The Store

Tucked onto a leafy residential street in Raleigh’s historic Cameron Park, The Store is exactly the kind of place you hope to stumble upon: an independent, design-forward boutique guesthouse that turns a stay into something closer to a discovery. The name is no affectation. The building was once a neighborhood grocery, and its second life as an intimate overnight retreat keeps that story front and center, right down to the industrial bones and the corner-store character that give the space its quiet confidence.

From corner grocery to design retreat

The Store describes itself, aptly, as a former neighborhood grocery reincarnated as a well-designed respite for overnight stays and inspiring conversations. The conversion is thoughtful rather than showy. Loft-like interiors, an industrial-style kitchen, contemporary furnishings, and daylight-filled common areas nod to the building’s workmanlike past while feeling thoroughly of the moment. This is a place assembled with intention, where the architecture and the objects in it are meant to be noticed and enjoyed.

The design and the boutique experience

What sets The Store apart is its scale. With just two guest rooms, this is a genuinely boutique stay, closer to being handed the keys to a beautifully considered home than checking into a hotel. A raised lounge anchors the ground floor with convertible chaise sofas, leather lounge chairs, and a wood-burning fireplace. Street-side and court-side gathering areas, wired with Wi-Fi, Ethernet, a projector, and a high-end audio system, double as flexible space for small meetings, workshops, or simply spreading out. The result is warm, personal, and unmistakably independent, run with a hands-on attention that guests consistently single out for praise.

Rooms, courtyard, and amenities

The two guest rooms each sleep one to two travelers and come with private bathrooms and hotel-caliber touches, from toiletries to concierge-style help when you need it. The showpiece of the property may be outdoors: a raised courtyard the owners call the agri-plaza, where galvanized stock tanks are repurposed as raised garden beds around a zen-like water garden complete with koi and a wall fountain. It is a genuinely serene pocket of green, ideal for morning coffee or an unhurried evening after a day of exploring. Glass doors open the interior gathering spaces onto the courtyard, blurring the line between indoors and out.

A walkable Cameron Park setting

The Store sits inside Raleigh’s beltline in Cameron Park, one of the city’s oldest and most gracious neighborhoods, a short stroll from the energy of Glenwood South and the Five Points district. Leave the car and you are within easy reach of dozens of restaurants, bars, and coffee shops, with neighborhood mainstays like Mellow Mushroom and the sprawling Raleigh Beer Garden nearby, plus Fletcher Park and the boutiques and galleries that give this part of town its character. Downtown Raleigh, with its museums, theaters, and dining, is a quick walk or short ride away, and Raleigh-Durham International Airport is roughly a twenty-minute drive.

Who it suits

The Store is best for travelers who prefer character over chain uniformity: couples after a romantic weekend, solo visitors who value design and calm, and small groups or remote workers who want private, distinctive space with room to gather. Anyone drawn to independent, locally owned lodging with a real sense of place will feel at home here. With only two rooms, it books up, so plan ahead. In a city increasingly filled with look-alike hotels, this converted corner store remains a one-of-a-kind Raleigh original, and one of the most personal places to spend the night in town.