Meet Kelsey J. Patel | Hotelier, co-owner of Miracle Manor Boutique Hotel and Spa

We had the good fortune of connecting with Kelsey J. Patel and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Kelsey J., we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
While we were deep in Covid/19, my husband and I started looking for opportunities outside of Los Angeles to create something meaningful and special. We weren’t set on a hotel, but rather open to the idea of whatever found us and called to us during that time. We were looking at lots of different areas surrounding LA and all types of businesses and I had remembered leading a small retreat at a darling little boutique hotel in Desert Hot Springs the year prior. I told my husband to look at that hotel as inspiration and when he looked it up, he saw that it had been listed for sale the day before! It felt very serendipitous, and on our first visit together to the hotel to see how it felt to us, we sat in the hot springs water that night and saw a shooting star. It just all felt so connected and aligned and we knew it was a special place that had a strong pull and almost force that brought it us to be with it. We wanted to really create something that could hold and support people in the most healing and nurturing way, while also honoring the land and it’s natural energy and the community around it.

What should our readers know about your business?
I never thought of myself as someone who would ever become a hotelier. I think one of the coolest things about being a hotel owner now is that it actually melds so many of the things that I loved before starting this adventure. Prior to doing this, I was a well-known healer. I am now an author and public speaker, teaching people how to regulate their nervous system systems and heal from things like anxiety, stress, and burnout. I also used to own Fitness Studios and loved to travel and often found myself seeking healing waters throughout the world to support what, at the time was, my own personal chronic back pain. To now see how so many parts of myself in my career have come together in this one place is truly a dream. I get to host retreats but also support other amazing teachers and facilitators host their own retreats and to see families and people come to the hotel and use the waters and laugh and cry and heal together is just a dream. We have had many challenges throughout our time as owners and with the help and support of our family, clients and our team, we have been able to move through each challenge moment by moment to keep enhancing the property, its offerings and the mission of bringing healing to all types of people. I feel so proud and grateful for this tiny but mighty little place of healing in the desert.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
We have a full list of this in our hotel binder. One of my favorite ways to experience the hotel is to come with a retreat group because it’s so magnificent to use the entire property as a group. From the yoga deck for classes, to soaking in the water together to homemade meals over a long table, and sound baths at night stargazing while laying in the hot springs water, it is all just so magical. I also tell people if they come alone or as a small couple or group, to arrive on a Friday ground in and soak in the waters, perhaps do a local tradition Mexican dinner in Desert Hot Springs and then come back to soak under the stars before a deep night sleep. On Saturday, let our team nourish your body with a delicious homemade breakfast or wake up early and grab our local coffee and head to Joshua tree for an early sunrise hike with breakfast in town. Then come back and rest and relax by the pool and soak in the mineral waters and consider a massage or facial by our amazing spa team, or simply fall asleep while reading a book by the pool. Then get freshened up and head to Palm Springs for a fun night out and perhaps a little sunset shopping. Back to the hotel again for some mineral water and stargazing in the tub at night or just enjoy the land and the nature around you. Our team will fill you up with a great breakfast Sunday morning – you can do a morning yoga or meditation on the yoga deck and then head out feeling refreshed and renewed for your upcoming week! We have no TVs and no stimulation in the desert, so you will feel refreshed, rejuvenated and rested in the best ways!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
There are so many things and people to name here, but I’ll start with my husband. We are co-owners of the hotel and without his vision and ability to see the potential for different places and his tenacity and ability to follow through, I don’t think the hotel and all its beauty and functionality would be what it is today. We would also not be able to do anything with our stunning hotel and property without our incredible team. It is a small but mighty team of humans, and they are the true life force energy within the hotel. For me, I think I would also thank the city of Los Angeles – for all of the people who have made it part of their life’s work to heal and to support their minds and bodies. We exist because people are open to a variety of healing modalities, and they understand how healing our land and the waters are and we are so lucky to get to share this gift of water with so many. We have locals who also come to our hotel and it is truly a sanctuary for them. Community is a huge thing for us and we can only create that when there are other humans being a part of it.

Website: https://Www.miraclemanor.com

Instagram: @miraclemanor

Linkedin: None

Twitter: None

Facebook: None

Yelp: Miracle Manor Boutique Hotel + Spa

Other: We also have a lot of Google reviews. I’m not sure if you’d like that or we are also on TripAdvisor.. thanks!

Image Credits
Molly McCauley and Nomad Photo