As Ameyalli Resort Spa by Appellation in Midway breaks ground on phase two of development, founder and developer Charles “Chuck” Heath and Michelin-starred chef Charlie Palmer are staying true to what brought them together to pursue the project: total wellness.  For Palmer, the idea of wel lness is centered around food. The award-winning chef has been cooking since he was 14 years old and has since branched out into the world of hospitality. Caring for others, making people happy with food and healthful eating, he said, is why he started Appellation — a culinary-based hospitality brand with nutrition at the heart of it all.  Heath said the partnership with Appellation made sense. How, he said, could one provide a wellness-based resort experience without quality food as a backbone?  “It’s very unique in the sense that we tie all aspects of hospitality like no other brand,” Palmer said about Appellation. “I think that’s where we stand out most is there’s no pretension. It’s all about the guest satisfaction and making people happy.” Palmer said he is driven to hospitality because he loves making people happy.  “I’ve been very fortunate to be able to do that on a pretty large scale,” Palmer said. “There’s nothing more satisfying to me than when a guest comes and experiences what we do and what we offer and leaves saying ‘I cannot wait to be back here again.’” Palmer said the relationship between Ameyalli and Appellation works because “you can’t talk about wellness without healthful eating.” “What we put in our bodies … I think that’s a huge part of it,” Palmer said. “This is not going to be diet food in any way, it’s going to be healthful.” Sourcing and growing the very best ingredients is a great start, Palmer said. Paired with an entire wellness experience, he said, makes it truly special. Phase two of development marks the near end of the project, formerly partnered with Deepak Chopra and known as Ameyalli Park City. Ameyalli Resort Spa plans to open its doors in 2028. With that comes two Palmer restaurants and a 20,000-square-foot wellbeing spa.  Ameyalli Resort Spa guests can visit two Charlie Palmer restaurants, shown in a rendering, throughout their stay. Credit: Rendering courtesy of Overland Partners Along with Palmer’s culinary experience, Ameyalli benefits from its location in Midway, surrounded by Little Switzerland’s natural hot springs. The resort is centered around an active cluster of 28 natural geothermal hot springs, which will influence the spa.  Trips around the world to different resorts, spas and wellness centers have influenced Heath’s vision for Ameyalli, he said. Heath took a hands-on approach to development, ensuring that every aspect of Ameyalli revolves around a wellness-based guest experience.  “This is kind of my way of being creative, in a sense, is to be able to look at a project, envision it, see the vision, and then try to make that vision come to reality,” Heath said.  And that vision is coming to fruition on 78 acres of Midway City land. Heath said the city itself is an influence on the Ameyalli project. When Heath first met with former Midway City Mayor Celeste Johnson, he said the pair agreed that open space should be a part of the Ameyalli experience.  About 55 acres are preserved as an open space viewshed.  “It was probably the best scenario I’ve seen in my career, where there was a true public-private partnership. Everybody won,” Heath said, adding that he has been working in development for nearly five decades.  Heath said open space was one of the minor hurdles to get through during phase one development. Throughout the planning process, Heath said a 35-foot height limit was immediately agreed upon. Then, density was cut in half and the building was designed to fit into the landscape.  “We really approached it from what we call a much more sensitive area, really looking at the land and treating that land with the respect it needed,” Heath said.  Ameyalli Resort Spa is surrounded by 28 natural geothermal hot springs in Midway City. Credit: Rendering courtesy of Overland Partners A natural problem solver, Heath said he enjoys that, with development and engineering, it’s something new every day.  “It’s the most dynamic, I think, job you can have in the world, because it changes every day, every hour, every minute sometimes,” Heath said.  With phase one complete, about 81% of the move-in ready Residence Club alpine chalets are already sold. Remaining chalets are scheduled for completion through 2026 and 2027.  Phase two’s Villa Residences are designed as an extension of the Ameyalli resort. Each two-bedroom villa is approximately 1,600 square feet with direct access to all amenities. Stone walls and glass infill define the architecture with exterior stone planes positioned to orient each home toward the Wasatch Back mountains.  Interiors are finished with customed-designed furniture, rustic oak cabinetry, quartzite countertops and feature a three-sided gas fireplace to anchor the open-concept living, dining and kitchen areas.  “What I’m the most proud of is that we’re going to be able to provide a resort community unlike anything else around,” Heath said. “I think our architects really hit it out of the park.” Heath said clients who have already bought into Ameyalli residences are already loving the resort community.  “To love it now is saying a lot,” Heath said. “I think the key is that we have really, really happy people there.” Villa Residences sales at Ameyalli Resort Spa by Appellation will launch this summer. The post Hot springs, wellness, healthy eating: Ameyalli Resort breaks ground on phase two appeared first on Park Record. ...read more read less