Jean-Luc Jean: Lutétia’s keymaster
The head concierge of the legendary Left Bank palace, who joined as a Groom in 1970, is a veritable institution within the establishment. Interview.
He’s a local and a man in a hurry. Finding a slot for an interview is already a miracle, as the man is constantly in demand. From the outset, he is affable and open when asked about the hotel. For Jean-Luc Jean, the Lutétia is first and foremost: “a family spirit” to which he is very attached. He loves his job, and after so many years here, he swears he’s never tired of it. When you meet him, you quickly feel like a kid eager for anecdotes and secrets, and we weren’t disappointed.
When asked what the qualities of a good concierge are, he tells us “to know your house well, to know your neighborhood well and to know your town well”.
His life is also made up of encounters. Heads of state are part of my daily life, and I’m part of theirs”, he says. He does, however, regret asking Romanian dictator Ceausescu for his autograph.
For many years president of the concierge association “les clefs d’or”, Jean Luc Jean has built up a network over the years. A network that can enable him to reserve a table at the famous “Jules Verne” restaurant overnight for a customer with a three-month waiting list. His most extravagant requests include “delivering 82 Poilane tarts…to California”.
Then comes the time for more intimate confessions, when he talks about his friendship with the sculptor César, “he was my buddy” he says! He rubbed shoulders with the artist for several years and remains deeply impressed.
40 years of showbiz pass by as he shows us his notebooks filled with autographs and drawings of celebrities: Neil Armstrong, Juliette Gréco, Richard Bohringer, Isabelle Huppert… The concierge also confesses to having fulfilled “a childhood dream” by meeting Mick Jagger. Jean-Luc Jean also has a great deal of affection for Pierre Bergé, who lived here for 12 years.
Jean-Luc Jean is an enthusiast and the living memory of this exceptional hotel.
Julien Tissot
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Cette publication est également disponible en : Français (French)
