The first thing you notice when you arrive at Appellation Healdsburg is how homey it feels.
Hotel registration is in the middle of the bustling Folia Bar + Kitchen, the property’s signature restaurant. Check-in occurs in front of a wet bar instead of at a traditional (and soulless) counter. Perhaps most memorably, every new guest is given a small bite or a special drink to welcome them in.
This vibe is intentional; the entire resort revolves around food and lifestyle. Its debut as the flagship property of Appellation, a new hospitality company from celebrity chef Charlie Palmer and hospitality veteran Christopher Hunsberger, comes just as Sonoma County’s wine harvest and tourist season peaks.
Even for Sonoma County residents who cannot, or choose not to, fork over $500 per night, the resort will offer several amenities for everyone: a restaurant, a rooftop bar, a gathering space for community events, and regular classes that will be open to the public.
Appellation Healdsburg joins Appellation Lodi – Wine & Roses Resort and Spa, which opened earlier this summer as a refresh of what was formerly Wine & Roses Resort and Spa. Two other hotels will follow over the next 16 months in Morgan Hill, outside of San Jose, and Park City, Utah.
According to Palmer, every one of the Appellation resorts eventually will replicate the same laid-back approach.
“When you walk in, it will be like you’re walking into someone’s kitchen,” says Palmer, who has lived in Healdsburg for the last 20 years. “We want to greet every hotel guest with something that makes them feel right at home.”
Hunsberger, who worked more than 35 years at Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts, agrees.
“Food connects us, people power us, and place defines us,” he says. “We didn’t want to do just another hotel company where the second and third and fourth hotel all felt the same. We wanted to do a deep dive, where every property reflects a unique destination and a unique sense of place.”
In the wine world, appellation refers to unique attributes of a geographic region where grapes are grown. Similarly, each Appellation property aims to highlight those regional distinctions.
Vineyards surround the 108-room Healdsburg property, which features an extensive edible garden. It also boasts The Grange, a versatile event space designed to resemble a giant barn, and Andys Beeline Rooftop, a bar atop the hotel that offers both cocktails and commanding views of the hills in the northern part of the city. The resort sits on a bike trail that leads three miles south to the heart of town.
Rooms at Appellation Healdsburg are modern and efficient. All of them have vineyard-themed artwork integrated into the headboards. Rooms also have built-in furniture, including a special bench for a roller suitcase, and barn doors to provide privacy for the bathroom.
Finally — starting with the Healdsburg resort — Appellation will incorporate community into all its hotels. Every property will host immersive classes that spotlight local makers, artisans, and growers.
Dubbed Crafted, the hands-on classes cover topics like coffee blending, embroidery, and flower foraging and arranging. The classes will be free to guests and available to others for a small fee, and in keeping with Appellation’s food-centered focus, include light bites from chef Palmer and tastes of local wines.
Appellation Healdsburg, 101 Dovetail Lane, Healdsburg. 707-723-2000, appellationhotels.com