The Presidential Lounge — Attraction in Riverside

Usually I have a really good time here. Weekends with live music is great, love their specialty drinks, I always know I can come here for an experience that is above the norm and I'm willing to pay more for a better experience. Tonight was quite the opposite. We stopped in for a cocktail around 11 pm, and were greeted with a the bartender who's opening line was "were doing last call". I'm not one for wanting to stay if I know the place is closing up shop and granted the hours say open til 12 am, I just wanted to make sure they werent closing early, cause if they were I probably wouldn't want to stay. Working in service industry for many years as a server/bartender and Management, I know how it can be and I didnt want to be one to impose. The bartender said they close at 12 but do last call at 11.... I asked to see a menu and his respond was an annoyed sigh with his back turned towards us. I immediately decided to leave. It's a shame a place like Mission Inn wants to hold a high standard in their facade of being a one of a kind place to visit and prices that reflect that, and then be treated that poorly in one of their most pristine establishments. We came to little local dive bar Lake Alice instead and were already greeted and served with a warm welcoming attitude, something the last Bartender at the Presidental Lounge could have used. Very...

The first time a friend and I came here was the beginning of March before the whole covid thing. Our experience was great and the drinks were lovely. Ambiance, nice service, creative drinks that reflect the price, all encouraging a return to The Presidential Lounge.

Well, not after this past weekend.

We arrived this time to share our last experience with new friends only to be completely turned off this time around. Couldn't sit at the bar, ok we'll find a table then.

We sit down, see the waitress who also sees us, we wait, I go to the restroom, come back and still no one has come to our table.

She finally comes over and takes our drink order. We don't know the choices so we ask for drink menus. The first thing my friend and I notice is the very limited menu that has excluded all the cocktails we came in to have. Luckily I took a picture of part of that menu and ordered something I loved last time.

The drinks were not made right nor presented correctly in the right glasses and tasted cheap and awful. Certainly not a reflection of the price that we don't mind paying as long as it's done right.

Service was irritably slow and the waitress appeared to care less. Our friends quickly finished their drinks after we paid and left. Probably won't be back anytime soon. Maybe the service and full menu will return at the end...

The 2 bartenders working at 10 pm 6/2/24 need to be re-trained that serving customers is a priority over entering receipts into the register an hour before close. For a hotel that has been in business as long as the Mission Inn, it would be nice to be greeted when seated. When a customer asks if you're still open, a response of "yes" and then turning your back on them for 15 minutes is not up to Mission Inn's impeccable standards of hospitality. So much for a Mai Tai nightcap. The served couple next to me even felt the need to say sorry. This was after a hotel security guard made me produce my room key to prove I was a guest while taking photos of the beautiful lights and architecture. Only the helpful receptionist made me feel welcome at the Mission Inn. Sad...