About
The Parker House is a mother-son operation run jointly by Karen Robinson and Thane Richard. Karen and Thane began designing and managing Airbnb properties in Detroit in 2014, starting with lofts on the Detroit River. They dreamed of finding a historic home that could host guests in their favorite neighborhood: Detroit’s West Village. While the COVID-19 pandemic delayed plans, the Parker House’s Great Lakes Suite opened in early 2023 with the Gus Dorais Room and Chart Room opening in early 2024. While we do not serve breakfast, Parker House Detroit is designed with the same sense of personalized, local hospitality that makes bed and breakfasts so charming.
The Parker House is also a venture that supports the Planet School, a two year high school opening in Detroit. During their time at the Planet School, students conduct research while sailing on the Great Lakes, work on community revitalization in Detroit, and then build and manage a prototype community in rural northern Michigan.
During their stay in Detroit, students will participate in the creation and management of real businesses. The Parker House is one of the real businesses that students will be able to participate in as they work on designing and launching their own pop-up business serving a community need.
Karen Robinson
Thane Richard
