A Guest That Never Checked Out: $2.5 Million Bill for 67 Years in Paris
A travelling salesman, Jean Le Bon, lived in a Paris hotel for 67 years, turning a short stay into a lifetime residence.
In 1957, a travelling salesman named Jean Le Bon checked into the InterContinental Paris Le Grand in Paris, which at that time was still known as the Grand Hôtel de Paris. He expected to stay only for a short work trip. However, what was meant to be a brief visit turned into a remarkable 67-year stay.
Jean continued to live in the same hotel room for most of his life. The room was not the biggest or most luxurious, but it was comfortable for him. Slowly, the hotel became his permanent home. He ate his meals there, kept all his belongings there, and organised his daily routine according to the hotel’s schedule.
Over the decades, the world changed a lot. Technology advanced, society evolved, and many hotel employees came and went. But Jean remained. The staff grew very familiar with him, and new employees were often surprised to learn that he had already been living there for many years before they joined.
Because of his quiet and consistent lifestyle, Jean became part of the hotel’s everyday life. Staff members knew him by name, and many people saw him more as a resident than a guest. Some visitors even assumed he worked at the hotel because he appeared so comfortable and settled there.
Jean Le Bon continued living at the hotel until his death in 2024. By that time, his total bill was estimated to be more than $2.5 million, spent gradually over the years. This works out to roughly $37,000 per year, or just over $100 per day.
His stay is considered one of the longest continuous hotel residencies ever recorded. Today, Jean Le Bon is remembered as the guest who never checked out and whose life became closely connected to one room in a famous Paris hotel.
