TL;DR

Unique stay: 2-room guesthouse in Historic Glenwood, Raleigh, converted from a grocery store
Cozy charm: Feels like house-sitting for a stylish, highly accomplished friend
Small scale: Ideal for couples or solo travelers, not families
Residential vibe: Well-furnished common areas maintain a homely feel
Booking tip: Limited availability; plan ahead to snag a room
Check prices here

This 2-room guesthouse in the Historic Glenwood area of Raleigh, North Carolina, is a fantastically unique stay.

The accommodation takes the space of a refurbished grocery – a sentence we never expected to write.

The owner has done a tremendous job taking something commercial and turning it cozy.

Everything feels a bit like you’re house-sitting for a college friend who absolutely aced the LSAT, but you didn’t expect to have such excellent taste.

The space includes a few well-furnished common areas, which we’re pleasantly surprised didn’t turn out to be guestrooms as well.

They seem content to work with the two, and leave everything else feeling pleasantly residential.

It’s not a place to bring the whole family, unless they’re all adults, but it’s a superb spot for a couple or a solo traveler.

Of course, it’s a feat to snag a booking, but if you’ve flexible dates or love planning ahead, we’d highly recommend seeing if either of the rooms are free.

What are the rooms like?

Number of rooms: 2
Room types: Queen guestroom and King suite, 200–400 sq ft
Decor: Zen-like modern chic with bright whites, sunny wood, and colorful accents
Amenities: TV with streaming, toiletries, Keurig, mini fridge, microwave, snacks
Suite extras: Music system, laptop chargers, laundry services on request
See all the rooms in detail here

The whole house is decked out in a sort of zen-like modern chic, and the rooms are no exception.

Each one is clean and bright, all white walls and sunny wood.

Decor is uncluttered and colorful, a well-selected palette of solid reds, gray greens, rusty oranges and cheerful yellows.

There’s a Queen guestroom and a King suite, either 400 or 200 square feet. It shouldn’t be hard to choose which works for you.

Some couples might be fine in the guest room, but we’d recommend aiming for the suite if you’re a person who likes space.

Luckily, the way each is set up allows the snug spot to feel bigger than it is.

There is still arguably a place to work there, especially if you thrive in a work-from-bed environment.

Each space will also include a TV with streaming services, toiletries, a Keurig Machine, a mini fridge, microwave and a couple of well-chosen snacks.

The suite has a music-playing situation as well, and you’ll find a few other potential necessities like laptop chargers and laundry services available by request.

What are prices like?

Check prices here

And what’s the food like? Any facilities we should know about?

Kitchen: Not included; owner provides trusted local dining recommendations
Lounge: Large area with wood fireplace, books, and cozy seating
Outdoor space: Courtyard with water garden, raised beds, and seating
Business: Chic meeting room available for rent

Unfortunately, the kitchen is not included on the list of guest amenities, which is our main gripe with the space.

The owner, however, is local, and obviously has Very Good Taste. His advice on where to go and what to eat is easy to get and trustworthy.

Once you’ve got food sorted, though, you might never want to leave. There’s a large lounge with a lovely wood fireplace and plenty of books snuggled all around the sofas.

Outside, you’ll find a courtyard decked out with a water garden, galvanized steel raised beds, and plenty of space to sit and enjoy the ambiance.

Finally, you’ll find a super-chic meeting room available for rent if anyone’s traveling on business.

The many windows are perfect for zoning out when your less-than-interesting coworker is chatting about their cat’s new brand of wet food.

How is the neighborhood? Anything interesting nearby?

Location: Historic Glenwood, great for exploring Downtown Raleigh
Walkable spots: Fred Fletcher Park, South Glenwood restaurants, Gregg Museum of Art and Design
Nearby attractions: Pullen Park, North Carolina Museum of Art, Oak View County Park
Transportation: Car recommended for trails and farther destinations; central downtown ~30 min walk

The house is in a great location for exploring Downtown Raleigh, but you’ll likely need a car to take advantage of the area’s many excellent trails.

More walkable attractions include Fred Fletcher Park, the small army of cute restaurants in South Glenwood, and the Gregg Museum of Art and Design by the entrance to Pullen Park.

It’s 20 minutes, plus another ten, on foot to get to the heart of Pullen’s charm, but it’s a great way to stretch your legs in the morning.

Central Downtown is a half-hour walk, easy for some, pushing it for others, maybe. You will be pleased to find most of the top museums and attractions right next to each other.

Other must-sees, like the North Carolina Museum of Art, and its trail-laden campus, are easy drives.

It’s less than 10 minutes north to the art museum, or you could head 15 minutes east to Oak View County Park for some local history and time with the goats.

And what about the reviews? What did other guests think?

Some things guests liked:

“Phenomenal property with plenty of old school charm and new decor. Property manager JR could not possibly have been more accommodating. He not only maintains the property, but was integral in helping us plan our night out of dining and drinks….”

“The property was perfect. John is an amazing host, he was accommodating, gave me great local recommendations, and was just genuinely very kind! The room had a desk, coffee/tea maker, and all the accommodations you could need. Everything was clean, quiet, and peaceful. Binx has an intimidating bark for a dog his size but he is all love! The location is a 20 minute walk from the city center and super close to good restaurants….”