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You think of the grand hotels of Paris, you think of the Crillon and the Ritz, Le Meurice and the George V. All of them on the Right Bank. On the Left Bank, amid the chic cafés and boutiques of Saint Germain-des-Pres, stands Hotel Lutetia. Built to serve the clientele of Le Bon Marché (which since the mid-1800s has billed itself as the world’s first department store), the property counts Antoine de Saint-Exupéry and Matisse among its former regulars. Josephine Baker performed there. Charles de Gaulle honeymooned there.
Nowadays, it’s part of the Concorde Hotels (and in fact a sister property to the Crillon). But if, in recent years, Hotel Lutetia has been cast in the shadows of its illustrious neighbors on the other side of the Seine, it’s got plenty to shout about these days. This year, the Belle Epoque hotel is celebrating its 100th birthday. And to give the centenary an extra jingle, guests are given a 100 Euro voucher to spend anywhere on property.
Though the area is now prohibitively posh for aspiring bohemians (Ralph Lauren’s new 13,000-square-foot flagship store is an eight-minute walk away), Hotel Lutetia is reveling in its artsy heritage. Its four Rotonde Suites in the corners of the building have been transformed into photo galleries — this is the real thing, with four contemporary photographers from four continents, in partnership with Maison Européenne de la Photographie.
A longtime jazz venue, the hotel is also hosting jazz brunches (its piano bar is pretty much the heart and soul of the hotel and a dedicated venue for serious jazz lovers). And, in keeping with its literary spirit — if you were a Parisian poet in the Thirties, the Lutetia would have been your regular rendezvous spot — the hotel has launched a centennial series of readings and workshops.
If that’s not enough to celebrate with, you can bust open the bubbly instead: Taittinger has produced a custom vintage for the hotel.
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