1314 West Grove St. in Boise, Idaho is the site of one of the newest boutique hotels in Boise, and has one of the finest beds that I have ever slept in. Opened in June of 07, the Modern is a remake of a former Travel Lodge done with grace and lots of style. Very hip, very comfortable, with (again) remarkable beds, beautiful bathrooms, very friendly and engaging staff, the Modern Hotel and Bar should be on your Boise list for places to stay in downtown. Just blocks away from the downtown core, the Modern is in the Linen District of downtown Boise near galleries, special event centers, and a couple of blocks from the convention center.
We had the opportunity to test drive the Modern while in Boise for a friend's wedding, and found the accommodations very comfortable, the staff quite friendly, and the furniture and rooms just too cool. Walk-in showers, very mod free-standing baths - room enough for two - ipod docks, flat screens, coffee, snacks, croissants in the morning, hipster bar in the evening with old movies on the screen, record players with 45's to play while using the bathrooms, and a nice story about cowboys, confections, and the power of the press to open up the in-room service guide.
Not once did we get the typcial corporate spiel while talking and visiting with the staff. They have created a very cool place to work and share with the traveling public, and they truly seem to enjoy their jobs.
I have worked in and around hotels nearly all of my career, and have heard the statement, "all I need is a room to sleep in" about a zillion times. If that's all you need in a hotel, then you definitely should stay at the Modern. The only bed more comfortable that I've slept in, is my own. If you want to experience a hotel stay that is a little brighter, more fun, and less starchy than one of the national chains, then you need to call them up and join the growing family of Modernites.
