You wanna know where I'll be this summer? Check The Verb Hotel.

The former Howard Johnson space has been majorly upgraded, staying true to it's modernist roots (it was originally built in 1959) but this time with a rock 'n roll twist courtesy of music lovers, longtime local scenesters and Boston Phoenix veterans David Bieber and Stephen Mindich.

The hotel is quite literally steeped in music - and its memorabilia. The lobby is decked out in framed concert tickets and vintage show bills from Bieber's personal collection (still talking about David here, not Justin), and outside, a red 1940's tour bus flanks the sidewalk. On concert days, music from Fenway Park, just behind the hotel, wafts over the stadium walls and serenades guests.

Artwork from the Boston Phoenix's four decades of covers hangs in the hotel's 93 guestrooms, which are also outfitted with a vintage phone, clock and a (decorative) typewriter, calling to mind New York's storied Hotel Chelsea, the creative mecca that housed rock royalty, artists and writers.

And, beginning at the end of June, the Verb's new restaurant, Hojoko (the name perhaps a nod to the old Howard Johnson?) will open, serving up Japanese pub fare and a side of karaoke.

So that's where I'll be. Because floating about in the pool (perhaps nursing a hangover, thanks to the neighborhood's solid bar scene) while listening to the crack of baseball bats in Fenway is pretty much the definition of a perfect New England summer afternoon.

VIBES AT THE VERB HOTEL

We spent a music-soaked day wandering the halls of the Verb and chasing the perfect lighting, compliments of the room's stained glass windows and floor-to-ceiling windows. 

For a rocker-chic photoshoot befitting of the space, I rounded up fashion photographer Gina Manning and some wardrobe from Meichi Peng and Crush Boutique, along with some of my tried-and-true faves from my personal collection. (That's blogger-speak for "Zara".) 

Love what you see? Check out the Meichi Peng backpack here, and the J Brand Jeans at Crush Boutique, here. And, local lens ninja Gina Manning is offering up an art-driven photo session package, perfect for un-#basic bloggers and artists.

Stay tuned for one more look from the shoot on The Untouchables, and see you poolside at The Verb this June.