Standing in the unfinished lobby of The Verb hotel, Boston’s anti-corporate throwback to the Fenway of old, Adam Weiner, president of Weiner Ventures LLC,  is recalling memories of trips to Howard Johnson’s at the conclusion of a Wednesday afternoon walkthrough.

“You know that scene in Mad Men, where Don Draper drives away from his wife?” Weiner asks, pretending to spoon feed himself a scoop of orange sherbet that isn’t there, with a spoon he isn’t holding, in front of an all-too-real black-top desk, furnished with black leather.

“That’s what I think of when I think of Howard Johnson’s.”

The Verb is not HoJo’s. 

But the look and feel of the outdated, forgotten motel chain remains – partly, anyway – inside the still-under-construction hotel, set to open Tuesday, July 15.

“All along, it was supposed to be another cookie-cutter hotel/apartment complex, on the site of the Howard Johnson…” the Boston Globe’s Shirley Leung writes. ” Raze the squat and outdated motel, and then build as high as possible to make the most money.” 

After all, Fenway is hot:  Samuels & Associates booming Fenway Triangle sits in the heart of the neighborhood, and across the street from The Verb, at 1271 Boylston Street, the steel keeps rising, with construction well underway on The Viridian luxury residences.

But, as Leung notes in the Globe, developer Steve Samuels had a unique “vision” for the HoJo’s site. So he fired off a quick text to the man who gave Boston the Mandarin Oriental, Robin Brown, who – along with Weiner –  serves as a business partner on the project; and it was decided: The Verb will be “unique,” Weiner says.

And it is – or will be, when it officially opens.

The number of rooms will remain the same: HoJo’s had 93 keys, so does The Verb.

But a pool will sit in the middle courtyard. A roof deck has been added, attached to a stretch of suites that overlook the still-yet-to-be-flooded pool, where signature cocktails and bar bites will be offered. ”We want people to have fun,” Weiner says, standing on the unfinished roof deck, construction workers administering the final touches.

But things won’t get out of control at The Verb, even though the roof deck suites seem like ideal spots for that sort of thing: ”Six or eight [guests]” will be the cap The Verb will set on suite-capacity, Weiner says, still standing on the deck, above a slab of rock hard concrete. 

A fitness center with updated equipment will also be available for occupants. And a restaurant announcement is also forthcoming, the details of which Weiner has sworn to keep secret. ”But it’s going to be awesome,” he states.

The old-school wood-stained bed frames inside The Verb’s rooms have been enhanced to resemble the look and feel of HoJo’s, while blue, yellow and redish-pinkish tinted windows evoke a 60’s/70’s vibe. The Verb could easily be marketed as a theme hotel one may find alongside the road while driving through New Hampshire.

But this is Fenway, the former pop-culture epicenter of Boston, where artistic, musical and cultural talents once reigned supreme, and legendary bands once flocked.

So, developers sought out London, UK-based design firm GBH Design to help lock down The Verb’s style. And Elkus-Manfredi Architects masterminded the edgy interior design – dimly lit corridors, old Boston Phoenix covers above the beds, neon signage on the walls to point guests in the right direction, 70’s-style couches, and old fashioned, baby blue, usable type writers atop desks in each room.

See what I mean about the theme-hotel thing?

However, Weiner assures, guest don’t have to be Don Draper to spend a night at The Verb. Per night rates will start in the $200 range, Weiner said, but the economic market will dictate the eventual price point. 

Fenway sees 3.5 million visitors annually and remains one of the most popular destinations for residents of the Boston area. Weiner wants The Verb to attract this demographic, made up of leisure travelers, families, out-of-towners coming to see the Red Sox, and people living in the Longwood Medical area.

Corporate brass can stay, too, but they shouldn’t expect any preferential treatment; when hotels cater to big-wigs, Weiner explains, favors – can we book x amount of nights here at y price? – start getting asked for.

This is the The Verb, an anti-establishment response to $3 billion worth of high-end Fenway development. And believe it or not…