The Riverside Hotel in Boise, Idaho provides a resort-like experience with great food, live music, and a scenic location on 14 acres along the beautiful Boise River, near downtown attractions.
Boise Idaho: A Destination More Than Just About Potatoes
Idaho produces more than one-third of the potatoes grown in the United States. But our trip to Boise taught us much more about the city and state. In fact, the name Boise has French roots dating back to the 1820s when French Canadian fur trappers referred to the tree-lined river valley known in the French language as “la rivière boisée” which translates to “the wooded river.”
The capital city of Idaho, Boise, earned the nickname “City of Trees.” And we found that interesting because a recent trip to Sacramento, also a state capital, holds the same nickname. So, once again, we found ourselves in a city that boasts much green space and thousands of mature trees providing shade throughout the city.
How Did We Find The Riverside Hotel?
Social media is not always my go-to place when researching hotels, but it worked for selecting a Boise hotel. We viewed a Facebook influencer spending a weekend at The Riverside Hotel and it piqued our interest. The fact that the property was likened to a “resort” was exactly what we needed since recent hotel stays were mostly metro cities. We longed for fresh air, river views, and lush green landscapes.
Nestled on 14 acres along the beautiful Boise River, the Riverside Hotel is recognized as Boise’s largest full-service hotel and convention center. It’s 5 miles from the Boise Airport (BOI) and steps away from the Greenbelt, the ideal location to walk to parks, restaurants, breweries, and wineries.
Hotel Amenities
The Riverside Hotel was built in 1970, renovated in 2022, and it now offers a great balance of charm, comfort, and convenience. Our 3 night stay was a nice mix of relaxation with fun activities like listening to music each evening.
The hotel featured a lovely courtyard, park-like setting set along the river with mountains as the most peaceful postcard-like backdrop. The lobby is modern, welcoming, and full of character.
Check-in starts at 4:00pm and because of a flight delay, we didn’t arrive until 7pm. The staff was friendly and check-in was quick and efficient, and we received a warm welcome and handed warm chocolate chip cookies as well.
We walked around the property a bit after check in but arriving in Mountain Time from Eastern time made for two sleepy travelers. We ordered room service for dinner and went to sleep.
After a good night’s rest, we ventured to look at the indoor and outdoor salt-water pools, fitness center, and restaurants. We took advantage of the free breakfast buffet, loving the made-to-order omelet station and the sweetest caramelized breakfast bacon!
After breakfast, we set out for a morning walk on the trail right outside of the hotel. We noticed the many bicyclists on the same trail, later finding out that we could rent bicycles right at our hotel, so we did the following morning.
We were also pleased to see that the indoor pool, fitness center, and hot tubs were open daily from 6am to 11pm. It was so great to soak in the hot tub at night under the Boise stars.
Note: In addition to an airport shuttle, you can use the shuttle to go to local businesses within 3 miles from the hotel. If you’re driving, you can enjoy free hotel parking and free electric vehicle charging stations for overnight guests.
Hotel Accommodations
The Riverside Hotel was a nice size, offering 300 remodeled guest rooms and suites. Contemporary décor made for an inviting and brightly lit atmosphere. Our guest room was much more spacious than a typical hotel room and that’s why I keep saying that this hotel had a resort type of feel. We had a second floor room with sliding doors that led out to a tiny balcony with a beautiful view of the courtyard below.
The bedding was a soft down comforter and our room gave us the ability to adjust the climate so we stayed warm and slept well on what turned out to be a chilly night.
Our room had a mini-fridge that was just the right size to chill our water and dinner leftovers. We didn’t use the microwave nor the coffee maker on this trip, and we barely turned on the television.
But the two room amenities that were game changers included the deep soaker tubs and the softest, coziest bathrobes to borrow throughout our stay.
Note: The hotel is very large so you may want to request a room closer to the lobby. The walk from our guest room to the hotel entrance was longer than expected.
Hotel Dining: Venues With Live Music
We are avid cruisers, accustomed to taking cruises with both entertainment and a variety of restaurants aboard. Well, the Riverside Hotel offered outstanding entertainment and we ate much more than locally grown Idaho potatoes. In fact, there were three live music venues with a different show every day.
Onsite restaurants and lounges include:
Riverside Grill – Casual atmosphere and provides all-day dining. The Fajita Steak Quesadillas and Sweet Potato Waffle Fries made for a delicious lunch.
BAR365 – Located across from the Front Desk in the main lobby and next to The Riverside Grill, this full-service lobby bar features nightly live music and sports. I don’t usually order spicy food but we shared the Jalapeño Bacon Mac and it was HOT!
The Sapphire Room: Seasonal ticketed music venue featuring a full bar and dining while enjoying the live music. I enjoyed the music as much as I did the French Dip served on a baguette with shaved beef, smoked provolone cheese, and caramelized onion.
Sandbar Patio & Grill – Seasonal outdoor dining with a pub-style menu and grilled dishes, specialty cocktails, daily live music, and views of the Boise Greenbelt and the Boise River.
Ling & Louie’s Asian Bar and Grill – Open daily for lunch and dinner and I was obsessed with the Loaded Steak Bao and Vegetable Steam Rolls.
The Bardenay Distilling Co. – Open daily for lunch and dinner and my Sausage and White Bean Soup was a great starter followed by a Butternut Squash Chimichanga entrée and a Skillet Brownie for dessert.
Who Should Stay at this Hotel?
When pondering the question as to who should stay at this hotel, I’d say guests of all ages. It’s the ideal location for a family vacation, reunion, wedding, and even a business event. This hotel is pet-friendly and family-friendly as children ages 1 to 17 stay for free.
The reservation rate is affordable, the Boise location is convenient to downtown, the river, and the airport. What surprised us the most was that the hotel staff always seemed to be enjoying their job roles and each other. That’s a nice quality to have on any hotel team.
If you’re looking for theme park activities or hiking deep in the mountains, you may want to look for accommodations closer to a National Park.
A Bit of Exploring in Boise
Staying at a hotel that feels like a resort made us want to spend most of our time enjoying the hotel’s food, pools, music, and even our guest room. However, the hotel allowed for easy walking to access multiple trails along the river and to downtown attractions. Biking, walking, and hiking along the Boise River Greenbelt’s tree-lined pathway in 70 degree temperatures was invigorating.
We did visit the Idaho Botanical Garden, a 15-acre living museum, with more than 14 specialty gardens. Exploring the colorful Freak Alley, a large open-air mural gallery, made for some really great photos. Another highlight was visiting Boise State University and seeing the blue football field nicknamed “Smurf Turf” in person.
Next door to the hotel, we visited the Telaya Winery. The patio, deck, and Tasting Room provided a simple, casual, and very welcoming West Coast atmosphere not stuffy like some other wineries we visited on the East Coast. It was a great place to enjoy some old world-style wines and the fire pits were a nice touch.
Takeaways/Pros About Staying at the Hotel
It was a great stay and we would definitely consider setting up a family reunion at this hotel.
- Riverfront resort-style experience just 1-mile from downtown Boise
- Complimentary airport shuttle service
- 300 rooms and suites featuring soft down bedding, deep soaker tubs, and bathrobes.
- Two year-round heated swimming pools
- Four on-site restaurants including free breakfast buffet
- Steps from the scenic Boise River and Greenbelt
Author Bio: Originally from Long Island, New York, Donna Wright now calls Deland, Florida her home. An avid traveler, she has journeyed by air, land, and sea, to many cities in the United States, Canada, and the Caribbean to exciting destinations like California, Arizona, Las Vegas, San Diego, Myrtle Beach, Lake Tahoe, Reno, and more.
This content is provided for general informational purposes only and should not be considered travel or consumer advice. Inn amenities, prices, policies, and availability may change. Readers should verify all details independently and use their own judgment when planning travel.