CASE STUDY 01 · TUSCANY, ITALY
From invisible to recommended.
How a historic boutique hotel increased its presence in AI search, in four months.
THE CHALLENGE
A beautiful hotel. Almost invisible to AI.
In May 2026 I ran a baseline test. Four wedding-related questions, four AI platforms (ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity, Google AI). Sixteen possible mentions.
Villa Sermolli appeared only once.
Not because the hotel wasn’t good enough. Because the way it was described online didn’t translate into the language AI models use. The positioning was unclear, the core information was spread across the website and booking platforms, but nowhere consistent.
THE RESULT
BEFORE
1 / 16
May 2026
AFTER
6 / 16
September 2026
Six times as many mentions across the same test questions, four months apart.
In parallel, direct inquiries through the website nearly doubled. In a guest survey in August, about one in four guests said they had discovered Villa Sermolli through ChatGPT, nearly on par with Google. A small sample, worth stating carefully, but the direction is clear.
THE WORK
A structured approach. Not a quick fix.
Four months of concrete work with the team on site, built around the K.L.A.R. Framework.
Consistency
Positioning and core information unified everywhere, from the website to booking platforms to Google Business Profile, in four languages.
Legitimacy
Structured data implemented, so AI models can cleanly recognise the property as a hotel, restaurant and wedding venue.
Findability
Wedding offer and restaurant concept clearly structured and described in the language guests actually use in AI searches.
Reputation
Review management process set up, so external mentions and ratings are actively maintained instead of left to chance.
ONGOING WORK
AI visibility is not a project that finishes. Models change, new sources appear, competitors move. At Villa Sermolli, current work focuses on:
- Presence on relevant third-party portals in wedding and boutique hospitality
- Building out structured reputation signals (reviews, mentions, inbound links)
- Monthly tracking of how AI answers evolve, and what to do next
This is the part that begins after the workshop, and never fully ends.
THE PERSONAL CONNECTION
The same hotel. A decade later.
Ten years ago, I was the General Manager of Villa Sermolli. Today, I help the same hotel navigate a new shift in how guests discover places to stay.
That is not a coincidence. It is the whole point. I return to the places I understand, and help them stay found in a world that searches differently.
How visible is your hotel to AI?
Every hotel has its own starting point. The workshop is where we find yours.
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