Customer Story · AI Strategy · France

Domaine et Demeure

Languedoc-Roussillon, France

About the Client

A collection of three exceptional wine estates in the heart of the Languedoc, France

Domaine & Demeure operates a collection of three exceptional wine château properties in Languedoc-Roussillon, transforming historic estates into luxury tourism destinations while preserving their character and authenticity. Since 2008, the group has developed a unique "laid-back luxury" positioning blending wine estate charm with world-class hospitality standards.

Operating hotels, villas, restaurants, events centres and spas across their three properties — Les Carrasses, St Pierre de Serjac and Capitoul — Domaine & Demeure serves a highly discerning international clientele. With over two-thirds of guests travelling from abroad, their target customers are family-oriented professionals passionate about wine, gastronomy and culture.

Vineyard at Domaine et Demeure

Engagement Type

AI Strategy Consulting & Leadership Training

Key Deliverables

  • Full leadership team trained across all business functions
  • Intensive full-day AI strategy workshop
  • AI positioning strategy for AI-driven discovery
  • AI-powered market intelligence approach
  • Comprehensive implementation roadmap
The Challenge

Navigating the Shift from Search to AI-Driven Discovery

A fundamental shift is underway in how guests discover and select destinations. With 40% of consumers now relying on AI-generated recommendations for travel planning (Kantar, Feb '25), traditional SEO and marketing strategies are becoming insufficient.

01

The AI Influencer Challenge

When potential guests ask ChatGPT, Claude or Gemini to "suggest a luxury wine château holiday in the South of France," how do you ensure your properties appear in those recommendations? Traditional keyword optimisation is not sufficient — entirely new strategies are required.

02

Market Intelligence in the AI Era

How could the organisation leverage AI for competitive advantage? From monitoring flight routes to identify emerging source markets to analysing competitor positioning and customer sentiment at scale, the potential was clear but the pathway uncertain.

03

Cross-Functional AI Integration

With AI applications spanning sales, marketing, operations, finance, HR and guest services, the challenge wasn't identifying opportunities but developing a coherent, organisation-wide strategy the entire leadership team could understand and champion.

Domaine et Demeure estate
Our Engagement

Strategic Development with Practical Application

A comprehensive AI strategy engagement focused on three core priorities, tailored specifically to Domaine & Demeure's industry and business reality.

01

Discovery & Strategic Alignment

Comprehensive preparation phase including stakeholder interviews with CEO, mapping the organisation's strategic priorities, competitive positioning and growth objectives.

Deliverables

  • Alignment on approach with CEO and Board leadership
  • Detailed training materials aligned to board-level requirements
  • Customised content reflecting luxury hospitality context
02

Full-Day Leadership Workshop

A comprehensive AI strategy session with the extended Senior Management Team covering AI fundamentals, the shift from search to AI recommendations, and industry case studies from luxury hospitality brands.

Deliverables

  • AI fundamentals and capability overview
  • The shift from search engines to AI recommendations
  • Team exercises across sales, marketing, ops, finance and HR
  • Leveraging AI for market intelligence
03

Implementation Roadmap

Development of a phased AI implementation roadmap aligned to strategic priorities, with each department creating concrete plans to leverage AI within their specific domain.

Deliverables

  • Prioritised AI use cases per function
  • Phased implementation roadmap
  • Platform selection guidance
Outcomes

Equipped for Leadership in the AI Era

Leadership Capability Transformation

The extended senior management team gained fluency in AI strategy and applications specific to their functions. Directors created concrete plans to leverage AI within their domains. The engagement catalysed a broader shift in how leadership approaches innovation — transforming AI from abstract concept to tangible opportunity.

Strategic Positioning for Market Shifts

As consumer search behaviour fundamentally shifts towards AI-driven discovery, Domaine & Demeure is now positioned ahead of competitors. The organisation has a clear approach to remain visible and recommended as this becomes the dominant discovery path.

Platform Selection Readiness

The team is now equipped to evaluate AI platforms and SaaS vendor claims. They understand which capabilities matter for their specific use cases and how to avoid both over-engineered solutions and inadequate tools — preventing costly missteps as AI adoption scales.

Market Intelligence Advantage

Practical systems developed enable the team to identify and respond to new market opportunities faster, while maintaining the human oversight essential in luxury hospitality. This creates sustainable competitive advantage in an industry where understanding customer needs is critical.

Domaine et Demeure
Client Feedback

What the team said

Karl O'Hanlon

Patrick's approach was energising and thought-provoking, establishing a solid baseline for the wider leadership team: latest market and technical data with strategic insight and practical tools to immediately start to put AI to work.

Karl O'Hanlon

CEO, Domaine et Demeure

Fabienne Sabatte

One of my best professional memories of the year! It was so interesting — I now use AI every day.

Fabienne Sabatte

HR Director, Domaine et Demeure

Darren Kennedy

A great workshop — made me realise how much we can use AI in sales and marketing to complement our existing service, saving time and enhancing the guest experience.

Darren Kennedy

Sales & Marketing Director, Domaine et Demeure

Back to Customer Stories
Get in Touch

Ready to unlock the digital
potential of your business?

Let's discuss how AI and Digital can create exceptional value for your customers.

Contact Us