About the Mission Inn
Explore Our Heritage and Legacy of Hospitality
The historic Mission Inn Hotel & Spa began as a quaint adobe boarding house in 1876, becoming a full-service hotel in the early 1900s. Opened by Frank Miller, it expanded in 1903 with over 200 guestrooms and the addition of the Mission Wing, built in Mission-Revival style while incorporating architectural features from more than 20 different California missions. Three more wings materialized as demand grew, including the Cloister, Spanish Wing and the Rotunda Wing, completed in 1931. Miller filled the hotel with valuable items from across the globe, including artwork, furniture and religious relics. Mission Inn still houses the oldest bell in Christendom, dating back to 1247.
The Mission Inn Hotel & Spa has been lovingly restored under the stewardship of Kelly and Duane Roberts, preserving its original grandeur while welcoming visitors from around the world. Expanding from its humble beginnings to now encompass an entire city block, this AAA Four Diamond hotel offers luxurious boutique accommodations just a short drive from Los Angeles and Orange County.
The Mission Inn features multiple upscale dining options, a state-of-the-art fitness center, the Conde Nast award-winning Kelly’s Spa, a lushly landscaped outdoor pool, and opulent rooms that immerse guests in history and elegance. In recognition of their dedication to historic preservation, Kelly and Duane Roberts, on behalf of their Mission Inn Hotel & Spa, were honored with the 2024 Steward of History and Historic Preservation Award, accompanied by an official proclamation. The hotel also proudly secured the fourth position on the Top 25 Historic Hotels of America® Most Literary Hotels list for 2024.
Guests are transported to California’s bygone eras as they explore the hotel’s enchanting architecture, featuring awe-inspiring archways, soaring domes, and magnificent towers.
History
With a nearly 150-year legacy, The Mission Inn Hotel & Spa has welcomed U.S. Presidents, Hollywood stars, and cultural icons. Its storied guest list includes Roosevelt, Taft, Reagan, Amelia Earhart, Albert Einstein, and Tom Hanks, while its grand halls have served as backdrops for films like The Vampire (1915), Idiot’s Delight (1938), and Man in the Iron Mask (1997).
Originally operated by founder Frank Miller until 1935, the hotel later faced decline until Duane and Kelly Roberts rescued it in the late 1980s. After a $55 million restoration, they reopened the hotel in 1992, with Kelly Roberts leading as Vice Chairman and COO. Under her vision, the Mission Inn evolved into a premier California destination, home to the beloved Festival of Lights, the award-winning Kelly’s Spa, and a renewed legacy of luxury.
Keepers of The Inn
Duane Roberts, Owner and CEO
In 1992, Owner Duane Roberts rescued Riverside, CA’s The Mission Inn Hotel & Spa from the brink of demolition, resurrecting the property’s iconic Spanish Mission-style opulence while modernizing the hotel with comfort, technology, culinary, shopping, wedding, and spa amenities. His wife, Vice Chairman and Chief Operating Officer Kelly Roberts, oversees the AAA Four Diamond-rated Mission Inn and maintains its lofty hospitality standards. The couple brings to life annual events such as the Festival of Lights, Feste dell’Amore, the Pumpkin Stroll, as well as immersive additions like Kelly’s Spa and Boutique and dynamic culinary venues.
“Kelly and I have always believed that success in the hospitality industry starts from the ground up through offering unparalleled customer service and truly unique experiences such as our Festival of Lights and Pumpkin Stroll to our beloved guests,” said Roberts.
Before he came to own one of California’s most iconic historical properties, Duane grew up in Riverside, in awe of The Mission Inn.
He watched the city block-spanning, hotel cycle through multiple owners and holds his own fond memories of time spent within its lavish grounds.
Duane came of age in the late 1950s, and began working for his family’s meat business. After one of the company’s butchers introduced Duane to burritos, he spent two straight days experimenting with their production until he was able to offer them frozen to his clients. Still an emerging cuisine in California, the iconic handheld Mexican wraps soon found their way into restaurants across the state, and Duane’s frozen burritos brought abundant success to his family’s company. With $80 million in annual sales and one million burritos produced every day, Duane sold the family business in 1980. He then shifted his entrepreneurial focus to real estate investment, purchasing properties in California, Oklahoma, Kansas, and beyond, though he continued to invest in businesses as well.
The Mission Inn earned National Historic Landmark status in 1977, officially closing in 1985 before Duane immediately sought to revive it. After seven years and a $55 million renovation, he re-opened the distinctly Californian hotel property in 1992, enlisting his wife, Kelly, to serve as Vice Chairman and COO. Since its relaunch, The Mission Inn Hotel & Spa has raked in the awards, including recent recognition as one of the Top 25 Southern California Hotels from Condé Nast Traveler in 2013 and 2016, #1 Historic Hotel in the Nation by USA Today’s 10Best, #1 Best Historic Hotel by Historic Hotels of America, and more. Duane’s namesake restaurant, Duane’s Prime Steaks and Seafood, has also met critical acclaim, earning AAA Four Diamond and DiRõNA distinction as well numerous awards, including Wine Spectator’s Best of Award of Excellence 2013-2017. Duane continues to expand his restaurant brands beyond The Mission Inn.
Casey’s Cupcakes opened its first location at The Mission Inn Hotel & Spa in 2009, founded by Duane Roberts’s stepdaughter, Casey Brown, with the support of the Roberts family. The brand has since grown to offer innovative desserts across Southern California and now ships nationwide. Building on that success, the Roberts family launched Roberts Reserve wine in 2012, produced at their Kelly Belle Château and Vineyard in Ashland, Oregon. Showcased at The Mission Inn’s elegant wine bar, 54° at Duane’s, as well as the Irvine & Roberts Family Vineyards Wine Tasting Room, Roberts Reserve has received critical acclaim, earning Double Gold for its Pinot Noir and Silver for its Rosé at the Oregon Wine Experience.