The Verb, Boston: Hotel review

A rock'n'roll hotel in need of a little more, well, rock'n'roll

The lobby (Adrian Wilson)

For a rock’n’roll hotel, The Verb is surprisingly quiet. I arrive in the evening expecting to be greeted by a bustling saloon and booming tunes. In fact, the place is almost deserted save for a chirpy receptionist who welcomes me with a beaming smile. Maybe I’m just exhausted and crabby after a long flight, but my first impression is that the place feels a bit flat. The hotel claims to be a “modern classic in the heart of Fenway’s buzzing scene” but there is nothing buzzing when I check in.

The Verb is opposite Fenway Park, home of the Boston Red Sox, making it an ideal crash-pad for sports fans. There’s little evidence of the Sox once inside the hotel though. The decor is music-themed with plenty of bright colours and retro rock memorabilia, a nod to Fenway’s music, art, and culture scenes. There are jukeboxes, electric guitars and Fender amps dotted about throughout.

Perhaps surprisingly for a hotel which sells itself on its happening scene, The Verb doesn’t have a bar or restaurant of its own. It shares a building with Japanese restaurant and bar Hojoko, which is separated from the hotel’s lobby by a sliding door. One of the first things I’m told by the receptionist is that Hokoko is not, under any circumstances, part of the hotel. It’s a rather confusing set-up, particularly as the cafeteria-style restaurant the only place to eat or drink on site.

The pool at The Verb (Adrian Wilson)

The hotel has 94 bedrooms, a small gym (made up of a treadmill, a bike and a cross trainer all squeezed into what looks like another bedroom), and an outdoor pool, which is closed in the winter months. I’m initially intrigued by the red vintage bus parked outside at the front of the hotel but when I ask whether I can have a poke around inside, I’m told I can’t. It seems it’s purely decorative.

The hotel also has what it calls “The Archives”, a collection of music memorabilia spanning the last few decades in the corridor next to reception. The display has been curated by musical historian David Bieber (no relation – I asked) and includes artefacts such as radios, records, speakers and set lists - all from David's private collection.

Location

As well as Fenway Park, the hotel is within easy reach of cental Boston with its cobbled streets, book shops, and clam chowder restaurants. The subway is easy to navigate, making it easy to head across the Charles river to Cambridge and Harvard University, if you want a change of pace.

If you fancy some shopping, visit the Prudential Centre (prudentialcenter.com) where you’ll find plenty of designer shops, as well as restaurant and bar Top of the Hub (topofthehub.net), located on the 52nd floor. If shopping’s not your thing, visit for the views alone.

In spring or summer, hop aboard one of Boston’s famous Duck Tours (bostonducktours.com), which take passengers around Boston’s neighbourhoods, as well as along the Charles River. Tours start at $37.50pp.

Comfort

Rooms come in three types - Standard, Pool View and Ballpark (facing Fenway). Mine, overlooking the pool, is a good size. When I visit in winter, the pool is closed, but I can envisage it being a place to flock to in the warmer months. It’s set in the middle of a large courtyard, surrounded by blocks of bedrooms, some with coloured glass windows.

Inside, the bedrooms are comfortable if a little uninspiring. While the pinstripe carpets don’t exactly scream rock’n’roll, the pop-art posters are more vocal. The rough concrete ceilings add to the industrial-chic look, as does the exposed pipe-work in the corridor. I rather like the ice machines in the stairwells too (signposted with the words “Ice, ice, baby” on the walls), but with no mini bars in the rooms and no “official” bar in the hotel, I’m not quite sure what I’m meant to be drinking my ice with.

A Pool View room (Adrian Wilson)

Travel essentials

The Verb, 1271 Boylston Street, Boston, Massachusetts, US (001 617 566 4500; theverbhotel.com).

Rooms: ***

Value: ***

Service: ***

Doubles from $148, room only.