Boise’s ‘rustic’ new $100M hotel: Steakhouse. Rooftop bar. Or soak in a copper bathtub

Navigating construction materials inside Hotel Renegade during a recent preview tour, it was strange to imagine the downtown attraction opening anytime soon.

Ready to “awaken your inner rebel”? You won’t have to wait much longer.

When the 122-room hotel debuts in early May, it will unveil a dimension of swank that Boise hasn’t seen yet. Not one I’ve experienced, at least. An eight-story brick building at 11th and Grove streets, the Renegade describes itself as “a boutique hotel stay unlike any other — where rough meets refined and details matter.”

There’s a rooftop bar. A steakhouse. A coffee shop. And lots of stylish ambition.

Not-so-breaking news: Our little city is changing.

“Boise is growing significantly in our lifetimes,” said Idaho native Jussi Santa, the hotel’s general manager.

Hotel Renegade? “It’s something that I think the town’s excited about and ready for.”

Room reservations should launch in mid-March.

Sweet suites

Creating an atmosphere that’s rugged yet luxurious is a pricey endeavor. The project from owner Hendricks Commercial Properties is “getting close to” $100 million, Santa said. Massive ceiling beams, hardwood floors and marble countertops? Those don’t come cheap.

Nor will overnight stays. Introductory rates for the 100 classic rooms — either one king bed or two queens — will start at around $299, Santa said. The hotel also has 22 suites with six different floor plans. (Those will start at $399.)

At 1,313 square feet, the seventh-floor Pend d’Oreille Penthouse is the signature suite. With high ceilings and elegant design touches, its introductory price will be $1,500 to $3,000 per night, Santa said.

All 22 suites at Hotel Renegade are adorned with freestanding copper bathtubs. “Everything has been really custom curated in order to create that rustic aesthetic,” explained Casseopia Quick, director of sales.

Wearing a hard hat, a smiling woman on the media tour couldn’t resist climbing into one — on cloud nine on the seventh floor. (I was jealous. I admit it.)

“Natural woods, real metals, real marble,” Santa said, “I really think it’s going to set us apart.”

Do not be frightened, middle-class mortals. Hotel Renegade clearly hopes to appeal to everyday Idahoans, as well as well-heeled travelers and locals splurging on staycations.

That’s where the food-and-drink destinations come in.

Supper club, rooftop bar

Bright and early, Blue Collar Coffee Co. will pour espresso, java drinks, tea and smoothies, along with serving breakfast sandwiches and burritos in the ground-floor shop.

In the afternoon and evening, the hotel lobby bar will beckon — a place to wander in, belly up to the bartop (more copper) and order a glass of wine and food.

Baraboo Supper Club, the steakhouse, will be open from 5 to 10 p.m. daily. “It’s going to be a fun and casual atmosphere,” promised restaurant manager Shawn McKenzie — with options such as “locally sourced relish trays,” “prime rib every day” and “boozy ice cream drinks.”

Hop an elevator to the top floor, and you’ll walk into The Highlander — “our sexy, cool, cocktail bar on the roof,” Quick said. It has a scenic view of downtown and the Boise Foothills. There’s seating for 40 inside and 78 out. The patio area — which includes fire pits and heaters — seems bigger than that number. There will be generous space between tables. Roll-up glass garage doors connect the indoor bar to the patio.

Despite the spacious patio? Sorry, bros — no cornhole out there. This is, as Quick said, a “more formal-type experience.”

Oh, and just so you know? The Highlander, Baraboo Supper Club and lobby bar all will have their own food menus.

Hotel developer is food hall owner

Does Hotel Renegade feel like a lot to take in? It is.

Hendricks Commercial Properties likes providing Boiseans with choices. The Wisconsin-based developer also created the nearby Warehouse Food Hall at 370 S. 8th St. That opened a few months after construction began on Hotel Renegade in 2022.

Integrating into Boise, Hotel Renegade is attempting a marketing synergy. There are Idaho-tied references, such as the Pend ‘Oreille Penthouse. Or the rooftop Overland Ballroom, a reference to Boise’s original, 19th century Overland Hotel. But there also are Midwest influences. Baraboo is based on the tradition of a Wisconsin supper club, McKenzie said, and will serve a traditional Wisconsin old-fashioned (made with brandy). Blue Collar will pour coffee made with beans roasted by Wisconsin-based Ruby Coffee Roasters.

One thing that is similar between the Midwest and Idaho? Friendliness. I pray that our increasingly populated state doesn’t lose that quality.

Hotel Renegade management appreciates Boise’s genial, welcoming demeanor, Santa said. The hope is to make it part of day-to-day, personal interactions with hotel customers.

“We really want to tap into that,” he said.

Good to know. Maybe I’ll ask room service to bring my tray right up to the copper tub.