André Soltner was born on 20 November 1932 in Thann, Haut-Rhin, France. He was married to Simone . He died on 18 January 2025 in Charlottesville, Virginia, USA.
At 14, he began a three-year apprenticeship at the Hotel du Parc in Thann, followed by further training at hotel restaurants in the Normandy region and in Switzerland.