Published on 3 October 2025

Les Frères Ibarboure Basque Country: How Console SecretBox Generates 20% of the Revenue of a Michelin-Starred Restaurant

🏔️ Les Frères Ibarboure: A Charming Escape Between Sea and Mountain

Between sea and mountain, nestled in a green setting in the heart of the Basque Country, Les Frères Ibarboure embody the excellence of family-run hospitality. This 4-star hotel, spa and Michelin-starred gourmet restaurant near Biarritz and Saint-Jean-de-Luz combines flavours, luxury and comfort in an authentic Basque house.

Since 1988, the Ibarboure family has welcomed guests with passion, cultivating the soul and charm of their region. Today, the third generation carries on this tradition of hospitality. At the Michelin-starred gourmet restaurant, brothers Xabi and Patrice Ibarboure compose a creative, free culinary score, inspired by fine local produce and history, with the touch of boldness and modernity that characterises them. The escape continues in one of the 13 rooms at the heart of this Basque house opening onto the garden, with an outdoor pool and a Nordic cabin for a relaxing break at the spa.

💪 The Testimonial of Soline Ibarboure: Independence Above All

"I really appreciated his very innovative vision and his message to professionals: 'you have to be the boss at home and not depend on a Box with commission'. That is what triggered our desire to equip ourselves with the SecretBox console."

Soline Ibarboure's testimonial reveals a fundamental issue for hotel and restaurant owners: commercial independence. Met at a professional event, Rémi Ohayon, founder of Api & You, already had a clear vision: to allow professionals to be "bosses at home" without depending on commission-based platforms such as Booking, Expedia or Smartbox.

At the time of the initial choice, few establishments had their own gift boxes. The Ibarboure family made the visionary bet of digital independence, refusing to hand over significant commissions to intermediaries while keeping control of the customer experience and the commercial relationship.

📊 20% of Revenue: A Major Commercial Impact

The figures speak for themselves: today, gift box sales represent 20% of the total revenue of Les Frères Ibarboure. A remarkable result explained by several strategic factors:

• Double customer effect: As Soline Ibarboure tells her teams: "Welcome gift box customers as double customers". Successfully welcoming a gift box has a double effect: pleasing the one who came, but also the one who gave it.
• Total independence: Being independent and owing no commission makes it possible to welcome the SecretBox customer with the same level of premium service, without cutting quality to offset platform fees.
• Preserved margins: 100% of the revenue generated stays in the establishment, unlike commission-based platforms that can take 30% or more.
• Control of the brand image: Les Frères Ibarboure fully control their communication and positioning, without being drowned among other offers on a generic marketplace.

❄️ Winter Cash Flow: A Strategic Financial Lever

For a seasonal establishment in the Basque Country, gift boxes represent much more than a simple additional income. Soline Ibarboure highlights a crucial financial advantage:

"These customers give us cash flow in winter. We sell most of our gift boxes at Christmas: this builds up cash that will be used in January-February-March, the quiet months."

This counter-cyclical cash flow strategy is essential for seasonal establishments:

• Optimised cash flow: Massive Christmas sales generate immediate cash that secures the low-season months.
• Smoothing of activity: Gift boxes sold in winter are redeemed throughout the year, creating more regular activity.
• Financial predictability: Gift boxes already sold make it possible to anticipate part of future revenue and plan investments better.
• Peace of mind in management: Having cash during the quiet months avoids financial strain and maintains a consistently high-quality service.

🎯 Smooth Purchasing: The Differentiating Factor

Soline Ibarboure was able to observe other types of consoles personally and make a critical comparison:

"The SecretBox console helps us close sales, because the customer journey is very pleasant. I was able to look at other types of consoles and realise that the site was not necessarily very ergonomic and did not make you want, as a customer, to complete the purchase."

This smooth purchasing is no small detail: it is what turns a purchase intention into an actual sale. The key elements of this success:

• Intuitive journey: The customer easily finds what they are looking for and immediately understands how to proceed.
• Modern design: The graphic interface stays modern, having benefited from a redesign 5 years ago despite the investment cost.
• Pleasant experience: Buying a gift box becomes a moment of pleasure rather than a technical ordeal.
• Optimised conversion rate: Fewer abandoned baskets thanks to a carefully crafted end-to-end user experience.

🚀 Continuous Evolution: A Console That Never Sleeps

One of the aspects most appreciated by the Ibarboure family is Api & You's ability to anticipate market needs:

"That is something I love about API & YOU in general: the tools are constantly evolving. The agency takes the turns before we do: when we professionals think of a new need, API & YOU has already worked on it."

This continuous innovation shows in:

• Regular new features: The console is constantly enriched with new possibilities at no extra cost for existing clients.
• Adaptation to trends: Console SecretBox quickly integrates new consumer expectations (instalment payments, personalisation, etc.).
• Forward-looking vision: Api & You anticipates market developments rather than enduring them.
• Listening to clients: If a need is not yet covered, the agency does not hesitate to look into it and develop the solution.

🎁 The Signature Experiences of Les Frères Ibarboure

Wine-Lover's Indulgence: Culinary discovery is at the heart of this gift box, which takes you on a gastronomic moment at the Michelin-starred restaurant. A bottle of wine from the "wine-lover's" selection of the exceptional cellar accompanies the EMOTION menu signed by Xabi and Patrice Ibarboure. An invitation to a gourmet journey in the heart of the Basque Country.

Wellness and Stay: Escape and Relaxation: This intimate getaway offers escape through an interlude for two between quiet and serenity. On the edge of the forest, this exceptional Basque house offers a private Nordic cabin (30 minutes) and a night in a double room with breakfast. A restorative experience in soothing nature.

❓ FAQ: Console SecretBox for Michelin-Starred Restaurants in the Basque Country