Simplicity in Loyalty: The Way Out For Indie Hotels

In this in-depth conversation, Skift Founder Rafat Ali sits down with Chris Hartley, CEO of Global Hotel Alliance (GHA), to unpack how the world’s largest alliance of independent hotel brands is carving out a distinct path in the hospitality landscape. With more than 45 brands—and more joining every year—GHA is proving that collaboration, not consolidation, can be the key to long-term success.

Hartley shares how GHA’s Discovery loyalty program is helping member hotels drive direct bookings and increase guest retention through its unique Discovery Dollars currency. The conversation spans GHA’s airline alliance-inspired roots, the evolving economics of distribution, and the balancing act of maintaining autonomy while scaling global visibility.

From the shifting value of leisure loyalty to the limits of “frequent stayer” models, this episode offers rare insight into the business case for staying independent—together.

Key themes:

Why the future of loyalty is about leisure, not just business

The ROI of Discovery Dollars vs. traditional points systems

OTA dependency and distribution strategy for smaller hotel brands

What GHA learns from airline alliances—and where it diverges

Loyalty as both a brand-builder and bottom-line driver

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