The California Boutique Hotel Conference will debut April 12–14, 2027, at the Town and Country Resort in San Diego, replacing the long-running InnSpire Conference and reframing its programming around independent lodging operators across the state.

Registration opens October 1 for the three-day event, with early-bird pricing available through December 31, 2026, organizers at the California Hotel & Lodging Association and its Boutique Hotels of California division said. Appellation President Courtland Palmer will deliver the keynote address.

What changed beyond the name?

The conference previously operated under the InnSpire banner. Organizers rebranded it to mirror the rapid expansion of independent and soft-branded properties in California, where operators face distinct economics: higher labor and energy costs, no franchised reservation engine, and direct dependence on direct-channel booking share.

"Traveler expectations are evolving, independent hospitality is evolving, and this conference is evolving with them," said Lynn Mohrfeld, president and CEO of the California Hotel & Lodging Association and Boutique Hotels of California. "The new name and expanded focus reflect the creativity and entrepreneurial spirit we see across California's boutique hotel community."

Sessions and panel discussions will cover development, marketing, and operational issues, alongside a marketplace pairing hoteliers with technology vendors, service suppliers, and industry partners.

Who is the keynote speaker?

Palmer heads Appellation, a culinary-first hotel brand. Less than a year after opening, Appellation Healdsburg — the brand's first ground-up flagship resort — earned No. 1 Resort in California and No. 1 Resort in the Continental U.S. in Travel + Leisure's 2026 World's Best Awards.

His background spans hotel development, operations, and investment banking, with prior projects at Four Seasons, Montage, and Marriott. His keynote will address:

• Boutique hotel development trends
• Shifting guest expectations
• Concept differentiation in a crowded market
• Positioning for independent hotels and emerging brands

"Independent hospitality has always been about creating a sense of place, taking thoughtful risks, and delivering memorable experiences that guests can't find anywhere else," Palmer said. "California has an incredible community of entrepreneurial hospitality leaders, and I'm honored to be part of the conversation."

Why does the F&B angle matter to operators?

Palmer's operating tagline — "place defines us, people power us, and food connects us" — points to the revenue strategy Appellation uses to lift ADR and on-property capture rates. For boutique operators wrestling with rising labor costs and tighter distribution margins, a chef-driven F&B program can push total food-and-beverage revenue per available room, a metric that increasingly drives hotel valuations and lender appetite.

Appellation's model ties dining programs directly to local sourcing and regional producers, a menu-engineering approach that supports premium pricing while protecting food cost percentages in markets where ingredient costs continue to climb.

What does the operator walk away with?

• Three days of operator-only programming, April 12–14, 2027, at the Town and Country Resort in San Diego
• Marketplace access to hospitality technology and service vendors
• Early-bird registration pricing valid through December 31, 2026
• Direct exposure to a brand that ranked at the top of a major consumer awards list within its first year

Registration details are available at CaliforniaBoutiqueHotelConference.com.

The 2027 launch date and Palmer's selection point to a programming tilt toward concept-building, development strategy, and F&B-led differentiation rather than back-of-house mechanics — a signal that California's independents are chasing rate growth through experience, not just occupancy.