Not for dieters, ‘restaurant-first’ hospitality brand Appellation will integrate food and drink into every touchpoint of its hotels. Rose Dykins reports
New hotel brand Appellation will centre its guest experience around food and drink, and the role culinary enjoyment plays in bringing people together.
Developed by restaurateur Charlie Palmer and Four Seasons veteran Christopher Hunsberger, the brand will merge culinary and hospitality experiences, offering its own type of “approachable luxury” in its accommodation and service.
“Appellation is about an experience that is impressive, but unpretentious,” says Palmer, the brand’s CEO. “When people are comfortable at every level the food tastes better, the laughter is louder and the memories are stronger.
“Each Appellation is the culmination of regional character, the personality of people who call [the destination] home and the food that brings them together.”
Appellation’s take on luxury without formality will be brought to life by “immersive culinary experiences, design choices and meaningful service interactions”.
Leisure destinations in the US will be the first locations for Appellation hotels. Appellation Healdsburg will open in 2024, while Appellation Sun Valley in Idaho will debut in 2025, and Appellation Pacific Grove in California in 2026.
These destinations were also chosen for their local landscapes, their lesser-known attractions for visitors and their communities of local makers, growers and artisans.
Initial Appellation properties range in size from 72 and 225 rooms. Each will feature a signature Charlie Palmer restaurant and bar, interactive culinary demonstrations, programmes of guest experiences, meetings and event space, pool, spas and fitness centres. Some hotels such as the Appellation Sun Valley will also have private residences.
Hunsberger says: “We’re flipping the traditional ‘hotel first, restaurant second’ notion on its head and setting a new standard for immersion in local culture and community through food. With Appellation, the intersection of culinary and hospitality is seamless. It is the hotel experience both of us have always wanted.”
The duo 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 programme that was led by Hunsberger while he was global head of product for the brand.