It’s huge. Honestly, the first time you pull up to the Riverside hotel Mission Inn, it feels less like a place to sleep and more like you accidentally drove into a 15th-century Spanish cathedral that somehow sprouted a swimming pool. It takes up an entire city block in downtown Riverside, California. This isn't just some historic building with a plaque on the wall; it’s a massive, sprawling labyrinth of spiral staircases, hidden chapels, and catacombs. People call it the Mission Inn Hotel & Spa now, but most locals just know it as the soul of the Inland Empire.
You’ve got to understand the scale here. We are talking about 238 guest rooms, but no two are exactly the same. Frank Miller, the guy who started this whole thing back in the late 1800s, was basically a professional hoarder of high-end European art and architectural ideas. He traveled the world, saw something he liked—a bell from China, a window from a palace—and just decided to stick it onto the building. It started as a tiny 12-room boarding house called the Glenwood Cottages in 1876. By the time Miller was done, it was a National Historic Landmark.
The Weird, Layered History of the Mission Inn
Most people think the Mission Inn was an actual mission. It wasn't. That’s the first thing you’ll realize if you take the docent-led tours through the Mission Inn Museum. It was built during the "Mission Revival" craze when California was obsessed with its Spanish roots. Frank Miller was a marketing genius. He knew that if he built something that looked like a romanticized version of old California, wealthy people from the East Coast would flock there during the winter. And they did.
The architecture is a mess, but in a good way. It’s got Gothic, Renaissance, and Moorish influences all smashed together. It’s chaotic. You’ll be walking down a hallway that looks like a Mediterranean villa and then suddenly you’re standing in front of the "International Shrine of the Aviators," where famous pilots like Amelia Earhart and Charles Lindbergh signed copper wings. It’s that kind of place.
The Presidents and the Famous Guests
Ten U.S. Presidents have walked these halls. That’s a real number, not a marketing exaggeration. Richard Nixon got married here in the Presidential Suite. Ronald and Nancy Reagan spent their honeymoon here. There’s even a massive, custom-built chair in the lobby specifically made for William Howard Taft because, well, he was a big guy and the regular furniture wasn't going to cut it.
- Theodore Roosevelt stayed here and helped plant one of the original Washington Navel Orange trees.
- Andrew Carnegie stayed here while he was busy being one of the richest men in history.
- Albert Einstein reportedly wandered through these halls.
It’s almost weird to think about Einstein looking at the same bells you’re looking at while you're trying to find the elevator.
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What It’s Actually Like Staying There
If you book a room at the Riverside hotel Mission Inn, don't expect a standard Marriott vibe. The rooms are quirky. Some have vaulted ceilings; others have tiny doorways that make you feel like you're in a castle turret. The "Mission Room" feels very different from the "Enchanted Terrace."
The walls are thick. Like, "survive an apocalypse" thick. This means the rooms are generally quiet, but the layout is so confusing that you will get lost at least twice trying to find the lobby. That’s part of the charm, though. You’ll stumble upon a courtyard with a fountain or a staircase leading to a view of the San Bernardino Mountains that you didn't know existed.
The Food Situation
You have a few choices here. Duane’s Prime Steaks and Seafood is the big one. It’s expensive. It’s the kind of place where people go for 50th anniversaries or when they’re trying to close a massive real estate deal. The Mission Inn Restaurant has a courtyard where you can eat under the stars, which is probably the most "Riverside" experience you can have. Then there’s the Las Campanas Mexican Cuisine, which is great for margaritas but honestly, you're paying for the atmosphere as much as the tacos.
The Mission Inn Hotel & Spa also has the Kelly’s Spa. It’s consistently ranked as one of the top spas in the country by Condé Nast Traveler. It’s very "old world luxury"—think Tuscan vibes and high-end oils.
The Festival of Lights: A Love-Hate Relationship
We have to talk about the Festival of Lights. Every year, starting the day after Thanksgiving, the Riverside hotel Mission Inn gets covered in something like five million LED lights. It’s insane. It draws hundreds of thousands of people to downtown Riverside.
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If you like crowds, carolers, and horse-drawn carriages, you’ll love it. If you hate traffic and people bumping into you while you’re trying to walk, you should avoid Riverside entirely during December. The hotel is the epicenter of this. They have hundreds of animated figures—angels blowing trumpets, elves, you name it—perched on the balconies. It’s one of the largest holiday light displays in the United States.
Why the Lights Matter
In the 1970s, the Mission Inn was actually falling apart. It was almost demolished. The city of Riverside bought it to save it, and eventually, the Roberts family (current owners) took it over and dumped millions into restoring it. The Festival of Lights was a way to bring people back to a downtown area that was struggling. It worked. Now, getting a room during the festival requires booking months, sometimes a year, in advance.
The Stuff Nobody Tells You
There are catacombs. Well, they aren't real catacombs with bodies, but there is a series of underground tunnels that Frank Miller built. Some were used for storage, others were just part of his eccentric vision. Most of them are closed to the public for safety reasons, but if you know where to look in the basement or take the right tour, you can see bits of them.
Is It Haunted?
People say so. There are countless stories about the "Blue Lady" or the ghost of Alice Richardson, Frank Miller's sister, who supposedly still roams the halls of the fourth floor. Whether you believe in ghosts or not, the hotel at 2:00 AM is undeniably creepy. The shadows cast by the Spanish statues and the way the wind whistles through the open courtyards is enough to make anyone walk a little faster to their room.
The Art Collection
The hotel is basically a museum that happens to have beds. There is over $5 million worth of art scattered throughout the property. The Rayas Altarpiece in the St. Francis At-the-Cross Chapel is 18-karat gold leaf and dates back to the 18th century. It’s massive. People get married in front of it all the time.
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Exploring Beyond the Hotel Walls
While the Riverside hotel Mission Inn is the main event, you’d be missing out if you didn't walk a few blocks in any direction. Downtown Riverside has gone through a massive glow-up.
- The Fox Performing Arts Center: Just a short walk away. It’s where they did the first public screening of Gone with the Wind in 1939 to see how audiences would react.
- Mount Rubidoux: If you want a workout, hike up Mount Rubidoux. You can see the Mission Inn from the top, and the views of the valley are killer.
- The Food Lab: If you’re tired of the fancy hotel food, this is a modern food hall with everything from poke bowls to artisanal burgers. It’s where the locals actually hang out.
Practical Tips for Visiting
Parking is a nightmare. Use the valet at the hotel if you're staying there, or prepare to circle the blocks around the Main Street Pedestrian Mall. Also, if you’re visiting in the summer, remember it’s the desert. Riverside gets hot. Like, 105 degrees hot. The hotel’s pool is great, but don't plan on doing long walking tours at 2:00 PM in August.
Actionable Steps for Your Trip
If you're planning a visit to the Riverside hotel Mission Inn, don't just wing it. This place is too complex for a casual stroll.
- Book the Museum Tour: You cannot see the best parts of the hotel (like the chapels and the higher balconies) unless you are on a guided tour from the Mission Inn Museum. Do this first.
- Request a Specific Wing: If you want a quieter experience, ask for a room in the Mission Wing. If you want a view of the action (especially during the holidays), ask for the Author’s Row or something overlooking the fountains.
- Check the Event Calendar: The hotel hosts everything from beer festivals to high tea. High tea at the Mission Inn is a whole "thing"—it’s very formal and feels very British-meets-Californian.
- Visit During the "Shoulder" Season: Late October or early January (after the lights go down) are great times. You get the cool weather without the massive crowds of the Festival of Lights.
- Look Up: Seriously. The ceilings in the lobby and the dining rooms are hand-painted and intricate. Most people miss the best parts of the architecture because they’re looking at their phones.
The Mission Inn isn't perfect. It's a bit drafty, the layout is a headache, and it’s definitely not "modern" luxury. But that's not why you go. You go because it’s one of the few places in California that actually feels like it has a thousand years of history packed into a single century. It’s weird, it’s grand, and it’s completely unique. There really isn't anything else like it.