Corinthia Hotels takes a shareholding in Global Hotel Alliance

Global Hotel Alliance (GHA), the world’s largest alliance of independent hotel brands and operator of the award-winning, multi-brand loyalty programme, Discovery, announced on Wednesday that Corinthia Hotels are making a strategic investment in the alliance.

The move comes following similar investments made by Minor Hotel Group and Pan Pacific Hotels Group in November 2018.

Corinthia joins Omni Hotels, Kempinski Hotels, Minor Hotel Group, Pan Pacific Hotels Group, and technology giant Oracle in the GHA shareholding. Simon Naudi, Corinthia’s CEO, will join the GHA board.

Corinthia has been one of GHA’s member brands since 2014. Founded in 1962 in Malta by the Pisani family, Corinthia now comprises nine luxury hotels in Europe and Africa, including its flagship Corinthia London. The Corinthia Meydan Beach Dubai is set to open in 2020, while the Corinthia Brussels, Corinthia Bucharest and Corinthia Moscow are scheduled to be finished 2021.

“Corinthia has been a successful member of the alliance for the past five years; now as a shareholder, their growing stature and reputation as an independent luxury hotel brand will bring significant value to the alliance, enabling us to make further investments into our growing loyalty and marketing platform, Discovery, which is now shared by more than 30 member brands and 14 million customers,” GHA CEO Chris Hartley said.

Simon Naudi, CEO of Corinthia, added that Corinthia hotels have benefited significantly from the global reach the alliance brought it as a member brand.

“Now, as we prepare for a period of rapid growth into new markets, we see this investment as a way to support our brand and hotels in a more efficient way, while enabling us to influence the alliance’s future direction. GHA is the ideal collaborative platform for luxury brands, such as ours, wishing to deepen their global customer base, while retaining their independent brand identity,” Naudi said.

Founded in 2004 with the goal of helping independent, upscale and luxury hotel brands to compete with the global majors while retaining their individuality, this year GHA celebrates its 15th anniversary, most recently annoucing the addition of Capella Hotel Group as its latest member brand.