For nearly a century, the descendants of Carlo Panizzera have been caretakers and owners of the historic Union Hotel in Occidental. On June 26, the restaurant and ballroom (no longer a hotel) owned by Frank and Barbara Gonnella will be put up for sale for the first time since 1926.
Though the family had hoped to pass the property to a fourth generation, Barbara Gonnella said that, ultimately it was time to make a choice for “the next hundred years.”
“It’s such a beautifully sentimental time for us because it’s so near and dear to our soul,” she said. The couple spent years at the restaurant’s helm with family matriarch Lucille Gonnella, who died in 2021 at age 90. The Union Hotel, built in 1879, the Union Motel and several other properties in the Panizzera Trust were released for sale upon her death.
“You can just feel the history when you’re there,” said Michael Mazanec, a real estate broker at North Bay Commercial Real Estate handling the sale. Recognized for its historical value, Mazanec plans to list it for $3.2 million, which includes the restaurant business and both Type 47 and 21 liquor licenses, allowing beer, wine and spirit consumption. Limited Type 47 licenses in Sonoma County can resell for $150,000 or more.