Appellation, a new brand of hotels built around experiencing a destination’s unique culinary landscape, will open in Healdsburg, Sun Valley and Pacific Grove in 2023 and 2024, according to co-founder and celebrity chef Charlie Palmer.
The forthcoming Healdsburg hotel will include 108 guest rooms, 4,700 square feet of food and beverage spaces and a Palmer-led 160-seat restaurant with a rooftop bar. The new hotel project also promises interactive culinary demonstrations, hyperlocal immersive food and wine experiences, lobby “prep stations” and pantries on each guest floor with local artisan products and cookbook libraries. The property will also have a pool, spa and fitness center.
“That name (Appellation) felt appropriate as we create what we saw lacking for today’s luxury traveler – hotels specifically built around a destination’s distinct culinary experiences,” said Palmer.
The new hotel will be part of the North Village community, a 32-acre mixed-used project just north of downtown Healdsburg that also will include a “Zen-inspired” senior living community, retail promenade and affordable housing. (Appellation will include 53 affordable employee rental units.) The Healdsburg Planning Commission approved the design and condition use for the project in June 2021.
Appellation is a collaboration between Palmer and Christopher Hunsberger, formerly with the Four Seasons Hotel. The two met when Palmer became the first celebrity chef to license his brand with Four Seasons Resorts and Hotels, a program led by Hunsberger as global head of product more than 20 years ago.
Palmer is no stranger to operating restaurants in luxury hotels. In 2001, the Sonoma-based chef opened Dry Creek Kitchen at the Healdsburg Hotel, followed by 15 Palmer-licensed restaurants in hotels around the country.
“Appellation is about an experience that is impressive, but unpretentious. When people are comfortable at every level the food tastes better, the laughter is louder and the memories are stronger,” he said.
More details here.