It takes a moment to put my finger on the exact vibe of Appellation Healdsburg, but as I’m wandering the property on the second morning of my stay, I realize: This is what it feels like when a chef comes home. On sunny days, guests might well see famed chef and co-founder Charlie Palmer sitting in the sun on the patio, sometimes chatting with his son Reed, the Chef de Cuisine at the hotel’s Folia restaurant. With the culinary garden woven among century-old olive trees and newly planted grapevines, and the open kitchen framed by hooks holding drying herbs and edible flowers, cooking is on display everywhere. Even in the rooms, small design touches pay subtle homage to the art of cooking.
Here, the creative spirit doesn’t stop at food. The hotel celebrates makers of all sorts, from wine makers to artists and craftpeople. This celebration of creation is a natural fit for Sonoma County, which by my observed but unscientific count, has one of the country’s highest concentrations of creative people pursuing their craft.
Appellation Healdsburg is a Small Luxury Hotels of the World member and the second hotel in what Palmer hopes will be a small luxury hotel family with properties in mostly agricultural towns known for exceptional food and wine. It’s the first Appellation built from the ground up and joins Appellation Lodi (in the wine region near Sacramento) set in a century-old Mediterranean-style estate surrounded by gardens.
The Delight is in the details
The term “residential details” sounds dull, but the concept transforms the hotel experience. In creating the hotel, the design team focused on bringing in residential details that would make the experience feel like a comfortable, luxurious home rather than a typical hotel.
During my stay, I noted each time something felt in the right place. The shower handles opposite the shower head so I could turn it on and adjust the temperature without getting soaked in the process. The magnification mirrors in the bathroom that were at the right height but also tucked away unobtrusively when not in use to avoid unexpected pore jumpscare moments. The window seat at just the right height for working at the table in the room (a table that, inspired by the culinary theme, looked charmingly like an oversized cutting board). Light switches and charging plug-ins that were easy to reach from the bed.
The common areas feel elevated but homey as well. Check in happens around the equivalent of a kitchen island, where you’re given a delicious little bite and a glass of local wine (or water, if you choose). If there’s a line, you’re not stuck standing there; instead you’re invited to take a seat around the 360-degree fireplace where someone welcomes you with a glass of wine while you wait. Nearby, long tables draw people to “Crafted” activities like olive oil blending, Japanese paper marbling, and, during my visit, embroidering vintage postcards.
The experience
This thoughtful approach to both the experiences and physical spaces runs deep. At the gym, most of the equipment is in a standalone climate-controlled building, but a few of the machines are on an attached “fitness patio” in the shade overlooking the pool.
Two separate pools on either side of the property keep everyone happy. The more family-oriented Foss pool draws kids, while near the spa, the adults-only pool has a more serene scene. Dotted around the property are beautiful tableaus you can just sink into: think wine tasting around a long table set inside a circle of century-old olive trees and lemon trees heavy with fruit; evenings around the fire pit in big, comfortable chairs; and slow wanders through the extensive culinary garden.
Appellation Healdsburg is home to Folia, its main restaurant; and Andys Beeline Rooftop bar. During my stay, I noticed that the hotel, true to its goal of being a part of the Healdsburg community, was a lively and welcoming mix of locals and visitors. Folia, woven through the hotel’s main building, has a rotating menu built around Sonoma County’s agricultural seasons (though a few menu items like the Danish Style Breakfast, lunchtime’s Appellation Chicken Salad, and the architectural and dual-citrus lemon merengue tart at dinner are always on the menu). Upstairs, Beeline is a swanky-relaxed mix of blue velvet banquettes and wine-country views.
At the Terroir Spa next to the adult pool, each spa experience begins with an unhurried foot soak to help guests relax before treatments. Massages and facials begin with aromatherapy and sound bowls, and start at 75 minutes (rather than the standard 50) to offer enough time to really sink into the experience, reset the nervous system, and enjoy.
Appellation’s Healdsburg location
I was initially concerned by the hotel’s proximity to Highway 101. On the way to my room in the westernmost building on the property, I could see the highway (soon, another building that’s not part of Appellation will sit between the resort and the highway). But it ended up being a non-issue for me. Since the highway sits up on a berm, the resort is pretty insulated from the sound. And the resort is generally oriented away from the highway and toward the rolling hills of Sonoma. My room looked out over one of the property’s two pools that act as courtyards for rooms (though a few look out onto the hills instead).
The hotel isn’t in downtown, it’s about two miles away (if you know Healdsburg, it’s just across from the road that leads up to the Montage). But the drive to downtown takes about five minutes and parking is easy. And as I learned on a beautiful walk one morning, there’s a great path that’s largely insulated from the road and leads you right downtown.
Community is one of the hotel’s core values, and it’s apparent everywhere. Locals come to the Folia restaurant; the relaxed-but-swanky Andy’s Beeline bar, which perches on the roof of the main building; and the Terroir Spa, which is already one of Sonoma’s most thoughtfully conceived of relaxation experiences. And it’s just across the street is a lively newish 50-and-up community as well as apartments, giving the hotel a neighborhood feel.