Fresh air, fresh ideas
Oh, Boise. I had no idea what to expect from this outdoor recreation and high-tech playground. On my first visit to the clean, walkable foodie town for Smart Meetings Innovation Experience, I found a foodie wonderland with fresh trout and abundant vegan options on every menu.
This is a college town anchored by the Boise State University Broncos Smurf Turf. This city is growing rapidly on the heels of major investments by semi-conductor companies Micron and HP Inc. Yes, there are potatoes and food processing (we loved our baked potato bar at the opening reception). But also a thriving Basque community, the largest in the world outside of Europe. The Basque Museum & Cultural Center welcomed us to the 5,000-year-old culture with dancing and Paella during a block party reception. The fresh air also welcomes groups with a well-developed and diverse hospitality network.
A Sense of Place
When it is time to think more expansively, the Boise campus consisting of Boise Centre, The Grove Hotel, Hotel 43 and Courtyard Boise Downtown welcome guests where they are with modern meeting space and more than 500 approachable, tiered guest rooms.
Newly renovated Grove Hotel offered Trillium Kitchen + Cocktails, a three-meal-a-day restaurant that eats like a chef-driven locals place with the accent on fresh and international flavors. The Grove is connected to Idaho Central Arena with suites on the meeting floor level and a door off the lobby into the stands where the Idaho Steelheads, an affiliate of the NHL Dallas Stars play.
More than 100 restaurants, bars and breweries occupy the six blocks of restaurants outside the doors of Boise Centre, which boasts expert, in-house catering, 86,000 sq. ft. of meeting space over a compact four stories and expansive views of the valley and mountains beyond.
New downtown, El Gaucho steakhouse features a 10,000-square-foot dining room, live fire grill, built-in fireplace and elevated booths with views of the open kitchen. This is elevated and comfortable group dining.
A few blocks away, polished old-West style lives at Hotel Renegade. This is where rough meets refined. Western velvet vibes make you want to take off your boots and sit a spell in one of the cozy nooks, Baraboo Steakhouse, Highlander rooftop bar or one of the copper tubs in the generous suites.
Butterfly Wings
Also in walking distance downtown is Idaho Anne Frank Human Rights Memorial, which features a statue of 15-year-old Holocaust victim Anne Frank and “the Butterfly” a poem by Czech poet Pavel Friedmann lamenting the loss of innocence of youth. A recent expansion added a 6,000-square-foot education center.
A few blocks away, Jack’s Urban Meeting Place (JUMP) allows the child in visitors to play in an interactive creativity center marked by vintage tractors out front. It is a tribute to J.R. (Jack) Simplot, an ag pioneer. It is also an invitation to imagine what might come next for the community and anyone who visits.
This article appears in the July/August 2026 issue. You can subscribe to the magazine here.
