Global Hotel Alliance (GHA) has entered into a strategic partnership agreement with ASmallWorld, a travel and lifestyle community.

Both companies will become shareholders in the other business when the transaction closes in March.

ASmallWorld will acquire a ten per cent stake in the alliance of independent hotel brands in a part cash, part shares transaction.

The deal will also see GHA owning a three per cent stake in a ASmallWorld.

This announcement comes on the heels of the recent relaunch of the GHA-operated loyalty programme, GHA Discovery, which now offers a unique digital rewards currency.

ASmallWorld will support GHA with the delivery of this reimagined programme, in particular the Live Local concept.

The company will provide complimentary access to its own social network for elite tier members as an additional benefit free of charge.

Once NH Hotel Group has completed its integration into the alliance in 2022, GHA will be a network of 40 independent hotel chains with over 800 hotels in 100 countries, and GHA Discovery will have more than 20 million members.

The new strategic partnership also provides ASmallWorld with a mandate to recruit independent hotels into the alliance under a new hotel brand portfolio.

GHA chief executive, Chris Hartley, commented: “Joint activities with ASmallWorld have already proved successful and have highlighted the close synergies between our customer bases and the attractiveness of the complementary products and services, which bring value to each other’s membership propositions.”