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In July 2026, Global Hotel Alliance (GHA) announced the integration of City Unscripted into the GHA DISCOVERY experience portfolio. City Unscripted is a platform for guided tours led by local hosts, available in 15 major cities worldwide.
The question Canadian travellers are asking: is this actually useful for me? Here’s a concrete look at the real value of this offer.
City Unscripted offers guided tours tailored to your personal interests, led by a local host. You’re not locked into a rigid itinerary, but guided based on your preferences:
The 15 destinations include:
For Canadian travellers, Europe clearly dominates the list. Paris, London, Rome, and Amsterdam are among the most visited destinations by Canadians, which makes this partnership particularly relevant for this market.
These benefits are reserved for GHA DISCOVERY members:
City Unscripted is just one piece of a much larger offer. GHA DISCOVERY now provides more than 2,500 local experiences with no requirement to book a hotel stay. Here’s how these offers break down:
Day access to facilities (pool, terrace) is therefore more interesting for travellers who want a relaxing day out without booking an expensive room.
GHA DISCOVERY has 36 million members worldwide, but remains little known in Canada compared to Aeroplan or Marriott Bonvoy. Still, a number of Canadian travellers are already enrolled, often without having followed the program closely.
The most common entry point in Canada is through Pan Pacific hotels, one of GHA’s member brands. The country has four participating properties:
If you’ve already stayed at one of these properties or earned status through a GHA promotion, check your account: you might already be a member, with DISCOVERY Dollars (D$) on hand. In that case, the arrival of City Unscripted simply expands what you can do with that status, whether in Canada or on your next trip abroad.
For everyone else, enrollment remains free and requires no prior stay.
If you already hold status or points with GHA brands (Anantara, Pan Pacific, Kempinski, etc.), adding local experiences enriches the proposition. You can maximize your trip by combining a hotel night, a City Unscripted tour, and a spa visit.
Real value: moderate to good, depending on how often you travel.
If you’re not a regular GHA guest, free enrollment in GHA DISCOVERY still gives you access to these 2,500+ local offers. City Unscripted becomes worthwhile especially if:
Point of comparison: a standard tour in a major city costs between $50 and $150 CAD. City Unscripted charges a similar price, with a 20% GHA DISCOVERY discount on top. It’s appealing if you’re after authenticity, but not a game-changer on price.
Pool access at a 5-star hotel for $30 to $50 CAD, compared to posted day-use rates of $60 to $100 CAD, represents real value, especially at beach destinations. The same logic applies to discounted meals if you’re near a GHA hotel.
Real value: good, depending on your proximity to partner hotels and your priorities (dining, wellness, rest).
No hotel stay or prior spending is required to sign up or browse the offers.
GHA DISCOVERY has no partner credit card in Canada: there’s no direct point transfer into DISCOVERY Dollars (D$). The strategy is therefore to pay for your stays and City Unscripted tours with a card that limits fees abroad and gives value back on that spending.
The Scotiabank Passport Visa Infinite Card checks both boxes:
In short, GHA DISCOVERY isn’t a revolution, but a practical addition for those already travelling to these destinations who want to maximize their options. Since enrollment is free, there’s no downside to exploring the offer.
To get even more out of your trips, check out our page on the best travel credit cards.
Savings this way:
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