Vianarra
Hospitality storytelling for wineries, boutique hotels, restaurants, and operators ready to find their story and tell it the way it deserves to be told.
What is Vianarra?
Vianarra is a hospitality storytelling practice founded by Patrick R. Dunn. The name is coined from the Latin via (journey) and narra (to tell): the story found along the way. The narrative that only reveals itself to those who travel with intention, notice with care, and hold the experience to a standard worth writing about.
Every place has a Vianarra. Not every place knows how to tell it.
Vianarra works with hospitality operators on guest experience audits, staff storytelling training, and the narrative architecture that drives wine club conversion, guest loyalty, and word of mouth — the way these experiences deserve to be told.
Who Vianarra Works With
- Wineries — tasting rooms, wine clubs, hospitality programs
- Boutique Hotels — guest experience, front-of-house culture
- Restaurants — service teams, brand narrative
- Tourism Bureaus / DMOs — destination storytelling
- Hospitality Associations — workshops, keynotes, member development
- Restaurant Groups — multi-property storytelling consistency
Why Vianarra Works
- Sonoma County roots — an active member of multiple Sonoma wine clubs, with personal relationships across the Russian River Valley.
- WSET Level 2 certified — speaks the language of wine, terroir, and hospitality with earned credibility.
- Trained in narrative craft under Stephen King and folklorist Sandy Ives at the University of Maine — storytelling isn't a side skill here, it's the foundation.
- Former National Park Service interpretive ranger at six sites — built guest experiences in some of the most demanding settings there are, long before any boardroom.
- Story treated as a service standard, not marketing — the discipline of getting it right on every guest interaction, not just the website.
How Vianarra Works
Start with the story your guests actually experience
The Guest Experience Audit. I visit your property the way a guest would, with your permission — from the website and the welcome to the tasting room or front desk and the follow-up after they leave. You get a written report on the gap between the story you tell and the experience guests receive, a prioritized list of fixes ordered by what moves revenue first, and a walkthrough call to talk it through.
Two founding audits are currently available at no charge, in exchange for a testimonial and permission to publish the work.
Then keep telling it
Most operators use the audit as the starting point for ongoing storytelling — the narrative your team tells, the content that keeps your story in front of guests between visits, the standard held month after month. We talk about that once you've seen what the audit surfaces.
The free way in
The Vianarra Newsletter — Weekly stories from places worth remembering. The good, the bad, and the honest. Free.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Vianarra?
Vianarra is Patrick Dunn’s hospitality storytelling practice — built for wineries, boutique hotels, restaurants, and operators ready to find their story and tell it the way it deserves to be told. The name comes from the Latin via (journey) and narra (to tell): the story found along the way. Vianarra offers a free biweekly newsletter, workshops and group experiences, Guest Experience Audits, and keynote work for hospitality associations.
What's the difference between Vianarra and Patrick Dunn International?
Patrick Dunn International is Patrick’s keynote speaking and leadership consulting practice serving corporate, healthcare, association, and executive transition audiences. Vianarra is his hospitality storytelling practice — same person, same legal entity (Patrick Dunn International LLC), different lane. Vianarra exists because hospitality storytelling deserves its own dedicated practice and voice.
Who is Vianarra for?
Vianarra works with winery owners and tasting room managers, boutique hotel general managers and front-of-house teams, restaurant operators and service teams, tourism bureaus and destination marketing organizations, and hospitality association leadership. Audience sizes range from small staff workshops to industry conference keynotes.
What services does Vianarra offer?
Vianarra offers four primary services. First, a free biweekly newsletter featuring hospitality stories, places worth remembering, and honest takes on the good, bad, and ugly. Second, group experiences and workshops for hospitality teams and operator gatherings. Third, Guest Experience Audits including mystery guest visits with owner permission, front-of-house observation, and detailed reporting. Fourth, keynote and workshop engagements for hospitality associations and conferences.
How is Vianarra different from other hospitality consultants?
Most hospitality consultants come from inside the industry — former operators, sommeliers, or hospitality executives. Patrick brings a different lens: 30 years of operational leadership combined with narrative training under Stephen King and folklorist Sandy Ives at the University of Maine, plus a National Park Service interpretive ranger background. Vianarra treats hospitality storytelling as a craft built on operational discipline — not as marketing, not as branding, but as a service standard that runs through every guest interaction.
How do I work with Vianarra?
The easiest first step is subscribing to the free biweekly newsletter at vianarra.kit.com. For workshops, Guest Experience Audits, or association keynotes, use the Book a Consultation link on this page. Initial conversations are 30 minutes by phone or video and focus on your property, your team, and what you want guests to leave with that they don’t have today.
How do I subscribe to the Vianarra newsletter?
The Vianarra newsletter is published weekly at vianarra.kit.com. It’s free. Stories from the places worth remembering — for travelers with high standards and the hospitality professionals who serve them.