What surprised me most about my stay at the Appellation Healdsburg was how family-friendly it is in a different way than most hotels. There are no water slides in the pool or chicken fingers in the hotel restaurant. Instead, hotels create spaces for family relationships and space for everyone to have fun together.
It makes sense that this upscale, culinary-focused hotel would also feature family-friendly details. That’s because the hotel is, in part, a family venture, a way for Chef Charlie Palmer to channel decades of hospitality expertise while staying close to home, and a place where he and son Reed Palmer work side by side in the hotel’s massive culinary garden and in the kitchen at Folia, Appellation’s destination restaurant.
Layout and details
Although best known as a wine and food destination, Healdsburg in general and Appellation Healdsburg in particular are great for families. At the hotel, the Foss pool is the heart of the family experience. My room overlooked the pool, and as I was sitting on my balcony (more on that later), I noticed this connection-based approach was also family friendly here. It’s not a pool noodles and hot dogs kind of scene, but its relaxed and friendly atmosphere works wonders for families playing together in the pool, relaxing and chatting on the pool deck, and generally enjoying the sun and downtime together.
The rooms were also envisioned with families in mind. Suites have optional adjoining rooms for extended families, and a number of standard rooms can be connected via doors that turn two rooms into two rooms connected via a shared private entrance. The rooms open onto balconies which, with the help of sliding doors that open wide, feel like an extension of the guest rooms.
Something I appreciated while walking the area was the many beautifully landscaped places that set the stage for connection. While nothing feels forced, there are plenty of perfect spots to relax with a board game or wine (or both), sit around the campfire in the evening, or take a stroll through the hotel’s culinary garden. And easy access to nature right from the hotel makes it easy to go on a hike (or, if a hike is the last thing your kids want, a leisurely stroll to look for wildlife or insects, or watch the sunset).
Kids can take part in Craft classes led by local artists, learning hands-on activities like embroidering vintage postcards (I did this one and even though I don’t sew, it was a lot of fun), Japanese paper marbling, and olive oil blending. Class minimum ages are based on activity; Below is the complete schedule. The hotel also has adult-sized bikes that are great for family outings with older kids on Healdsburg’s family trail network.
The incredible Spa Appellation is a self-pampering moment for parent-teens. Treatment begins with a foot soak and, as the standard basic treatment time is 75 minutes, nothing feels rushed. Teens under 18 can book a massage but an adult must accompany them in the room, or can have a teen facial without an adult present.
Culinary focused and family friendly? Yes
There’s no children’s menu but what you’ll find at Folia, the hotel’s main restaurant, is plenty of kid-friendly dishes on the menu for every meal of the day. For parents who love food and hope to inspire the next generation, this is a great choice.
Kids’ favorite menu items include koginut pumpkin pasta, which has all the creaminess of mac and cheese with a touch more pumpkin (blended in, so kids won’t have texture issues with it) and the richness of brown butter. The cheeseburger (which may require a bit of selective topping removal for picky kids) offers kids (and, let’s be honest, adults too) a taste of burgers that can and are rare.
Other menu items rotate, and the kind and warm staff can help with suggestions and substitutions. Here, gathering around the table is a family activity, and the staff is dedicated to making that happen for families.
Things to do in Healdsburg with kids
In summer, the Russian River, which flows through town, is a popular spot for swimming, kayaking, and paddle boarding, and Veterans Memorial Beach is a popular spot for locals and visitors. Bicycle paths make it easy to travel from the hotel to the city center and beyond. And Healdsburg Ridge Open Nature Preserve has plenty of easy hikes along 155 acres of beautiful Northern California oak forests.
In the city center, this square is a great place to enjoy an ice cream and let the little ones run around. Furthermore, many local wineries are very kid-friendly, Bricoleur near Windsor (about a 15-minute drive from downtown) is kid- and dog-friendly, and has activities like lawn and board games, scavenger hunts and fishing.
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