Appellation, the culinary-first hotel brand by American chef Charlie Palmer and luxury hospitality veteran Christopher Hunsberger, joins forces with vintner Frank Léal of Léal Hospitality to develop Hotel MOHI by Appellation. Set to debut in fall 2025 in Silicon Valley's downtown Morgan Hill, the opening will mark the first full-service luxury boutique hotel in the area, according to the company.
Léal Hospitality has established Morgan Hill as a bourgeoning food and wine scene for northern California, with epicurean-focused locations like MOHI Farm, Léal Vineyards, and MOHI Ranch, among others. Hotel MOHI by Appellation will have have 76 keys and five stories.
"Our vision for Appellation is to uncover lesser-known culinary destinations by opening hotels in locales like Morgan Hill," Appellation Co-Founder and CEO Palmer said in a statement. "Appellation hotels are meant to express the essence of the place with a sense of 'here.' Like the rest of our portfolio, we will be truly embedding food and beverage into every aspect of Hotel MOHI by Appellation, from design to programming."
Hotel MOHI by Appellation will be designed as an urban retreat for exploring Morgan Hills' walkable downtown area. The hotel is intentionally positioned at 4.5 stars with approachable luxury in mind.
At the heart of the hotel will be a 215-seat signature Charlie Palmer restaurant and bar, sourcing from on-site gardens, Léal Hospitality's estates and other local purveyors. The hotel plans to produce key ingredients from scratch, including roasting small-batch coffee and making olive oil with olives from trees grown on the premises.
"Frank Léal is a beloved pillar of the community. Leveraging his long-time commitment to Morgan Hill and to farm fresh, locally sourced dining will be key to the success of Hotel MOHI by Appellation," Hunsberger said. "His establishments have long drawn in crowds from the greater Silicon Valley area, and we are excited to start bringing wider, much-deserved attention to the region with Hotel MOHI by Appellation."
Additional hotel amenities will include a terrace pool and deck with greenery complete with a pocket bar, a marketplace and flower shop lounge, and a café and bakery that transitions into a cocktail and wine bar come evening. The wine-country-inspired spa and fitness club will have five treatment rooms offering olive scrub treatments, salt cleansing massages and a sauna room.
Hotel MOHI by Appellation's 7,730 square-feet ballroom will have the capacity to host up to 500 people, representing the single largest indoor event space in Morgan Hill. The ballroom will also provide a modern organic design flex space that can open to a show-kitchen for live-action culinary experiences. With an additional 1,861 square feet of dedicated indoor function space, Hotel MOHI by Appellation will offer the most premium accommodations of any competitive luxury resorts or wineries in the region, according to the company.
With the addition of Hotel MOHI by Appellation, the Appellation brand continues to carve a name for itself in several iconic destinations. The brand will continue a steady stream of new-build openings with Appellation Healdsburg next year, followed by Appellation Sun Valley, Appellation Petaluma and Appellation Pacific Grove.