Strong double-digit growth across all key performance indicators in the first quarter, driven by the continued momentum of GHA DISCOVERY
DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES, April 29, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — Global Hotel Alliance (GHA), the world’s largest alliance of independent hotel brands, has reported a robust start to 2026, delivering strong double-digit growth across all key performance indicators in the first quarter, driven by the continued momentum of its award-winning loyalty programme, GHA DISCOVERY.
Total hotel revenues reached US$921 million in Q1 2026, a 24% increase over Q1 2025, while total room revenue climbed to US$738 million, up 27% year-on-year. Total room nights surged 34% ahead of Q1 2025, highlighting strong global travel demand across GHA’s expanding portfolio.
Cross-brand revenue – a key indicator of programme engagement – grew 40% to US$135 million, as members increasingly stay at multiple brands within the alliance.
Membership growth also accelerated, with new enrollments rising 36%, bringing total GHA DISCOVERY membership to 35 million globally.
Loyalty engagement driving incremental revenue
DISCOVERY Dollar (D$) redemptions continued to grow with a 30% increase over Q1 2025, with redeemers spending approximately 6x in cash on those stays and spending 4.5x more vs non-redeemers on an annual basis, reinforcing both member engagement in the programme and the favorable economics to hotels on redemption stays.
International travel remains dominant
International stays continued to be the primary growth driver, accounting for 69% of total member room revenue in Q1 2026, underlining the global nature of GHA DISCOVERY’s membership base and sustained appetite for cross-border travel.
The top five feeder markets for international stays – the United States, the UK, Germany, China and Russia – generated US$202 million, representing 41% of total international stay revenue, demonstrating the concentration of high-value demand within key source markets.
Global travel patterns
Top stay destinations: Thailand, Spain, Singapore, and Italy were the leading markets for member stay revenue, reflecting strong demand across both resort and urban gateway destinations. The United Arab Emirates was another top-performing destination in January and February; however, in March travel demand into the Middle East dropped dramatically as a result of the regional conflict.
“We saw particularly strong performance in key Middle Eastern destinations at the start of the quarter, with a sharp drop on the outbreak of the regional conflict. Our globally diversified footprint continues to provide resilience, allowing us to balance shifts in demand across markets,” said Chris Hartley, CEO of Global Hotel Alliance.
Top feeder markets: The United States (+22%), UK (+23%), Germany (+21%), and China (+43%) remained the dominant source markets, continuing to underpin global demand across the GHA network. Other markets with strong growth for international room revenue year-on-year include United Arab Emirates (+63%), India (+40%) and Singapore (+35%).
Distinct travel flows by market: Travel patterns varied by origin, with US and UK members favouring European destinations, European members showing strong demand for long-haul destinations, and Australian and Asian members gravitating toward Southeast Asia hubs.
“These results reflect the continued evolution of GHA DISCOVERY as a powerful platform for driving international revenue growth and deeper member engagement,” said Hartley.
“We are seeing strong momentum across all metrics – from revenues and room nights to cross-brand activity and membership growth. With more brands joining this quarter, such as Tokyu Hotels in Japan, we are well positioned for further growth.”
GHA DISCOVERY is complimentary to join, and travellers can sign up online or download the GHA DISCOVERY app.
Andrea Krenn
Global Hotel Alliance
+971 56 681 8025
email us here
Visit us on social media:
LinkedIn
Legal Disclaimer:
EIN Presswire provides this news content “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability
for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this
article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.
Media gallery
