American chef Charlie Palmer and hotel industry veteran Christopher Hunsberger have teamed up to launch Appellation, a hotel brand born from the merger of culinary and hospitality.
Appellation will cultivate community around food and the role it plays in bringing people together, while exuding “approachable luxury” in accommodations and service. The brand will debut in Idaho with Appellation Sun Valley (2023), and two regions in California with Appellation Healdsburg (2023) and Appellation Pacific Grove (2024). Food and beverage are purposefully built into the brand’s core, from lobbies with interactive prep stations to pantries on each guest floor filled with local artisan products and curated cookbook libraries.
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 program that was led by Hunsberger as global head of product. Hunsberger, who spent over 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 over 20 Michelin stars and numerous James Beard Foundation accolades. He licenses and consults on 15 profitable hotel F&B outlets averaging 1.25 million covers per year through Charlie Palmer Collective, besides investing in a handful of hotels.
The initial planned properties will range from 72 to 225 rooms. All will offer a signature Charlie Palmer restaurant and bar, interactive culinary demonstrations, experiential programming, meetings and event space, pool, spa and fitness centers. Select hotels, such as Appellation Sun Valley, will also offer residences.
Hyperlocal food and beverage, and dozens of local characteristics are woven into each guest experience, from architecture and furnishings to immersive, educational programming, entrées and cocktails. Hunsberger said, “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 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 tap local talent and even build employee housing at each property where possible.
Appellation is designed to be both owner-operator and third-party manager with streamlined management solutions.
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