Suite Alice of Riverside, Tahoe, and Laguna: California Hotel Pioneer 1874-1938

Alice Miller Richardson was barely fifteen when she started as a hotel manager in 1874. The job captured her heart and before long, she had a reputation for managing hotels in her own unique and successful way. By 1904, she was doing a man’s job, setting new standards for hospitality at two world-class hotels: the Mission Inn, Riverside, and the Tahoe Tavern, Lake Tahoe, California. She was a delightful and beloved character whose management style was so understated that few knew the great responsibility she carried or the great credit she was due. Her success enabled her to have a home and acres of beachfront in Laguna Beach, and friends that included artists, cooks, actors, presidents, architects, and poets. Many who called her Aunt Alice did not know she was one of California’s most successful businesswomen–they just thought she was charming.