Boise is in the midst of a gentle transformation, one that’s adding a certain artistic identity without pushing out its blue collar charm. Set against rolling foothills, a winding river and a sprawling winegrowing region, the modest city of about 200,000 has become the cultural headquarters of the Inland Northwest. Homegrown beers, bands, even a Basque community (the largest in the country) afford Boise a personality that is both familiar and foreign. Better still, Boise is a scenic car ride or quick flight away from Portland and Seattle, making it an ideal weekend getaway.
Hotel 43’s stylish makeup and central location make it the perfect home base for just such a weekend. Boise rests on the 43rd parallel and is the capitol of the 43rd state in the union, hence the name. The six-story, 112-room hotel is part of a growing Boise skyline and just blocks from the state capitol building, about a dozen music venues, CenturyLink Arena (where the D-League Stampede and Steelhead hockey teams play), two universities and a slough of parks, bars and restaurants. The compact grid that is downtown Boise is extremely pedestrian-friendly, so park the car and walk or bike your way through town.
The interior of Hotel 43 is sleek and modern while keeping a safe distance from over-the-top. Rooms are fit with raised ceilings, framed local photographs, sizable desks and warm earth tones. In-room accoutrement include Keurig coffee makers, Serta Euro-top mattresses, spa robes and BeeKind soaps and shampoos from Gilchrist & Soames of London. Hovering high above the lobby are saucer-shaped light fixtures, orange and yellow in color. A petite cafe is located next to the main entryway and there is covered parking at reasonable rates for hotel guests. The hotel’s modest size makes for a friendly staff to guest ratio and a quiet environment.
The adjacent restaurant, Chandler’s Steakhouse, is a perennial list-topper for local media, an old-school steakhouse featuring jazz nightly. C-shaped leather booths and cool, blue lighting give the place a cosmopolitan feel, the kind of place you’d expect to find in Chicago or New York. The feel is not unlike a supper club, an older but lively crowd exchanging laughs in between sips of classic cocktails.
During my visit, I had Chandler’s highly-touted “10 minute” Manhattan (TM), the bourbon and vermouth mixed and left to marry on ice for, well, 10 minutes. The wilted spinach salad, all too often overdone and lifeless, was soft and flavorful. Being a steakhouse, I opted for the top sirloin and impressed by the cut and simple seasoning.
Boise is touting a lot these days and Hotel 43 offers the proximity and modern amenities to maximize your stay.
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