Guest House Raleigh — Hotel in Raleigh

I was in love with Guest House as soon as I walked in. Everything was perfect, until it wasn’t. I desperately wanted to love this place more than I did, but I had a very strange experience that left a bad taste in my mouth that I haven’t been able to shake. All of the rooms have a keypad with an individualized code to get in. The doors have no deadbolts or locks other than this keypad. As a solo female traveler, I felt disturbed by this. Not knowing how many people on staff have access to my code made me nervous. There were also no locks on my bathroom door or my bedroom door (I stayed in the historic suite). So I placed a chair and a door stopper in front of my door at night to make me feel a little extra safe, I didn’t actually expect anybody to enter. When I woke up the next morning, the chair and the door stopper had been pushed back at least a few feet. I was speechless. I spoke with one of the house managers and asked her if anybody had tried to come in. She then let me know they had given the maintenance man my room code to come in and check something. I didn’t know what to say because I was in shock but in hindsight I’ve realized this was unacceptable considering they had my phone number and could have texted/called to ask permission. We had been texting just the night before about a purchase I made. I probably didn’t hear the knock because I was in the shower (which again - bathroom has no locks so he could have walked in on me showering). I had one more night left and I did not sleep for one second. I was terrified that anyone with my code could come in my room. I was in town for a meeting and I could hardly function the next day because I did not sleep. I am not usually a dramatic customer. I try so hard to be understanding. But this experience hasn’t left my mind and it really upset me. I actually would return to the Guest House because it was soooo lovely, and I still would recommend it, but I would bring a personal door lock since they don’t have locks on doors and seem comfortable just...

Hotel rooms are a necessary evil. One the best day in the best hotel the sheets are scratchy and smell of chemicals, the hallways are a labyrinthine Kafka-esque nightmare, and the staff may be nice, but rarely kind (there's a difference). B&B's typically offer no respite either. Quality of stay is inconsistent and the muffins left out in the morning whiff of Costco shrink wrap.

What I long for in an overnight stay is the feeling of being at home made up in the tiny details: a cold La Croix in the fridge, a cozy chair to plop down on after endeavoring the city, the warm sunlight pouring through the window on a cloudless morning.

The yearnings for a familiar and comforting home-away-from-home were alleviated as we climbed the steps to The Guest House and were greeted by Matt Tomasulo's beaming smile. Not only were the accommodations impeccable (the interior is exquisitely and meticulously decorated down to the door hinges), but the digital concierge was my favorite touch. I hadn't spent a night in Raleigh in years so I was out of the loop on all the new eat and drink spots which they quickly hepped us to. They were even able to help us navigate some more complicated requests like where to find vegetarian, GF friendly breakfast spots.

It's simple: There's no reason to stay in a hotel in Raleigh again, unless, of course The Guest House is all booked up. Which is a distinct possibility now they're garnering national attention from the likes of Bon Apetit Magazine.

Word to the wise: book...

We travel extensively and stay in a combo of hotels, Airbnbs and bed and breakfasts. We usually stay at a relative’s house when visiting Raleigh but this time they were renovating. So we opted to book at Guest House Raleigh. I can’t begin to say enough good things about our stay. Communication: All of the communication was thorough and timely. Check in and out instructions were easy to follow. All communication from us was responded to very quickly House: The house is a mix of modern and traditional. The front part of the house is beautifully decorated to match the historic home. The back of the house and the rooms are more Scandinavian modern. Every part of the home is absolutely stunning. There were times we felt like we were in a contemporary art museum. Rooms: The rooms were incredibly comfortable and spacious, with no detail overlooked. Everything, including the bathroom, was renovated and spotlessly clean. Amenities: There was granola, oatmeal, yogurt, coffee, tea, bananas, water, cookies and popcorn available. The tea selection was wonderful! Location: we couldn’t ask for a better location to downtown. It was a couple of blocks from Moore Square and was very easy to walk to everything. We actually meet some family members at the other end of downtown for brunch and it only took us 20 min to walk there. This is a place that we will be booking again on our next visit to Raleigh. It is easily in our top 5 favorite...