The Store

What a beautiful place to stay, in an ideal situation a short walk from downtown Raleigh. The owner John is great, full of information about the area and ideas for places to visit and eat. We enjoyed our breakfast at Boulted Bread, as recommended by John. The place itself has everything that you could possibly want...and more! Excellent.

This is a hidden gem, an unusual small guest house with 2 rooms and a shared living room/kitchen/dining area. The Store is owned by a retired architect, and the renovation of the old store building is amazing in every detail. The owner is friendly, helpful, and lives on-site, so he's there to assist. You can use the kitchen for morning coffee or whatever you want to cook. The huge downstairs living area is great for working on a laptop, there's an excellent sound system, comfy couches, TV and a Swedish woodstove (we were there in December and the woodstove was burning and warm. The rooms are very well-appointed, and the amenities are better than any I've seen in of high-end hotels. We stayed in one of the 2 rooms on the way south, and in the other on our way back north. One has a clawfoot tub/shower and the other has an even more beautiful bathroom, clearly designed by an architect. The location is great - not far off the highway, but tucked away in a quiet residential neighborhood, walking distance from some excellent restaurants. We love this place and will return. 5 STARS ALL THE WAY.

We found The Store online for a stopover during a long trip. It's a short ride off the Interstate. We stayed for one night and liked it so much that we booked it for our return trip north 6 weeks later, and also booked it for both directions on our trip this year. The Store is unlike anyplace you've stayed before. It's not an anonymous Airbnb, but rather a friendly guesthouse (with only 2 rooms). John is a very gracious host, helpful with anything you might need including terrific restaurant recommendations. He also lives on-site. John is an architect, and he paid attention to every single detail when he updated the old store building. We stayed in one of the rooms on the way south and the other room on the return trip, and again, every detail well thought-out, from the phone chargers next to the bed to the quiet lighting and by far the best bathroom amenities I've encountered in any hotel. There's a huge common area with a kitchen that guests can use and a comfortable living room with a great sound system. There was a fire burning in the wood stove while we were there. I appreciated all the details of the architectural and decor so much that I took a lot of photos, but I just can't locate them right now, or I would upload them with this review. All in all, this guesthouse is highly recommended - it's beautiful, well located in a quiet neighborhood but walking distance to restaurants, friendly and reasonably priced.

This is a second review. I have no connection with the owner, so this is a true rave review. We stayed here for a couple of nights on our way south a few months ago and are back for one night on the way home. The first time we stayed in the smaller of the two rooms, this time in the larger room. Both are wonderful. The bathroom in the larger suite is incredible, with a separate, fantastically-appointed walk-in shower the size of some bathrooms. John is a gracious host, ready to make you feel at home. He is also an incredible architect who has restored this historic building with the most amazing care for every detail. You might notice all these little details, or you might just feel the serenity and beauty of the place. Your stay here will give you the experience that some people must have who can afford to hire an architect to design or renovate their home - there are so many little things that John thought of that only an architect would come up with:a little alcove to fit the TV perfectly, speakers in the walls with an easy connection so you can plug your device in an play your own music, recharging cables, nice, adjustable lighting that you can set however you like it... the list goes on. Every detail is well-thought-out. High quality bed linens and towels, Keurig coffee maker in the room, half and half in the fridge, a basket of snacks, a little desk in each room.... There's a whole bunch of intriguing restaurants walking distance from The Store and it's a lovely neighborhood for a walk. We walked to a great Mediterranean restaurant (Vidrio) for dinner last night. There are a few "boutique" chain hotels downtown, but even new hotels can't compare to the friendliness, comfort and charm of The Store. Seriously. Stay here. It's not really a hotel, but moe of a guest house.