Created in 2016, Edgar Suites quickly established itself as a benchmark in the high-end aparthotel sector in France.
A new generation of aparthotels, Edgar Suites residences combine the flexibility and coziness of an apartment with the comfort and services of a hotel.
After conquering Paris, the company then established itself in other major cities in France such as Lille, Bordeaux, Cannes, and soon Nice, Lyon, and Marseille.
Each accommodation, often a three-bedroom unit, combines space, design, and hotel services to offer a unique experience.
“Our strength is to have taken the best of the hotel industry — cleanliness, quality of service, 24/7 reception — and to combine it with the comfort of a spacious, carefully decorated apartment,” explains Grégoire Benoît, co-founder and director of operations at Edgar Suites.
With average stays of 5 days, Edgar Suites attracts a varied clientele: visiting families, business travelers, or remote workers. The brand mainly focuses on neighbourhoods located in the city center.
“The most important thing is that our guests feel at home, like locals, with nearby shops and easy access to public transport”
Today, the group has more than 20 residences, representing around 1300 rooms spread over more than 600 apartments.
We recently spoke with Grégoire Benoît, a user of SiteMinder’s channel manager.
An exceptional customer experience
Praised by its clientele, Edgar Suites was recently voted best host in France on Airbnb and obtained a score of 9.5/10 on Booking.com.
A recognition that reflects the quality of the Edgar Suites experience, both in terms of human connection and logistics.
“When you stay in an Edgar Suites apartment, you’ll find tasteful decor and impeccable service, which explains our high ratings. It’s truly the feedback from our guests that sets us apart from our competitors. Thanks to them, our residences are often highly ranked, no matter the city,” says Grégoire Benoît.
Optimising reservation management with SiteMinder
The acquisition of SiteMinder’s channel manager in 2020 significantly eased the workload of Edgar Suites’ digital team, which, in its early days in 2016, had to rely heavily on manual data entry.
The fluidity and efficiency of SiteMinder’s technology enabled the group to refocus on its core business: hospitality.
“We are not a tech company; we are hoteliers. Our job is to welcome and serve guests every day. That’s why we chose SiteMinder, the best channel manager on the market,” says Grégoire Benoît.
For the past five years, SiteMinder has ensured seamless, bug-free updates of the company’s room availability across all channels (Booking.com, Expedia, their website), perfectly synchronised with their PMS, Mews.
Simplicity, efficiency, and time savings
“SiteMinder’s channel manager meets our expectations perfectly by updating our availability and rates in the right place, at the right time, and without any bugs, which is very reassuring,” says Grégoire Benoît.
Results: no more overbookings or reservation errors, and operational teams are freed from time-consuming tasks.
Where the digital reception team once had to manage manual errors daily, they now encounter almost no incidents.
An effective pricing strategy thanks to SiteMinder
Thanks to SiteMinder’s advanced features, Edgar Suites can easily adjust its pricing strategy across online travel sites. “Our goal is to ensure an equivalent net revenue, regardless of the platform used by the customer.”
This dynamic management also helps maximise the group’s profitability by limiting excessive commissions.
More direct bookings thanks to Demand Plus
In addition, SiteMinder’s Demand Plus option allows Edgar Suites to increase the online visibility of its apartments, particularly through better SEO on Google, and to boost direct bookings.
“This reduces our dependence on third-party platforms while maintaining a strong brand image.”
Edgar Suites continues its expansion with the opening of 4 to 6 new residences per year.
The use of SiteMinder has increased bookings by approximately 10% by ensuring the right price, at the right time, on the right channel.
SiteMinder, a reliable and responsive partner
SiteMinder offers 24/7 customer service, ensuring that its users are always supported.
Grégoire Benoît praises the work of the teams: “SiteMinder’s customer service is impeccable. Whatever the request, everything is done very quickly, and SiteMinder is very responsive.”
He has no hesitation in recommending the solution to his hotelier colleagues: “It’s simply the number 1 on the market. There are no regrets, even five years after our choice. If you’re looking for a reliable, smooth, and bug-free channel manager, this is the one for you.”
A big thank you to Grégoire for this interview. We wish Edgar Suites continued success with their future projects.