When travelers consider the great cities of the Pacific Northwest region, they rarely include Boise, Idaho, on the list. But this 21st-century boomtown has grown to become the heart of the Northwest’s third-largest metropolitan area (after only Seattle and Portland), with nearly 250,000 people in the city itself and more than 700,000 in the surrounding area.
Boise’s location on a Snake River tributary, close to four-seasons recreation in mountains and desert, makes it especially appealing for active, adventurous visitors. It has a great dining scene and nightlife for all ages. The city is also a hub of transportation and education (Boise State University), and its industrial core — including wood products, agriculture and computer technology — beckons business travelers from around the world.
Yet Boise preserves many aspects of small-town life. The soul of the city remains its downtown, accented by numerous distinctive 19th-century and early-20th-century buildings. Back-street cafes and basement-level speakeasies are nestled into several of these structures. The city has a quaint Basque neighborhood that is unique in North America; a central greenbelt of riverside parks linked by 19 miles of foot and bicycle paths; and Idaho’s State Capitol building, a magnificent structure modeled after its counterpart in Washington, D.C.
Boise’s hub is a large pedestrian square with a large fountain that delights children from spring to fall. Known as The Grove, it square is anchored by the Boise Convention Center and 5,400-seat CenturyLink Arena, home to the Idaho Steelheads, a minor-league ice hockey franchise.
The Grove Hotel
Towering above the plaza is Boise’s finest accommodation, The Grove Hotel. With 250 modern rooms on 17 floors, this sophisticated four-star hotel has no challenger when it comes to lodging in Idaho’s capital city.
This is not just another urban business hotel. That becomes abundantly clear as guests walk through the main doors, where they are greeted by valets and bell staff. Separate coffee and cocktail bars frame the spacious lobby. Elevators behind the reception desk climb to meeting and reception areas, and above them, the guest rooms.
Just off the lobby, in the Trillium Restaurant, chef Chris Hain serves one of Idaho’s most acclaimed menus. A casual breakfast-and-lunch atmosphere is replaced with formality before the dinner hour, as lights are dimmed and tables are draped with white cloths. Then, locally sourced entrees like huckleberry short ribs, blackened steelhead trout, and bison meatloaf take center stage. And Hain doesn’t ignore vegetarians: Plates like Szechuan cauliflower and Portobello Stroganoff offer far-reaching appeal.
The guest rooms themselves are beautifully appointed, equally suitable for business travelers or vacationers. Bright and comfortable, all rooms feature large windows that welcome the natural light of this semi-desert region. And the views beyond the cityscape are spectacular, extending across the Boise River to the Rocky Mountain foothills (to the north) or the Snake River Plain (to the south). Sleek lines and a contemporary white-and-green color palette accent each room.
The Grove Fitness Club & Spa has more than 12,000 square feet of workout space and exercise equipment, an indoor pool and a hot tub. A variety of massage treatments are available to sooth muscles aching from daytime activities.
A highlight of The Grove is CenturyLink Arena, to which the hotel is joined at the hip. The Idaho Steelheads play 72 games in an October-to-April season as members of the 26-team East Coast Hockey League, one step from the National Hockey League. On the occasion of home games, at least a half-dozen times a month, the hotel offers special ticket packages with lodging. Other packages couple lodging with ski-lift tickets at the Bogus Basin resort and with special benefits for beer lovers along the Boise Brew Trail.
Out and About
A stylized sculpture of the Boise River system climbs the hotel’s south east outer wall. Three blocks due north are the neoclassical State Capitol building itself. In between, Capitol Boulevard sweeps past Boise’s Basque Block, a gathering place for the largest Basque community in North America. You’ll find a cultural center and museum along with restaurants and bars, a boarding house, a dance hall and a “fronton” where loyal sons of the Spanish-French border region still engage in spirited jai alai competitions.
Downtown Boise has a wide range of fine restaurants and nightspots, from historic Old Town (including the Art Deco Egyptian Theatre, built-in 1927) to a newer neighborhood south of Front Street. A standout culinary experience is guaranteed at Richard’s, owned by chef Richard Langston, a two-time James Beard Award nominee.
Between May and September, the Idaho Shakespeare Festival presents a series of five plays — by the Bard and others — at a dedicated outdoor campus just east of the city. The 2020 playbill includes “Much Ado About Nothing” and the Tony Award-winning musical “Ain’t Misbehaving,” featuring the music of Fats Waller. It’s great fun for the whole family.
—By John Gottberg, Editor
THE GROVE HOTEL: 245 S. Capitol Blvd., Boise, ID 83702
208-333-8000, www.grovehotelboise.com
250 rooms; rates from $199 to $259
Book This Hotel: Booking.com
