Convert and retain: highlights from the D-EDGE hoteliers' breakfast
Lewys was at D-EDGE Hospitality Solutions on rue des Archives for the traditional hoteliers' breakfast. On the agenda: conversion and retention. Two topics that shape a hotel's margin far more than people think.
A gathering of professionals
This breakfast, organised by the D-EDGE CRM teams (formerly LoungeUp), regularly brings together hoteliers and industry players around a commercial theme. This edition focused on two challenges we see with all our clients: turning a visit into a booking, then turning a guest into a loyal guest.
Beyond tools and methods, the discussions highlighted a simple reality: attracting a guest is one thing; making them want to come back is another.
Conversion: don't lose the visitors who are already there
A visitor who lands on the hotel's website is already halfway there. They know the hotel, they are comparing, they are hesitating. If they leave to book on an OTA, the hotel pays a commission on a guest it attracted itself.
What we see with our clients is that conversion often comes down to details: a booking engine with too many steps, rates that are hard to understand, no clear benefit to booking direct. These are simple levers, rarely costly, yet often overlooked.
Retention: the relationship starts before arrival
Loyalty is about more than a points programme. It is built throughout the stay: communication before arrival, the welcome, the ability to remember the guest's preferences, and then the relationship maintained after departure.
For an independent hotel, this is a major asset. A returning guest books direct more often, costs less to acquire and recommends the hotel to others. Over a year, the difference in net margin is significant.
Two topics, one strategy
Conversion and retention are often handled separately: the former on the distribution side, the latter on the guest experience side. In practice, they follow the same logic. Every well-converted guest is a guest you can retain, and every loyal guest is one more direct booking.
It is this continuity, across pricing strategy, distribution and guest relations, that we aim to build with the hoteliers we support.
Thank you to the D-EDGE teams for organising this event, and to all the professionals who attended for the quality of the discussions!
