American chef Charlie Palmer and hotel industry veteran Christopher Hunsberger have teamed up to launch Appellation, a hotel brand that balances food and beverage with hospitality. Appellation aims to cultivate community around food and the role it plays in bringing people together while emphasizing “approachable luxury” in accommodations and service.
The brand is set to debut in Idaho with Appellation Sun Valley (2023), and two regions in California with Appellation Healdsburg (2023) and Appellation Pacific Grove (2024). Lobbies will have interactive prep stations and each guest floor will have pantries filled with local artisan products and curated cookbook libraries.
The initial planned properties will range from 72 to 225 rooms. All will include a Charlie Palmer restaurant and bar, interactive culinary demonstrations, experiential programming, meeting and event space, a pool, a spa and fitness centers. Select hotels, such as Appellation Sun Valley, also will have residences.
The guest experience will emphasize hyperlocal food and beverage as well as local characteristics, from architecture and furnishings to immersive, educational programming.
“Guests and locals can watch live-fire cooking as they sip wine with a renowned local winemaker in Healdsburg, enjoy a perfectly crafted cocktail adjacent to the observatory at the rooftop bar in Sun Valley, or learn the art of perfectly prepared artichoke in Pacific Grove, just a few miles from the ‘Artichoke Capital of The World,’” Hunsberger said.
Hunsberger and Palmer’s vision for Appellation extends beyond the guest experience as a company that builds hotels that connect, engage and serve local communities. Appellation will also develop the next generation of chefs, hoteliers, artists and hospitality professionals. Palmer and Hunsberger will expect to seek out local talent and build employee housing at each property where possible.
Founding Partners
Palmer and Hunsberger met more than 20 years ago when Palmer became the first celebrity chef to enter a licensing agreement with Four Seasons Resorts and Hotels, a program that was led by Hunsberger as global head of product. Hunsberger, who spent more than 30 years in strategic leadership roles with Four Seasons, left after holding positions as president of the Americas and global chief human resources officer. Palmer, for his part, has received more than 20 Michelin stars and numerous James Beard Foundation accolades. He licenses and consults on 15 hotel F&B outlets averaging 1.25 million covers per year through Charlie Palmer Collective, besides investing in a handful of hotels.
Appellation is designed to suit both owner-operators and third-party managers with streamlined management solutions.
A version of this story ran on Hotel Management's sister site Luxury Travel Advisor.