Rock & Roll!
Get Outta Town: The Verb, Boston
To be honest, I decided to stay at The Verb, 1271 Boylston Street, Boston recently because the rates were good and it was rated “excellent” on Expedia. I was a bit miffed when I got to the hotel and was charged a “resort fee.” For!? What?! I demanded. I was told it included breakfast and use of the outdoor pool.
Great. A hotel breakfast? What … ever. And an outdoor pool? In the middle of winter? Who goes swimming in the middle of winter?
Well, I had a very nice stay, a delicious breakfast with the help of two very helpful breakfast attendants, and I only wish I had packed my bathing suit because I would have loved to have taken a dip in the steamy hot pool on this cold, dreary day and then, emerging, to have wrapped myself in the stylish geometric print robes they provide in the rooms.
Eh, next time. Because there will be a next time. Loved this place!
But I bury the lede here. This Rock & Roll hotel that was born in 1959 as The Fenway Motor Hotel, drawing a clientele of “local sports stars, entertainers, newsmen, and emerging generation of teenagers known as ‘rock & rollers,’” according to information provided in my room. It later joined the Howard Johnson Motor Lodge franchise and became known as Fenway HoJos. In 2014, it emerged in its current iteration. The halls are lined with a fascinating exhibit highlighting the hotel and area’s rock and roll history. There is an Aretha Franklin mural that lists all the musicians that have stayed here, a list that includes Sheryl Crow, Evan Dando, Blue Oyster Cult, Slipknot, and more.
As for the name? Here’s an explanation provided by the hotel: “Verb? If you want to get literal about it, Verb describes an action, a state of being. We like to think it comes from Reverb—a reminder of the music that has inspired the world throughout the years.”
I have a standard room with two double beds, very nice, and nice and clean. There is a working turntable, with an impressive selection of vinyl available. When I got here, Elvis and Pink and a few others were in the room. There were many more options available in the vinyl library in the lobby. So fun!! I fell asleep last night with Elvis crooning to me and right now I’m listening to Patty Smith “Horses” (1975).
Alas, the typewriter has is not working, but it is awfully cute and other than that, no complaints about the room. In addition to standard rooms, there are guestrooms that are tributes to legendary performers and bands including The Cars, Aerosmith, Rolling Stones, Moody Blues, and more. And there are these adorable trailers out back, “luxury trailers with plush beds, relaxed seating areas and outdoor patios ideally tucked between the hotel and Boston’s beloved Fenway Park. Designed to reflect the adventure of life on the road, this enclave of ten custom-crafted, stationary trailers offer exclusive overnight amenities while treating guests to an “all access pass” to this outdoor experience in the heart of the city.”
Yes, Fenway Park is right. There. I can see it from my window.
As for breakfast, it was really good, much better than the average hotel breakfast. I had hard boiled eggs with taco sauce, a banana, some decent coffee, and a strawberry smoothie. They have thoughtful options for people who are gluten-free and vegan.
They had pastries, waffles, yogurt, apples, oatmeal, and more. They also had two breakfast attendants, Mirian and Crisela, who did a great job making sure everyone got what they needed. Thank you!
For lunch and dinner, Hojoko, “a rock n roll tavern honoring the pulse of Japanese nightlife and izakaya by serving sushi, robata grilled yakitori and street food small plates paired with craft cocktails, premium sake, wine and beer,” is attached to the hotel. Find out more about that at the Hojoko website.
So, yeah, I’ll be back and next time I’ll bring my bathing suit.
