Why Idaho for Your Next Meeting or Event?
As summer wanes in the high desert of Idaho, the temperatures will be cooling and the hills are turning orange and gold. But groups still will have plenty to do outside and the restaurants are just turning on the warming lamps. When the snow starts to fall, offer attendees a trip out to Bogus Basin for some skiing.
Idaho still is in the final stage of Gov. Brad Little’s four-phase reopening plan and has not reimposed any restrictions concerning the Delta variant of the coronavirus. Stay up to date on the state's page, and learn about the Boise Centre’s Clean & Safe Plan.
BOISE
New & Coming Soon
Details and opening dates have yet to be revealed for a dual-branded Marriott AC hotel and SpringHill Suites, each with 130 rooms.
The 29,000-square-foot Warehouse Food Hall, which will house about 20 food and retail vendors, opens next year, extending the 8th Street dining district. Also on the drawing board for developer Hendricks Commercial Properties is a boutique hotel with 100 to 130 rooms.
At the Wassmuth Center for Human Rights, a plan is in place to build a $3 million human-rights education center next to its Anne Frank Memorial. Announced on Martin Luther King Jr. Day (the center's 25th anniversary), construction will bring in a new sculpture by Boise metal artist Ken McCall titled "Uplifted" that draws on the text of the Universal Declaration for Human Rights.
Notable Meeting Hotels
Properties with meeting space include the 303-room Riverside Hotel, 252-room Grove Hotel, 180-room Residence Inn Boise Downtown City Center, 112-room Hotel 43 and 110-room Inn at 500 Capitol.
To find and compare hotels, and send RFPs, visit Northstar Meetings Group's new venue finder.
More Event Venues
Schuss
Just outside of town, but still in Boise County,
Bogus Basin beckons winter visitors for a day — or night — on the slopes. The mountain has 2,600 acres for day skiing, 165 of which are lit for night skiing, plus plenty of Nordic trails. Snowshoeing also is available, and there’s a mountain coaster for a bracing cold ride.
Built in 1889, the Victorian Bishops’ House was lifted onto a truck in 1975 and moved to its current location near the Old Idaho Territorial Penitentiary. The home, which hosts special events for up to 100 people indoors and 125 outdoors, still features the original hardwood floors and its original woodwork has been restored.
The ultimate dinearounds in the city are on the menu from Indulge Boise. Customizable for 10 to 100 people, tour options include the culture and foods of the city’s historic downtown, a vegan dine and sip, a Sunday brunch tour, and a four-brewery beer tour.
Team-building workshops, competitive chef challenges and other private events are welcome at Season and Taste; cooking classes can be combined with a plated dinner.
When the schedule is clear, the Knitting Factory, a popular concert spot, opens up its space for special events. The venue holds up to 1,000 for concerts and seats 300 for dinner.
Transportation in & Around Boise
Boise Airport, approximately six miles from the city's downtown; transfer cost by taxi, $15; many area hotels offer complimentary shuttle service. Delta Air Lines now flies between Boise and Atlanta, giving Idaho a much-needed connection to the East Coast. And Alaska Airlines is launching a flight to Palms Springs, Calif.
From July 2 to Sept. 6, JetBlue will run nonstop flights between Boise Airport and New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport. The weekly flights will be Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday.
The city offers electric scooters from three rental companies: Lime, Bird and Spin. Find tips and regulations here.
Best Convention and Visitors Bureau, Far West: Boise CVB (Silver)
Top 10 Boise Restaurants
From western style cuisine to international delights, Boise offers a variety of dining choices sure to enhance your event.
- Chandlers Steakhouse - Seafood, Steakhouse
- Barbacoa Grill - Steakhouse
- Bittercreek Alehouse - American
- Goodword Barbecue Company - Barbecue
- Fork - American, Bar
- Bardenay Restaurant & Distillery - American Pub
- Capital Cellars - Wine Bar
- Luciano's - Italian
- 10 Barrel Brewing Co. - American
- Bombay Grill - Indian