Hotel designs embrace local arts, history and materials for unique experiences

Evolving hotel design elements impact travelers and guests by creating lasting impressions and memorable experiences for both local patrons and out-of-town travelers.

And whether it’s a renovation project, such as Hotel 43 , or the newly constructed Hotel Renegade , lodging in downtown Boise is experiencing a shift in dcor, upgrades aimed to entice both newcomers and those making a return visit to their favorite venues.

From integrating local artwork, to bold and bright colors and patterns, strategic lighting, abundant access to technology, and mixed-use rooms and furniture, each specific design factor helps to create a visually, and sometimes audibly enticing atmosphere tailored to the wants and needs of visitors.

“If it’s a first-time guest we want there to be a wow factor,” said Suzie Hall, founder and CEO of the Cornerstone Collective, whose design firm recently helped renovate Boise’s historic Hotel 43 . “If it is a returning guest, we want the design to stimulate their curiosity and interest.”

Named for its location on the 43rd parallel, as well as for Idaho being the nation’s 43rd state, Hotel 43 has a sparkling new interior that utilizes the state’s signature color of red, along with garnet blues and golds, or gemstone colors throughout its interior.

The strategic choices correlate directly with the site’s distinction as Boise’s original boutique hotel.

“It was important to both the ownership group and our team to tell the story of the hotel, the property, the location and how it was named,” Hall said. “Everyone loves a good story in the hospitality industry.”

As well as a venue that truly reflects personality, while stirring up interest and intrigue.

“We wrote out a compelling narrative of the hotel history and wove it through the design of the site and its furnishings,” she said. “It’s the feeling and ambience it creates.”

For Jussi Santa, general manager of Hotel Renegade, the new kid on the block in downtown since May of this year, a confluence of “rustic meets refined” is how he described the dcor of the city’s latest getaway destination.

“We’ve built features to last that you can feel and hear all the way down to your soul,” he said. “We don’t want to be classic luxury. We want to be approachable to all our guests.”

Plus, he said the goal was to honor history and to create a building that would look like it has been an integral part of downtown for a very long time.

“When you think of those classic old buildings nearby, the Owyhee, the Idanha, they’ve probably been through generations of time,” he said. “There is something timeless about the ability to blend the old and the new.”

Integrating the past with the present helped set the tone for the main entrance of Hotel 43. Guests entering the front door are greeted by a four-story atrium space that aims to stir up curiosity and to serve as a guiding light to the hotel’s other areas.

“Within that space we have suspended micro cylinder light pendants at varying heights and locations,” Hall said. “We want the guests to look up and realize they are in a unique hotel that was built in the 1980s.”

A stunning feature of the lobby is its main art installation, a redesigned replica of what was once a black and white topographic map of the Boise area featured on the hotel’s website.

It is simply entitled, “You are here.”

Local artist and painter, Karen Eastman, was called upon to transform this subtle piece of history and move it forward into real time.

“The end result is a six-piece, oil, paint on wood of the black and white topographic map, zoomed in, cut into separate pieces with added color,” Hall said. “It ties into the overall design package of the venue.”

Developed as a 122-room boutique, Hotel Renegade features a more classic design, modern amenities and an array of dining and nightlife options.

Most impressive, and situated to overlook downtown is the Overland Ballroom, a 2,700-square-foot venue complete with a dance floor.

“It’s beautifully done with light-colored walls, dark ceilings and state of the art [audio-video] throughout, Santa said. “It’s a unique space and the kind of thing you’d expect to find in top-tier cities anywhere in the world. The details just give you a feel to reflect such a unique space.”

In what is now the fifth “reimagination renovation” project of his career, Santa understands well the relevancy of connecting a prime, new facility to its local roots.

“We used real brick, and the limestone came locally and directly from Table Rock, the same as the state capitol building,” Santa said. “Real brick and limestone have lasting value. And hardwood ages with character. It doesn’t just get replaced regularly.”

The concept, he said, was to build with materials and dcor that will stand the test of time, and provide guests a unique combination of sound and vision.

“It’s the accumulation of the really dense hard woods, true brick and mortar, and being a solidly built building,” Santa said. “Then there is all the handmade wardrobes, desks and finishes throughout the rooms. Even the vanities and the marble create a sound that you can’t quite put your finger on just one thing.”

In her role as executive director of Visit Boise, Carrie Westergard said she came away “highly impressed” with the Renegade’s finishing touches after several visits to the new site.

“The interior is very rich. You feel comfortable but luxury as well,” Westergard said. “It’s a blend of both worlds. It’s very high quality. You can tell no expense was spared.”

In the confines of Hotel 43, art plays a huge role in bringing guests into the fold.

“This hotel has a rich history of supporting the arts in Boise, so it was really important that we paid homage to ballet, symphony and theatre,” Hall said.

Additionally, guestrooms feature multiple color schemes and floor-to-ceiling murals strategically placed behind the headboards depicting landmarks and scenery from the Boise area.

“We want them to enjoy an experience that makes them think this place is alive, bursting with energy and creativity,” Hall said.

As part of her grand design plans, Hall also incorporated the work of local photographer Ray Gadd, who helped spruce up Hotel 43 with photos depicting the beauty of Idaho’s landscapes.

“Suzie used my portfolio to help select the color patterns,” Gadd said. “We resized the prints and color corrected them so they’d fit with what she was looking for.”

Printed on metal to provide the effect of looking into a window, Gadd’s shots of the Sawtooth Mountains in the fall highlight the array of vivid and glistening gold, orange and red colors common to the area.

Other photos showcase the Bruneau Sand Dunes, Yellowstone and another with Basque dancers superimposed on the foothills. “The landscapes work well because they capture nature in a different or unique way,” he said.

Unique artwork is a concept Santa also incorporated into Boise’s newest vacation landing spot.

The venue’s Baraboo Supper Club features a whopping 225 pieces of art, most inspired by elements found across the Gem State. Each frame was specifically chosen for each piece.

And there are what he calls some “undisclosed elements” guests will surely enjoy.

“It’s something you just have to come out and see,” he said referring to the artwork featured in the hotel’s signature Highlander rooftop bar. There always has to be some of the unexpected.”

“This beautiful rooftop bar gives you a stunning panoramic view of downtown and the city,” Westergard said. “It’s just gorgeous.”

Unexpected elements are also woven into the design of Hotel 43.

To do so, Hall enlisted Boise Art Glass to use their special talents in creating fine glass products to help shine some light on the venue’s distinct offerings.

The local glass artists created four, signature 43 glass mosaic installations found in the lobby, as well as custom light fixtures for the main registration area.

Similarly, the combination of natural and artificial lighting played a key role for Hall’s design team, including the use of layered lighting in the guestrooms, with headboards edge-lit to create a nice glow, all without the use of overhead lighting.

“And we used dimmers, as well as window films in the atrium to diffuse the harsh daylight in the morning instead of shades or blinds,” she said. “That is the magic that is created in design through effective lighting.”

According to Santa, part of the magic for his site lies in the “comfort, accessibility and style all rolled into one” that allow patrons to freely be themselves.

“The music choices, the soft touch points, they all provide guests everything they expect to have at our facility,” he said. “Each and every design feature is not meant to be absolutely perfect. We want them to have personality. And we want our guests to feel comfortable expressing their personalities.”

Ditto for Hotel 43. From the finishes, the artwork, the light fixtures, the signage, Hall said she wants guests to more deeply explore the offerings of both the hotel and the city.

“With every step along the journey, from the public areas to the corridors and to the guest- rooms, there is something special and uniquely designed that helps tell the story of Hotel 43,” she said.

Copyright © 2024 BridgeTower Media. All Rights Reserved.