Global Hotel Alliance (GHA), the world’s largest independent hotel alliance, is expanding its brand portfolio with the arrival of two regional players: The Marmara Hotels, from Turkey, and PURO Hotels, from Poland. The move reflects growing interest among independent hotel groups in the alliance model, which allows them to reach an international clientele while retaining their local roots and identity.
Two national brands join the alliance
Together, The Marmara Hotels and PURO Hotels bring 15 additional hotels to the GHA Discovery loyalty programme. The Marmara Hotels’ six Turkish properties are already live in the programme, while PURO Hotels’ Polish portfolio will join GHA Discovery in the third quarter of 2026.
According to Chris Hartley, Chief Executive Officer of GHA, independent hotel brands are increasingly looking to reach international guests while staying true to their local identity. He notes that GHA allows these brands to combine global reach with the freedom to preserve their individuality, adding that Turkey and Poland are, in his view, destinations experiencing strong growth in international demand.
The Marmara Hotels: a historic Turkish foundation
Founded in Istanbul, The Marmara Hotels draws on more than four decades of Turkish hospitality. The brand combines contemporary comfort with a strong cultural identity, with landmark addresses at Taksim Square and in Pera, as well as properties in Bodrum and Antalya.
Each hotel in the group reflects the character of its destination while embracing a commitment to preserving local heritage, exemplified by the Esma Sultan Palace on the shores of the Bosphorus and the restored historic Zeyrek Çinili hammam.
PURO Hotels: shaping Poland’s urban landscape
PURO Hotels is a Polish urban hotel brand developing hospitality experiences rooted in local character. Its portfolio currently comprises eight hotels, located in Warsaw, Wrocław, Kraków, Poznań, Gdańsk and Łódź.
The brand blends thoughtful design, art, gastronomy and local culture, in an approach that combines Polish identity with Nordic sensibilities. Beyond welcoming travellers, PURO hotels position themselves as community hubs frequented by both locals and visitors around culture, food and work.
PURO Hotels is continuing its expansion beyond Poland, with its first hotel in Budapest due to open in 2026, followed by a property in Prague in 2027.
A strategy built on regional alliances
This type of partnership fits a pattern already seen at GHA, which previously welcomed Spanish group 🔗 NH Hotel Group to its alliance, and more recently struck a strategic agreement with a Japanese brand, 🔗 Tokyu Hotels & Resorts in Japan. This approach allows GHA to strengthen its presence in markets where independent hotel groups hold a strategic position.
According to Chris Hartley, the arrival of these two brands marks a particular milestone for GHA, as they are the first Polish and Turkish hotel brands to join the alliance. He states that each brings strong local roots, on-the-ground expertise and a distinctive hospitality culture, in keeping with GHA’s ambition to offer its members authentic experiences rooted in their destinations, while giving independent brands a global platform to tell their story.
Poland also remains a particularly active market for international hotel development, as illustrated by 🔗 Louvre Hotels Group’s recent signing in Gdańsk, one of the cities where PURO Hotels also has a presence.
Outlook
With this integration, Global Hotel Alliance consolidates a portfolio spanning 55 brands and 1,000 hotels across around 100 countries. Its GHA Discovery loyalty programme, regularly recognised within the industry, counts 36 million members worldwide.
PURO Hotels’ next steps in its expansion beyond Poland, in Budapest and then Prague, will be worth following closely, as will GHA’s ability to continue integrating independent hotel brands with a strong regional identity.
At a glance by The Hospitality Tribune
Global Hotel Alliance welcomes its first homegrown Turkish and Polish hotel brands.
– Global Hotel Alliance (GHA) adds The Marmara Hotels (Turkey) and PURO Hotels (Poland) to its portfolio
– Together, the two brands bring 15 hotels to the GHA Discovery loyalty programme
– The Marmara Hotels’ six Turkish properties are already live; PURO Hotels’ Polish portfolio joins in Q3 2026
– PURO Hotels is preparing its first properties outside Poland, in Budapest (2026) and Prague (2027)
– GHA now spans 55 brands and 1,000 hotels across 100 countries, with 36 million GHA Discovery members
