The Parsonage Inn is Hiring!

We need a Housekeeper and an Assistant Breakfast Chef!
Send your resume to info@parsonageinn.org

Setting: The Parsonage Inn LLC is a Bed and Breakfast guesthouse, offering several bedrooms in an 1882 Queen Anne home located in the historic Heritage Hill neighborhood of downtown Grand Rapids, Michigan.

Job Description: Housekeeper

Hours: Varies with season, 4-14 hours a week. 

Summary: A B&B Housekeeper cleans bedrooms and bathrooms between guest stays, cleans eating areas and common spaces throughout the house, cooks and cleans the kitchen, helps with outdoor gardening and grounds care, and generally provides excellent customer service to guests when needed. 

Duties include: 

  • Flipping Rooms: strip & remake beds, dust rooms, scrub bathrooms, empty trash, vacuum & mop floors, replace towels, wash, dry, and fold laundry. 
  • Maintain hospitality areas: refill refreshment supplies, wash & restock dishes and linens, prepare refreshments, 
  • General House Cleaning: sweeping, dusting, mopping, vacuuming, plant watering, bathroom cleaning, feather dusting, window cleaning, 
  • Make breakfasts: set table, prepare and serve hot breakfasts for guests, clear & wash dishes
  • Gardening: water plants, sweep steps, remove snow, weed flowers, mow or trim lawns
  • Guest Care: meet & greet guests, tour the house, answer questions, advise about local attractions

Send your resume to info@parsonageinn.org to apply.

Job Description: Breakfast Chef

Hours: Varies with season, 4-20 hours a week.

Summary: A B&B breakfast chef plans and prepares breakfast for B&B guests, presents beautiful and delicious dishes that accommodate nutritional needs, prepares and cleans dining and kitchen areas, assists with other tasks as needed, and generally provides excellent customer service to guests.

Duties include:

  • Planning a weekly menu, keeping up to date on reservations and guest nutritional requests
  • Sourcing and shopping for groceries
  • Preparing breakfast dishes or elements in advance when possible, accommodating guest nutritional needs
  • Cooking, baking, frying, and otherwise preparing and presenting breakfasts to guests
  • Beginning serving days usually at 7am (with prep time the day ahead) especially on weekends and often for many days in the busy season
  • Keeping notes, tweaking recipes, developing new dishes, optimizing procedures
  • Setting place settings, clearing tables, washing dishes, cleaning the kitchen, and removing the trash as needed
  • Offering Guest Care as necessary: meet & greet guests, tour the house, answer questions, give advice about local attractions

Send your resume to info@parsonageinn.org to apply.

Need a 2-Bedroom Furnished Suite in Grand Rapids?

We are pleased to now offer our third-floor bedrooms #5 and #6 together as a full featured two-bedroom suite. It’s perfect for extended stays, families, or couples travelling together. If helpful, we can add a twin bed trundle for an extra bed. It’s two floors up, but it’s a lovely and cozy getaway.

Room #5 has queen bed and a Delft-blue theme, along with a vanity, dresser, and coffee nook.

Room #6 features a four-poster queen bed and seating area with fireplace mantel.

The suite also includes a central living space with chairs, game table, and TV. Plus loads of board games to play!

The bathroom features a clawfoot tub with rainfall showerhead.

This is a great place for small groups to explore all the riches of Grand Rapids, from breweries and museums to colleges and the Meijer Gardens. Come and explore our Wealthy Street corridor of restaurants, shops, and cafes. Our third floor is a beautiful place to enjoy an invigorating city!

B&B Marriage Retreat, Feb 28-Mar 1, 2020

2020-02-28_SocialImageJoin Pastors Steven & Deb for 2 nights at their Grand Rapids B&B, gourmet breakfasts, and a Saturday seminar with picnic lunch!

The Parsonage Inn is hosting a marriage retreat Feb 28-Mar 1, 2020 (Friday night through Sunday morning) at our B&B in downtown Grand Rapids. Enjoy a fun weekend together as Pastors Steven and Deb Koster dig into scripture to show God’s design for igniting our marriages and share from their own joys and struggles. We’ll lead seasoned couples and newlyweds alike through a series of talks book-ended by two relaxing evenings in our Victorian Inn and surrounding neighborhood of boutiques. 

In a fun and relaxing atmosphere, we’ll explore reflective listening and the “10 Rules for Fair Fighting.”  Then we’ll launch into biblical principles that will help you appreciate each other physically, emotionally, and spiritually.  Great resources will be provided on communication, conflict, and intimacy to help you spend time together and stoke the Holy Spirit’s flame in your own relationships.

The fee ranges from $210 to $290, depending on the B&B room you choose. The fee includes two nights in the guest room of your choice, the seminars, breakfasts, and a picnic lunch.

To Register Online: 

  1. Go to our Booking Calendar:
  2. Set check in date for 2/28/2020 and check out for 3/01/2020 (2 nights)
  3. Click the +Special Rates button, add the promotional code “MARRIAGE”, and hit the Update button
  4. That should reveal the available rooms from which you can choose!

For more Information:

Tentative Schedule

Friday (Feb 28)

  • 4-6 PM B&B Check-in
  • Dinner on your own
  • 6:45 Mixer & Reception
  • 7:00 Welcome & Session 1
  • 8:00 Homework break–couples return to room or elsewhere to complete homework, then have evening to themselves

Saturday (Feb 29)

  • 8:30 Breakfast
  • 9:30 Session 2 Theology of marriage Cleave/Leave (45 minutes)
  • 10:15 Homework Break (45)
  • 11:00 Session 3 Conflict & Resolution (45)
  • 11:45 Lunch (picnic)  & Homework break (60)
  • 12:45 Session 4 Connecting (Emotional) (45)
  • 1:30 Homework break (30)
  • 2:00 Session 5 Connecting (Sexual, Spiritual) (45)
  • 2:45 Q&A
  • 3:00 Break for Homework, Recreation, and Date Night
  • Enjoy the evening on your own!

Sunday (Mar 1)

  • Breakfast seatings available at 8:30, 9:00, 9:30
  • Checkout 10:30

About the Leaders

Pastors Steven and Deb Koster are the parsons behind The Parsonage Inn, and have for decades had a heart for marriage and family ministry. Born and raised in West Michigan, They’ve lived in Boston and Chicago by way of prior careers in digital media and nursing. They are both graduates of Calvin Theological Seminary and serve as ordained ministers. Steven was formerly the Director of ReFrame Media, and currently directs the ministry of the Parsonage Inn, while Deb is the Senior Producer of the Family Fire project. Family Fire is a web and social media ministry that promotes God’s design for marriage and parenting. Offline, they offer live teaching events and retreats. Through all of these venues, their audience explores spiritual, emotional, and physical intimacy and how couples can live as members of a Spirit-fired family. The Kosters are the parents of three awesome young adults, who live in the Grand Rapids area.

Pure Michigan! (And we’re on TV!)

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For over a decade, the Pure Michigan campaign has made it clear how awesome we are.

Political Pawn

In 2019, Michigan’s new Governor Gretchen Whitmer used her line-item veto power to reshape the state budget as fashioned by the opposing party, and one of the casualties of that political fight is cutting the Pure Michigan budget, our $37 Million effort to bolster and promote Michigan as a place to visit, vacation, work, play, and move.

Since the Pure Michigan campaign directly benefits the tourism industry, hospitality groups across the state were concerned, including the Michigan Bed & Breakfast Association (we sent a letter to our leaders), Frederick Meijer Gardens,  Tourism Coalition of Michigan, and more.

Economic Engine

But it’s more than self-interest of just the tourist industry–the campaign creates jobs and generates taxes and reaches vast numbers of people on behalf of all Michiganders. We as a small business benefit from Pure Michigan, but our employees, neighbors, and fellow businesses all benefit too.

TV Stars!

So when the first round of negotiations failed to re-fund the Pure Michigan campaign, our local ABC affiliate WZZM 13 asked our opinion about the matter as a tourism micro-business, and we were happy to share our thoughts!

Deer Hunters’ Widows’ Special!

2019-10-30_DeerWidowsSpecialWouldn’t You Rather Go Antiquing?

Has deer hunting left you feeling like a widow? As if Football season wasn’t enough of a distraction, now it’s all about being in the woods in search of that great trophy. You could pick up a rifle and go sit in the mud at 5am just as a show of solidarity. Or you could do something you’ll enjoy much more.

Maybe it’s time for some antiquing! While he’s out in the woods, enjoy some delights in the city. Maybe a visit to Chasing Vanity Salon and Medi Spa and Art of the Table would be a great way to enjoy hunting season.

Within about a half-mile, there’s Rowster’s Cafe, The Wealthy St Bakery, Mokaya Chocolates, The Winchester Pub, Donkey Taqueria, Elk Brewing, and Zivio’s Mediterranean.

And of course, there are more shops, restaurants, theaters, and museums about a mile away downtown.

Book between Nov 14-30 with the code deer19 for a 10% discount!

Special Bonus: on the 15th, our friends at Lost & Found – Treasures of Old and NewCentury AntiquesWarehouse One Antiques are holding an evening sale, 6pm-12 midnight, with 20%-50% discounts! See their Facebook Event Page for more detail!

B&B Marriage Retreat, June 7-9, 2019

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Join us for 2 nights at our Grand Rapids B&B, gourmet breakfasts, and a Saturday seminar with picnic lunch, $199

The Parsonage Inn is hosting a marriage retreat this June 7-9, Friday night through Sunday morning, at our B&B. Enjoy a fun weekend together as Pastors Steven and Deb Koster dig into scripture to sho w God’s design for igniting our marriages and share from their own joys and struggles. They will lead seasoned couples and newlyweds alike through a series of talks book-ended by two relaxing evenings in their Victorian Inn.  

In a fun and relaxing atmosphere, we’ll explore reflective listening and the “10 Rules for Fair Fighting.”  Then we’ll launch into biblical principles that will help you appreciate each other physically, emotionally, and spiritually.  Great resources will be provided on communication, conflict, and intimacy to help you spend time together and stoke the Spirit’s flame in your own relationships.

The retreat will be held over two nights at the Parsonage Inn B&B on Madison Ave. The $199 fee includes two nights at the B&B, the seminars, breakfasts, and a picnic lunch.

To register or for more information
email
info@ParsonageInn.org
or call 616-481-4434.

 

Schedule

Friday (June 7)

  • 4-6 PM B&B Check-in
  • Dinner on your own
  • 6:45 Mixer & Reception
  • 7:00 Welcome & Session 1
  • 8:00 Homework break–couples return to room or elsewhere to complete homework, then have evening to themselves

Saturday (June 8)

  • 8:30 Breakfast
  • 9:30 Session 2 Theology of marriage Cleave/Leave (45 minutes)
  • 10:15 Homework Break (45)
  • 11:00 Session 3 Conflict & Resolution (45)
  • 11:45 Lunch (picnic)  & Homework break (60)
  • 12:45 Session 4 Connecting (Emotional) (45)
  • 1:30 Homework break (30)
  • 2:00 Session 5 Connecting (Sexual, Spiritual) (45)
  • 2:45 Q&A
  • 3:00 Break for Homework, Recreation, and Date Night
  • Enjoy the evening on your own!

Sunday (June 9)

  • Breakfast seatings available at 8:30, 9:00, 9:30
  • Checkout 10:30

About the Leaders

Pastors Steven and Deb Koster are the parsons behind The Parsonage Inn, and have for decades had a heart for marriage and family ministry. Born and raised in West Michigan, They’ve lived in Boston and Chicago by way of prior careers in digital media and nursing. They are both graduates of Calvin Theological Seminary and founders of the Parsonage Inn B&B. When they are not offering hospitality at their Inn, the Kosters both serve as ordained ministers with the media ministry of Back to God Ministries International. Steven directs all the domestic programming through ReFrame Media, while Deb focuses on the Family Fire project. Family Fire is a web and social media ministry that promotes God’s design for marriage and parenting. Offline, they offer live teaching events and retreats. Through all of these venues, their audience explores spiritual, emotional, and physical intimacy and how couples can live as members of a Spirit-fired family. The Kosters are the parents of three awesome young adults, who live in the Grand Rapids area.

The Parsonage Inn now offers 5 Rooms!

One year ago this week, we received our first formal guest to our B&B.

At first, we offered two rooms. Quickly we were busy enough that we opened a third on our second floor. And now, after a year of renting out our third floor as an separate apartment, we have remodeled it into our final two B&B rooms.

Originally the third floor was servants’ quarters, home to the women and children who made their living as housekeepers to the Corson and Sherwood families. From about 1950 to now, the third floor has been a two-bedroom apartment, accessible from a private side entrance. Renting out the third floor has been a source of income to the owners for many decades.

Now we have we have painted the entire floor and stairwell, remodeled the third-floor bathroom with new fixtures and a new floor, and furnished both third-floor bedrooms.

The guest quarters now feature a common living room, Room #5 (the “Delft Queen” room), Room #6 (the “Four-Poster Queen” room), and a shared claw-foot bathroom. Renting the two rooms together makes for a lovely two-bedroom suite out of the entire floor.

We are so grateful to all our guests, supporters, friends, family, and to God’s providence that we have come so far in a short time. We are deeply blessed.

Can’t wait to see what a second year of this will bring.

Book a Room Before they’re Gone!

Need a hotel for the Van Andel Arena?

 

Try a Classic B&B to Make it Worth it

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The Van Andel Arena showcases the biggest events in Grand Rapids, from the Grand Rapids Griffins hockey team to classic rock shows to latest and greatest Top 20 chartmakers. And it’s only a mile away from The Parsonage Inn!

Surrounded by restaurants and boutiques, the Arena is a fantastic spot to make memories and celebrate important occasions. Whether you need a lovely beverage from the Grand Rapids Brewing Company, desire the famous Crack Fries from HopCat, want to take your pick from a whole slate of restaurants at The B.O.B.,  explore the Spanish tapas menu of the San Chez Bistro, or wish to explore a dozen more culinary options, the Arena neighborhood has it all.

And what better way to make the most of it than to top off your visit with a stay in an elegant Bed and Breakfast rather than yet another hotel room.

Stay in Beautiful History

Our 1882 Queen Anne Victorian offers several bedrooms and gathering spaces, indoor and out, perfect for an outstanding getaway. Come as a couple or as a group! Enjoy a glass of wine on our wraparound porch, engage in conversation under our living room chandelier, or linger over weekend waffles in the dining room.

Many event-goers stay with us to maximize their journey, so don’t delay. The biggest events tend to fill up quickly!

 

Book a Room Before they’re Gone!

 

The Biggest Events are Within Walking Distance

In good weather, the Arena is a brief 1.1 mile walk, with numerous restaurants and breweries along the way.

Parking is readily available, either in surface parking behind the arena or in parking garages nearby.

Uber, Lyft, and taxi service are also readily available.

See Our Rooms or

Book a Room Before they’re Gone!

 

 

Retreat Centers in Grand Rapids

Most organizations, from churches to corporations, or even extended families, need to take time away somewhere. They need to go off-site and retreat from the daily demands in order to pay attention to bigger picture questions and relationship building.

But where can a group go to get overnight lodging in Grand Rapids that’s more than a sterile, vanilla hotel?

There are some places out in the country, like the Christian Reformed Conference Grounds or Camp Geneva on the lake shore, or maybe The Shack up in Jugville.

But what about here in Grand Rapids, close to the attractions of downtown and the Van Andel arena? That’s where a Bed & Breakfast becomes a great choice.

The Parsonage Inn bed and breakfast, for example, has a few rooms that could be rented as a block for a retreat, and our beautiful living room and other amenities would be all yours. Enjoy a bit of elegant history in our historic downtown neighborhood as you gather. You could not only sleep in one place, but have some hours to talk, play, and interact as a team in our grand home setting, and still be within walking distance of excellent restaurants, pubs, and breweries. It’s an excellent place for a team to come away and enjoy some time together.

And if we don’t have enough rooms to suit, our colleagues at the Leonard at Logan, just around the corner, as well as Peaches and the Lafayette House have more rooms available and similarly elegant and inviting amenities and decor. There should be plenty of space for all kinds of teams.

So for your next business retreat, off-site gathering, or family getaway, consider a bed & breakfast in the heart of downtown Grand Rapids.

 

I Need a Hotel in Grand Rapids!

There are many hotels in Grand Rapids. Most are for business. Or maybe landing spots for visiting nearby family or hitting a travelling sporting event.

One of our first customers was a man whose son was in the hospital around the corner from our Bed and Breakfast. We didn’t yet have beds built in all our rooms, so at first we referred him to one of the other B&Bs, like Peaches, The Leonard, or the Lafayette House. But it was ArtPrize week, and everyone was booked. So we said, give us an hour and we’ll cobble a room together. He spent two nights with us within easy walking distance to St Mary’s and his son.

The man who built our 1882 Bed & Breakfast once lived in the hotel that is now the Amway Grand Plaza hotel. From our pioneer days, Grand Rapids has needed housing for businessmen. Today there’s also the JW Marriot or City Flats hotel in the downtown core to offer luxury and trendy accommodations.

And no doubt, the chain motels abound in the suburbs and interchanges for those passing through efficiently. If you need a hotel in Grand Rapids, there are many corporate and conglomerate options.

But we are less hotel and more home. The Parsonage Inn is more a Victorian refuge in the heart of the city than a cookie-cutter room in a factory building. We live here in this house, so we hope it’s more like staying with your favorite relatives than counting the frequent flyer miles. Our furniture has stories, like the couch that survived the 1956 F5 tornado, or the 1939 grandparents’ honeymoon suite, or the $5 coffee table that kept our kids safe from hot pizza.

We too are a hotel in Grand Rapids, but as a bed and breakfast filled with stories, we are more home than hotel! We hope you’ll come for a visit!

-Steven Koster