERY, which now commands a 30-million-strong global membership.
Total hotel stay revenues reached US$746 million in Q1 2025, up 15% on Q1 2024 while total room nights picked up 12% and the Average Daily Rate (ADR) across its portfolio of 850 hotels nudged up 3%.
Further underlining the success, cross-brand revenue increased by 11%, which is driven by members staying with a different hotel brand than where they enrolled. Meanwhile the loyalty programme added around 850,000 new members in Q1 2025 – an 8% year-on-year increase versus Q1 2024.
Redemptions of DISCOVERY Dollars (D$) – the programme’s generous rewards currency, where D$1 equals US$1 — rocketed 60% year-on-year, led by GHA DISCOVERY members based in Spain, Germany, China, and Singapore. The total revenue from redemption stays in Q1 2025 was 7.6 times the value of D$ redeemed. For high redemption stays of more than D$1,000, total hotel revenue was 4 to 5 times the redeemed amount, showing that members continue to spend significantly, even when using large amounts of D$, generating strong incremental revenue for GHA’s hotel brands.
“These results reflect the continued evolution of GHA DISCOVERY as a powerful platform for driving growth and guest loyalty,” said Chris Hartley, CEO, Global Hotel Alliance. “We’re seeing its impact deepen across every key metric – from revenue and redemptions to cross-brand engagement. With strong international travel demand and members spending more, even when redeeming rewards, our hotel brands are capturing more revenue from the programme at a lower cost of sale.
Q1 2025 highlights & emerging trends:
- International travel dominates: International stays made by the 30 million GHA DISCOVERY loyalty programme members continue to lead growth, accounting for 70% of hotel room revenues year-on-year. This reflects a sustained appetite for international travel by GHA DISCOVERY members, particularly in Asia. The Maldives and Thailand remained the top two countries for hotel room revenue from international guests (100% and 95% respectively) followed by Hong Kong SAR (84%) and the United Arab Emirates (82%).
- Top feeder markets stable: The USA, UK, Australia, China, and Germany remained the top five international source markets for member revenues at GHA hotels in the first quarter of 2025 with the US and the UK maintaining their positions as the top two markets globally.
- Growth shifting: GHA DISCOVERY member international stay room revenue from China (+19%), France (+15%), and Spain (+13%) outpaced growth from the US (+3%) and UK (+10%) in Q1 2025, signalling increased outbound momentum in EMEA and Asia and a slight slowdown in outbound US travel activity during the period.
- Q1, 2025 destination hotspots: Thailand and Singapore were the top international choices for GHA DISCOVERY members in key feeder markets. Travellers from Germany and Russia favoured Thailand, while those in China and Australia leaned towards Singapore. UK-based members headed to the UAE, while US members chose the UK as their preferred destination.
A significant portfolio boost came in March 2025, further emphasising GHA’s growing attraction for independent brands, with Rotana, a leading UAE-based hospitality group, joining the alliance. With 80 hotels across the Middle East, North Africa, Eastern Europe, and Turkey, Rotana expands GHA’s presence in strategic markets and strengthens its position in the UAE.
“It’s been a great start to the year,” said Hartley. “We’re building on the momentum of a record 2024, continuing to grow our portfolio, and seeing strong returns from member engagement in our loyalty programme. With new brands like Rotana joining the fold and our metrics trending upward across the board, we’re well-positioned for another year of solid performance.”