Behind the scenesSarah Lippmann and the bespoke Clefs d'Or service
The Clefs d’Or concierge is dedicated to the care of her guests, with the aim of creating the best possible memories. There’s almost nothing this genie of the custom experience can’t conjure up when asked.
AN AMBASSADOR FOR THE PARISIAN EXPERIENCE
The intertwined golden keys on her lapels mark out Sarah Lippmann as a qualified Clefs d’Or (Golden Keys) concierge. She and her team are attentive to all client requests, priding themselves on personalized service. The aim is to take charge of each guest’s visit from before they arrive, and ensure that everything runs to plan once there: listening, advising, improvising, and using their initiative. From countless little everyday details to the most adventurous requests, Sarah and her team orchestrate everything down to the last detail.
Each team member is committed to making guests’ time at the Ritz Paris feel fully personalized to them. Enchantment comes as standard, and surprises are a specialty. Behind-the-scenes access at the Opera’s costume studios; hunting down tickets for a sold-out show; hiring part of a cultural landmark to surprise a loved one; arranging private access to parts of the Louvre Museum or the Palace of Versailles. A helicopter straight to the garden of a Renaissance castle for a private tour? If you can dream it, it can be arranged.
THE GOLDEN KEYS TO THE CITY OF LIGHT
Literature and languages graduate Sarah Lippmann started as a concierge in the luxury hotels of Brussels, receiving her first Clefs d’Or accreditation at the age of just 25. The Clefs d’Or association recognizes the world’s best concierges for the excellence of their work, inviting them to share their knowledge and contacts in a spirit of service and friendship.
The most precious asset of a Clefs d’Or concierge is their address book, so this network is invaluable. As a true ambassador for the city they know inside and out, the concierge forges special relationships with agencies and private guides. For their guests, this is a unique opportunity to discover hidden gems and gain behind-the-scenes access to exceptional places.
People come to us for our knowledge of the city and its culture. Architecture, gastronomy, exhibitions… it’s a living body of knowledge that’s always changing, always vibrant, and never less than fascinating.
Sarah Lippmann, Clefs d’Or concierge
IN CONVERSATION WITH SARAH LIPPMANN
Customized experiences designed around our guests
What doors can Clefs d'Or members unlock that others can't?
The international network shares exclusive insights, sometimes alerting members to reservations that are otherwise unavailable. The annual conference is held in a different city each year; it's a chance to meet concierges from all over the world and discover new local torism professionals and restaurateurs, as well as previews of upcoming exhibitions...
What is your precise role at the Ritz Paris?
The concierge team organizes the culinary, cultural, and logistical aspects of all external activities for hotel guests. This could cover a shopping appointment at a fashion house, a guided tour of a museum or neighborhood, a private cruise on the Seine, a workshop where you create your own perfume, a birthday celebration…
What qualities are required for a career as a concierge?
A broad general knowledge, excellent English skills, and an intimacy with your city's landmarks, museums, neighborhoods, and architecture. We need to keep up with what’s happening in Paris: the latest exhibitions, new restaurant openings. You have to anticipate every detail to ensure everything runs smoothly, and be extremely responsive. You also need a talent for reassurance, as you guide people through an unfamiliar city.
It sounds as though listening is at the heart of your profession…
Absolutely. Showing empathy, being tactful, and maintaining confidentiality. It’s very important to let our clients speak so we can understand and bring their dreams to life. Some are certainly not short on imagination!
What’s the main thing you hope to offer your guests?
First and foremost, satisfaction. Next, saving them time, just as a personal assistant would. Finally, to inspire wonder, create surprises, and set the imagination free. If a customer likes a particular artist, we might buy them the exhibition book. For a devotee of a TV series, a guide can lead a tour of the filming locations.
So you offer fully customized experiences?
Yes, our experiences are always tailored to our guests’ requests. For example, for one client’s daughter we organized an exclusive class with a dancer from the Opéra. We might arrange an Impressionist-themed tour for a Monet enthusiast, or a lesson at Roland-Garros for a tennis fan. We can take children to the Musée d’Orsay to paint, then maybe to Giverny to end the day...
Describe the event that most sticks out in your mind.
Booking out an entire Parisian theater for a marriage proposal! We had to make it look like a play called “The Love of My Life.” We created a fake poster, fake tickets, hired extras… and even designed an entire set decorated with roses and a grand piano. When the curtain opened, our client sang a song for his future wife and invited her onto the stage. Then there was a private dinner, a party… it was fabulous!
SARAH LIPPMANN
CONCIERGE CLEFS D’OR
PARIS, YOUR WAY
A fresh take on the wonders of Paris
“Impossible” is not in the Ritz Paris vocabulary. Our guests come to 15 Place Vendôme to create lifelong memories, so the concierge's most important asset is the ability to open the door to once-in-a-lifetime adventures not available to the general public.
RITZ PARIS
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