Boise hotel touting classic design with modern amenities slated for May opening

At first glance, a downtown Boise hotel project looks like it’s lightyears away from opening its doors to the public. Not so, say developers.

Upon second glance, Hotel Renegade looks like it was originally built in the 1920s and is undergoing major renovations. However, the massive new build on the corner of 11th and Grove Streets is just a couple months away from welcoming its first guests.

On Feb. 22, Beloit, Wisconsin-based Hendricks Commercial Properties, the developer of the hotel, invited the media and others to tour the construction site, providing a look into what will be the region’s latest lodging and conference venue.

General Manager Jussi Santa, an Idaho native, said the build brought him back to his home state, and his company wanted to honor Idaho’s history while being a part of the growth that’s taking place.

“I think that ‘where rustic meets refined’ is really what was the design thinking of the entire property,” he said. “It’s been a long time that we’ve been waiting for this and we’re just so excited.”

Though the build began in April of 2023, planning began much earlier. The vanities within the guest rooms’ bathrooms were all hand-built by a Wisconsin craftsman who began work on them three years ago. The tubs found in each of the bathrooms are copper freestanding double slipper tubs and crafted by Randolph Morris, an artisan the company found on Etsy.

The building tops out at eight floors, with the Overland Ballroom and The Highlander lounge overlooking the surrounding landscape. Each floor is 3,000 square feet, and there are 122 guest rooms and suites, with seven meeting spaces that total 5,100 square feet of adaptable setups.

There will be 22 suites in all, with the signature suite being 1,313 square feet. Traditional rooms will be 400-plus square feet and suites will start at 500 square feet and move up in size from there.

Along with the guest rooms, meeting space and rooftop lounge, Hotel Renegade will also feature a lobby bar adjacent to the Baraboo Supper Club, an upscale eatery based on similar supper clubs found in Wisconsin.

“It’s going to be a fun and casual atmosphere,” said Shawn McKenzie, restaurant manager for Baraboo. “It’s going to be a place where you come to see your friends and family, your neighbors.”

The menu will be locally sourced, McKenzie said, with relish trays and prime rib every day and “boozy ice cream with drinks in the Wisconsin fashion.”

Next to the ground-floor bar will be the Blue Collar Coffee Co., the first location in Idaho for the company. It will feature a bevy of coffee and other beverages and offerings, and orders can be place ahead of time for those that need their daily fix.

There is also retail space outside of Baraboo, however the retailer is a “surprise,” and will be announced at a later date, Santa said.

Although Hendricks reported the project to cost $66 million, Santa said the cost for Hotel Renegade is somewhere “just under $100 million. It is scheduled to open in the beginning of May.