The Mission Inn Hotel & Spa, the National Historic Landmark that anchors downtown Riverside, will be acquired by the Yuhaaviatam of San Manuel Nation, the Tribe announced Monday morning. The agreement, between the Tribe's San Manuel Investment Authority and the Roberts family, is expected to close as early as the end of May.
The deal ends the 33-year ownership of Duane and Kelly Roberts and brings the 238-room property under the Tribe's stewardship, expanding a hospitality portfolio that already includes Yaamava' Resort & Casino in Highland, the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas and the Waldorf Astoria Monarch Beach Resort & Club in Dana Point.
"The Mission Inn holds a special place in our hearts," Tribal Chairwoman Lynn Valbuena said in a statement. "Generations of our family love the inn for its charming ambience and for the memories we've made there over the years. We recognize its historic, economic and cultural significance to Riverside and the region and would be delighted to include The Mission Inn in our non-gaming hospitality portfolio."
The Yuhaaviatam of San Manuel Nation, headquartered in Highland, reclaimed its ancestral name in April 2025 after generations of being known under a name imposed by the U.S. government in 1891. "Yuhaaviatam" means "People of the Pines" in the Maara'yam language, the language of the Serrano people, whose ancestral homelands span the San Bernardino highlands, passes, valleys, mountains and high deserts. The Mission Inn will be the Tribe's first major property in Riverside.
Duane Roberts purchased the Mission Inn in December 1992 from Chemical Bank for $15.6 million, following a city-led restoration that pulled the hotel back from years of bankruptcy and decline. That same year, he launched the Festival of Lights, the holiday tradition that draws an estimated 700,000 visitors to downtown Riverside each season and that, according to a 2023 economic-impact study, generates an estimated $154 million for the regional economy. Roberts died Nov. 1, 2025, at age 88. In March, the City Council created a civic achievement award in his and Kelly Roberts' names, with the couple as the inaugural recipients.
"It has been the honor of a lifetime to serve as stewards of The Mission Inn," Kelly Roberts said in a statement. "Duane and I poured our hearts into preserving its legacy while evolving it for future generations. I am incredibly proud of what we built together and deeply grateful to our team, the Riverside community, and every guest who has walked through its doors. I have great confidence that Yuhaaviatam of San Manuel Nation will carry this legacy forward with the same care, respect, and vision."
In a statement to the Gazette, Mayor Patricia Lock Dawson thanked the Roberts family for stewardship that "elevated the Mission Inn hotel and turned the historic landmark into a cornerstone of our city" and welcomed the incoming owners.
"I welcome the Yuhaaviatam of San Manuel Nation as the next stewards of this iconic and beloved property," Lock Dawson said. "As Mayor, I look forward to partnering closely with them to ensure this treasured landmark continues to thrive for generations to come."
Pyramid Global Hospitality, an independent hotel operator, will manage daily operations at the Mission Inn, the Tribe confirmed to the Gazette. The Festival of Lights — Riverside's most prominent annual tradition — will continue under the new ownership. Conversations with the Mission Inn Foundation, current staff and other community stakeholders are expected during the monthlong closing period.
Ward 1 Councilmember Philip Falcone welcomed the news in a statement. "Now, as a new era of ownership will soon begin, I wish Yuhaaviatam of San Manuel Nation great success," Falcone said. "Their commitment and investment in our region also stretches back generations. As the Councilmember who represents the Mission Inn and its surroundings, I look forward to working closely with San Manuel during this transition."
The Mission Inn occupies a full city block in the heart of downtown Riverside and is widely considered the largest Mission Revival-style building in the United States. Built up from the 1876 Glenwood Cottage by Frank Augustus Millerbeginning in 1880 and expanded across four major architectural phases through 1931, the hotel has hosted four U.S. presidents and two presidential weddings. It earned the 2024 Steward of History and Historic Preservation Award from Historic Hotels of America.
Riverside has its own deep place in the modern history of California tribal sovereignty. In 1919, leaders from across Southern California Indian Country gathered in Riverside and founded the Mission Indian Federation, which campaigned for tribal home rule and self-determination under the motto "Human Rights and Home Rule." Its members came from Serrano, Cahuilla, Luiseño, Cupeño, Kumeyaay, Tongva and other regional nations.
The Yuhaaviatam of San Manuel Nation contributes more than 7,000 jobs to the Inland Empire economy and has given more than $425 million in philanthropic support to regional organizations through its San Manuel Cares program. Its October 2025 acquisition of the Waldorf Astoria Monarch Beach marked the Tribe's most recent move into luxury non-gaming hospitality; the Mission Inn will be its first acquisition of a property in a region it describes as its home "since time immemorial."
Former Mayor Ron Loveridge, who served 18 years during the Roberts era, spoke with the Gazette in November. "The purchase of the Mission Inn is not just the purchasing of a hotel," Loveridge said. "It's the purchasing of an extraordinary place that represents why people come to downtown, why people come to Riverside."
"As a Cahuilla/Serrano descendant I am happy to hear the good news that Yuhaaviatam of San Manuel Nation has purchased the Mission Inn," said Rosy Aranda, a co-director of Pá'čapa: A Mt. Rubidoux Story and a Gazette contributor, in a statement following the announcement.
"Knowing such an iconic building in Riverside is now owned by a local Native tribe feels like a win for all of Indian country. I pray Creator blesses San Manuel on this new endeavor. I know the ancestors smile upon them for continuing to act on their beliefs in a good way."
This story is developing and will be updated as more information becomes available.
