Valeria Gimeno Fernández Introduces a New Framework to Restaurant Storytelling for Luxury Hospitality

New York, NY, USA, September 8th, 2026, FinanceWire

Valeria Gimeno Fernández, Marketing Manager at Chef’s Daniel Boulud’s The Dinex Group, has developed Narrative Hospitality, a creative framework that treats a restaurant brand as an immersive story, inviting guests into its culture, identity and culinary philosophy long before they arrive. Gimeno Fernández was recently nominated for Rising Star at the Frank W. Berkman Awards, presented by the Greater New York Chapter of the Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International.

Her work centers on translating each restaurant's culinary point of view into a distinct visual language. Under the Narrative Hospitality framework, every campaign, photoshoot, partnership, event and editorial story becomes part of a single narrative built to communicate a restaurant's identity rather than simply promote its menu. As creative producer, she develops brand concepts, directs professional photoshoots and sets creative direction and styling across an eight-property luxury portfolio.

Where most restaurant marketing centers on individual dishes or promotions, her framework does not treat guests simply as an audience for the restaurant's story. Instead, it casts them as active participants within the narrative itself. Marketing becomes the opening chapter, the restaurant experience allows guests to live that story firsthand, and their role continues after they leave as they carry the narrative forward by sharing their memories and experiences with others.

"A restaurant's story shouldn't begin when a guest sits down at the table," said Gimeno Fernández. "It begins with the first photograph they see or the first invitation they receive. My goal is to invite guests into a restaurant's world before they arrive, so when they leave, they carry that story with them."

The approach has produced work at significant scale. Gimeno Fernández directed a creator collaboration that drew millions of views across short-form video platforms, developed a campaign timed to the World Cup that extended a chef's culinary identity into a cultural moment, and has led creative partnerships between the group's restaurants and luxury houses in spirits and lifestyle.

Within this philosophy, experiential dinners are designed as living chapters of a restaurant's story rather than standalone events. Her programs include a wagyu and sake series conceived through the lens of a French steakhouse, and a three-part luxury Champagne dinner series, each built around a property's culinary identity.

Gimeno Fernández has applied this approach across Michelin-recognized restaurants, directing creative campaigns spanning fine dining rooms, a private event venue and the group's expanding international operations. She joined The Dinex Group in June 2025 and was appointed Marketing Manager in January 2026.

Her earlier work as Digital Marketing Director for a Mexico City hospitality group, developing brands across 28 restaurants and digital platforms for 16 of them, helped shape the ideas that would later become Narrative Hospitality.

She holds a master's degree in global hospitality management and a bachelor's degree in international relations, where she graduated as a Tisch Center Merit Scholarship recipient, and is fluent in Spanish, French, Portuguese and English with advanced proficiency in Mandarin.

As luxury hospitality becomes increasingly experience-driven, Gimeno Fernández believes restaurants should no longer be marketed as places to dine, but as stories guests choose to enter.

About Valeria Gimeno Fernández

Valeria Gimeno Fernández is a New York-based hospitality marketing professional and Marketing Manager at Chef Daniel Boulud’s The Dinex Group, where she leads creative marketing initiatives across a portfolio of luxury restaurants and hospitality concepts. Her work spans brand strategy, creative direction, experiential marketing, partnerships, editorial storytelling and campaign production. She is the creator of Narrative Hospitality, a framework that approaches restaurant marketing as an extension of the guest experience, using visual storytelling, cultural moments and immersive campaigns to build distinct brand identities. Prior to joining The Dinex Group, Gimeno Fernández worked in hospitality marketing in Mexico City, supporting a portfolio of 28 restaurants. She holds a master’s degree in global hospitality management and a bachelor’s degree in international relations.

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