The Mission Inn Hotel & Spa

While the Mission In Hotel & Spa holds official status as a national historic treasure, it also functions beautifully as a modern luxury hotel. What began in 1876 as a humble 12-room boardinghouse in sleepy Riverside, California, grew into a veritable 239-room castle covering an entire city block. Now the crown jewel of Riverside’s thriving urban center, the eclectic mission-style design features turrets, towers, catacombs, flying buttresses, gargoyles—and meeting space for up to 310 delegates.

A recent $15 million renovation freshened everything from top to bottom. The ten rooms for events gained new Axminster carpets, window treatments, ceiling drapery, upholstered wall panels, and up-to-the-minute technology. Legendary spaces include the Spanish Art Gallery’s culturally rich atmosphere and the Music Room with its high-beamed ceilings, minstrel’s gallery, and permanent stage. Outside, leafy courtyards and patios furnish additional settings for attendees in session or out. For truly colossal affairs, the Riverside Convention Center adds 92,000 square feet of event and meeting space next door.

Health-minded group members can recharge their batteries at the inn’s fitness center or spa. Others may opt for a lazy hour by the pool or refreshments at a choice of five restaurants and lounges, including the Inland Empire’s only AAA four diamond–rated restaurant. The staff arranges a variety of group activities as well, from championship golf on nearby courses to shopping in town and tours of world-class wineries in the rolling Temecula Valley countryside.