The debut of appellation as an immersive culinary hotel brand

For hotel brands near the top of the chain-scale, the requirement for creating meaningful experiences that embrace ‘sense of place’ becomes essential. In the constant pursuit of business growth, offering incredible and ‘peak’ experiences becomes essential for driving ADR and ancillary spend. This is what we call the ‘reason to visit’, inspiring word-of-mouth, boosting occupancy rating, and enhancing overall value in various ways.

For some hotels, that reason is a stunning location, like being coast-side or having a championship golf course. Besides physical and immutable on-prem features, nowadays we are increasingly identifying with what we eat. And we want to know ever-specific details about the foods we eat, from the cultivar and land grown through to specific details of the cooking process. This is driving the demand for transformative culinary experiences—what many now refer to as epicurean adventures. Today’s luxury and upscale travelers crave more than just beautiful food and local ingredients; they want to connect with the region through its cuisine and participate in food-centric activities that are both dynamic and transformative.

One hotel brand that has fully embraced this culinary shift is Appellation, focusing on creating-forward luxury properties in the heart of American wine regions. They’ve accomplished the hotel experience through a variety of innovative onsite features. From themed interiors and exhilarating culinary presentation to open kitchens at their signature restaurants and crafted cooking classes, edutainment art pieces for oenophiles scattered about the premises and the advent of ‘maker spaces’ where local craftspeople are invited to produce their wares right in the hotel lobby while also fielding questions from guests.

Last year, we had the chance to sit down with Christopher Hunsberger, Appellation’s co-founder and Chief Operating Officer, to learn about what defines the Appellation brand. Since then, the team has been working hard developing properties across the Western United States, including their first urban location in Morgan Hill (MOHI), California—a charming town of 45,000 just southeast of San Jose, tucked within the borders of Silicon Valley.

Appellation is also preparing to open a stunning new location in Healdsburg, CA, in the summer of 2025. This will feature 108 rooms and suites spread across 12 buildings on 8 acres, offering two pools, a spa, and 15,500 square feet of event space, all centered around a 4,700-square-foot signature restaurant. The property will showcase the very best of Napa Valley, making it the ultimate destination for wine and food lovers.

As anyone in the industry knows, hotel development is a complex undertaking. To get a closer look at the trials and tribulations behind launching such an intrepid hotel brand, we were ecstatic to connect with Courtland Palmer, Appellation’s Chief Development Officer. He is not just a key figure at Appellation; he’s also the son of Charlie Palmer, who brings a world of culinary experience to the brand as an acclaimed Executive Chef with numerous restaurants under his purview across the world – in particular, those at Four Seasons properties – and chairman of the Charlie Palmer Collective. With hospitality facing labor challenges, insofar as inspiring the next generation of leaders, we were curious to learn what Palmer brings to the role as a second-generation hotelier.

Since interviewing Christopher Hunsberger nearly a year ago, can you provide an update on Appellation developments?

We recently announced Hotel MOHI by Appellation, debuting in fall 2025 in downtown Morgan Hill in the heart of the Silicon Valley wine region. In partnership with Léal Hospitality, this property is a celebration of the burgeoning food and wine scene in the area, and will be home to a 215-seat signature Charlie Palmer restaurant and bar that sources fresh produce from onsite gardens, Léal Hospitality’s estates, and many other local purveyors.

Appellation Healdsburg is on track to open in Summer 2025. Like every Appellation hotel, the resort will feature a signature Charlie Palmer restaurant, as well as a destination rooftop bar with expansive vineyard views and our Terroir Spa with five treatment rooms. We also have dedicated ‘Maker Spaces’ where guests and locals can take part in immersive learning experiences from local artisans as part of our Crafted at Appellation experience.

Looking ahead, we have plans for additional properties in iconic destinations such as Petaluma and Pacific Grove, each scheduled to open in 2026. These hotels will be designed to reflect each property’s unique locale, further establishing Appellation as a leader in culinary-focused luxury hospitality.

Can you describe some of the amenities that make the public spaces uniquely active and differentiate Appellation properties?

We are committed to creating dynamic public spaces that foster engagement and community interaction. Hotel MOHI by Appellation’s design includes a vibrant marketplace and flower shop lounge, where guests can browse local artisanal goods and enjoy fresh offerings from the area. Additionally, Hotel MOHI’s café and bakery will transition into a cocktail and wine bar in the evenings.

One of the standout features is Hotel MOHI’s ballroom, which not only serves as the largest indoor event space in Morgan Hill, but also offers a modern organic design with a show kitchen. This space allows for live culinary experiences, bringing the artistry of food directly to our guests. With amenities like these, we aim to create an environment that not only highlights local artisanship but also encourages exploration, connection and creativity throughout the hotel.

The MOHI property will be Appellation’s first city hotel. How will the brand’s expansive F&B programming that celebrates local artisans translate to an urban location?

Our mission is to deeply embed local flavors and artisanship into every aspect of the guest experience. From our signature Charlie Palmer restaurant, which will highlight the incredible produce and wines sourced from nearby farms and vineyards, to our thoughtfully designed spaces that reflect the vibrant culture of Morgan Hill, we aim to create a unique urban retreat. This hotel will not only showcase the rich culinary landscape of the region but also invite guests to immerse themselves in the community and its amazing food scene.

Can you give us an overview of your role and your day-to-day at the office?

The conventional role of a development officer is based around identifying and qualifying hotel opportunities, and then, most importantly, determining if there is a mutual level of interest and excitement between all parties involved. Something unique about Appellation’s growth strategy is that we are only interested in destinations that we believe are truly unique, and have a sense of place and local character that we can bring to the forefront of our guest experience, menus, Crafted at Appellation experiences and so on. As a result, especially for our ground-up projects, we are much more involved in the day-to-day real estate development and capitalization efforts. The fun part is every day is different and every one of our projects is unique and exciting in its own way.

What’s Appellation’s strategic approach to the United States hospitality industry in terms of brand launch and expansion?

Appellation prides itself on taking a culinary-first approach to hospitality, which is something I think pretty clearly sets us apart. And a prerequisite to that strategy is a celebration of our hotels’ local communities, makers, farmers, ranchers, fishermen and other artisans. So, in terms of expansion, we are very focused on destinations that have an amazing story to tell, where our hotels can serve as gathering grounds for those key local stakeholders.

Appellation’s debut has been a long time coming, all while fighting through pandemic uncertainties and now high costs of capital. How have you helped navigate the brand through these challenges to both ensure a smooth launch and minimal interruptions to the development pipeline?

The last few years have been tough for our industry across the board, particularly in the capital markets. Our ability to continue to move forward is a testament to our relationships and the commitments our partners have made to seeing these projects through. We have been fortunate to navigate those waters, much in part due to the markets we are in. In certain situations, we have also turned to more innovative, non-conventional sources of capital, like PACE financing for example.

What’s your approach for determining the number of keys and overall amenity footprint that an Appellation property can sustain in a given market?

Naturally each market is different and requires a customized assessment of what that market can support. But generally, we are focused on hotels between 75 and 200 keys, and we are pretty steadfast when it comes to high levels of amenitization, since expansive F&B offerings and active public spaces are a major part of our identity.

Branded residences are a big trend in luxury hotels right now. What are your thoughts on this and do you foresee any applicability of mixed-use properties for Appellation?

There’s no question that branded residences serve as a fantastic way to bring the Appellation experience to the residential asset class. The concept also helps elevate profitability for hotel owners as those residences are often contributed into the hotel pool. We have put a lot of thought into how the Appellation experience translates into a branded residential product, and we have a few projects in our pipeline that include a branded residential component.

Where to next?

When evaluating new destinations for expansion, we identify burgeoning places with soul as well as strong culinary and cultural roots, sometimes waiting for their much-deserved moment in the sun. While we have a close eye on California and the greater West Coast, we certainly are open to markets beyond that region that feel right for our portfolio.

How do you see the Appellation brand evolving?

Each of Appellation’s hotels are uniquely crafted to meet the needs and feel of their respective locations. As we continue to expand, each new location will offer different guest experiences and amenities. My Dad always says that hospitality has to continually evolve, and I like to think that our approach to a new project is met with a level of individuality and entrepreneurialism that ultimately sets us apart.