For thousands of years, people have traveled to the town of Midway, UT, to visit 28 geothermal springs, also known as hot springs, for their purported healing properties. It’s a quiet, serene, restful place away from the excitement at ski slopes in nearby Park City and Deer Valley.
A new wellness destination, AMEYALLI Park City by Appellation, is being developed around those hot springs, with a targeted opening date of late 2026.
Charlie Palmer
Appellation
Envisioned by Charles (Chuck) Heath, former CEO and founder of Horizon Design, in collaboration with wellness pioneer Dr. Deepak Chopra, the project is being developed in partnership with culinary-focused hospitality brand Appellation, founded by Michelin-starred Chef Charlie Palmer and luxury hospitality veteran Christopher Hunsberger.
Palmer, Appellation’s CEO, became aware of the project after meeting with Heath at a charity event in Park City called Red, White and Snow.
“While driving with Chuck to Midway, he told me about the hot springs and their wellness benefits, which totally fascinated me,” said Palmer. “The residential piece was already underway, and I could envision the whole resort. Bringing in Deepak and the wellness components to the project was just incredible.”
The visit to the site of the future resort made such an impression that Palmer returned to the company’s headquarters in Healdsburg, CA, with a mission to persuade Hunsberger, Appellation’s COO, to join the project.
“It felt like the perfect fit for Appellation,” said Hunsberger. “In a matter of days, we were talking with Chuck and his team about AMEYALLI and all of its moving parts. The project has many stakeholders, and one of the key stakeholders is Dr. Chopra. After we sorted things out with Chuck, we had to make sure that we passed the test with Dr. Chopra and his team. We then started to engage with them, and that has caused us to really embrace wellness in even a much stronger way than we initially did.”
A rendering of the living room in a residential unit
His company has always embraced wellness, he said, with a spa element in most Appellation resorts and Palmer’s preference for healthy cuisine, which uses fresh, local ingredients grown organically. Palmer himself said that he has already learned a lot from Dr. Chopra and his team about how mindfulness relates to food, diet and “the way we approach food.”
While unavailable for an interview, Dr. Chropa said of AMEYALLI when the project was announced, “Collaborating with Appellation aligns with my vision of creating spaces where well-being, consciousness and technology converge. By integrating best-in-class AI, holistic well-being practices and authentic culinary experiences, AMEYALLI will offer guests a transformative journey toward self-discovery and renewal. Together with Appellation’s support, we are crafting sanctuaries that embody the essence of connection, community and conscious living.”
The resort
The 78-acre resort will include an 80-key hotel, 23 cottages, two signature Charlie Palmer dining concepts and a well-being center. There will also be 24 residences on the property.
Courtland Palmer, Appellation’s chief development officer, explained that Dr. Chopra has been “critically important” to the ongoing design and development process, as well as in the layout and space planning of the hotel and the wellness center.
The subterranean flooded hypostyle hall will be filled with water from the hot springs.
“On an ongoing basis, there’s a pretty significant commitment from Dr. Chopra to be not only involved but present at the hotel,” he said. “We have a partnership with Dr. Chopra and the Chopra Foundation that will result in a lot of different events and seminars being hosted at the hotel.”
The two-bedroom cottages will be part of the rental pool. The residential units, for which Heath is the development partner, have already been built and range from units with three or four bedrooms up to six or seven bedrooms.
Hunsburger added, “Whether you’re a couple that wants a great room inside the hotel, a small family interested in a two-bedroom cottage or a group of three or four couples or a multi-generational family looking to be in those larger residences, we can accommodate you.”
The well-being center will feature, among other elements, a spa with 13 treatment rooms (12 single, 1 double). It will also serve as Dr. Chopra’s North America headquarters.
“Dr. Chopra has never been involved with an enterprise like this before, although I’m sure he’s been asked many times,” said Courtland Palmer. “For us to be chosen as the operating partner and the steward of a Deepak Chopra wellness offering is an incredible honor.”
The wellness center will be spread out over two levels, with the top level featuring the treatment rooms, offered Hunsberger, who added, “The level below is where things get very interesting, with a subterranean flooded hypostyle hall filled with water from the hot springs. We’ll also have outdoor pools with beautiful vistas in the distance, overlooking some of those hot springs and the surrounding mountains.
The programming
There will also be a series of unique wellness elements that offer a variety of experiences. For example, there will be a Nordic cold experience, where the room is full of snow, and adjacent to that will be a steam room. “We’ll also have a fabulous pool area that’s part of this complete wellness experience,” said Hunsberger.
Rendering of one of the two Charlie Palmer restaurants that will be on-property
Dr. Chopra will be in residence for several months of the year and “will bring in a lot of the programming that he does in many different places around the U.S. and other parts of the world to AMEYALLI,” noted the Appelation COO.
Cortland Palmer noted that the wellness programming will stand out against typical hotel wellness experiences because it will be rooted in Dr. Chopra’s Seven Pillars of Well-being.
“As an example, one of the pillars is sleep, so we’ll have dedicated activities and coaching programs that are oriented around how to maximize your sleep at night,” the Appellation executive explained. “Another is nutrition, and we will have programming around the idea of fulfillment and honoring your body through great food and local sourcing.”
Dr. Deepak Chopra’s Seven Pillars of Well-being
1— Emotional regulation
2— Sleep
3-— Mindfulness and meditation
4— Movement
5-— Nutrition
6— Relationships
7— Laughter
