A five-star restaurant in Paris has hit back at Serena Williams after she claimed she and her daughter were refused entry despite it being completely empty.
The 23-time Grand Slam winner took to X to publicly complain about the treatment she received at The Peninsula Hotel on Monday after being “denied access to the rooftop for meals.”
After posting a snapshot of the luxurious establishment along with her complaint, the restaurant responded just two hours later on X in response to the complaint.
“Dear Ms. Williams, Please accept our sincere apologies for the disappointment you experienced this evening,” the Peninsula team wrote.
‘Unfortunately, our rooftop bar was fully booked and the only unoccupied tables you saw belonged to our gourmet restaurant, L’Oiseau Blanc, which was fully booked.
Serena Williams and her daughter Olympia were denied access to their hotel in Paris on Monday. Pictured: Serena Williams, Alexis Ohanian and daughter Adira River attend the opening ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games at the Trocadero on July 26, 2024
The Peninsula Hotel apologized to the tennis star just two hours after she posted her complaint on X. Pictured: General view of the dining room during the Amfar Gala at the Peninsula Hotel in Paris on June 30, 2019
The five-star Paris Peninsula hotel said it had already booked all its rooms at the time.
‘It has always been an honour for us to welcome you and it will always be an honour to welcome you back to The Peninsula Paris.’
Williams fans were quick to slam the hotel for turning away the tennis legend as one X user asked: “How can they deny someone entry when its Serena Williams… lol?”
“I’m glad you didn’t have to spend money there,” another fan noted.
“You’re better off not going there, the food is of poor quality. Unfortunately, I’ve had to pay for it quite a few times,” said another person.
“It’s Serena Williams. Make her a table!” commented a fourth.
The tennis legend shared her anger at her treatment in a post which read: “Wow @peninsulaparis I was denied access to the rooftop to eat in a restaurant empty of nicer places but never with my kids. Always a first.”
But not all social media users sided with the star, with some people claiming her attitude was “entitled” and “privileged.”
One X user said: ‘Wait, are we actually telling this place that because she’s a celebrity, they should have figured it out? No. If they’re secretive, they’re secretive and it’s totally logical to be upset that they didn’t figure it out because “I’m special.”‘
Another chimed in: “I love that people here are saying she deserved special treatment and should have gotten a table at a place that was packed. OMG what a privilege lol.”
Another added: ‘There is literally nothing more legit than walking into @peninsulaParis in the middle of tourism and the Olympics, expecting a table to be ready for you.’
Fans flocked to support the star while others claimed she was being “privileged.”
Pictured: Serena Williams and daughter Olympia Ohanian attend the Women’s Artistic Gymnastics Team Final during day four of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games at the Paris Arena on July 30, 2024.
Williams has attended several Olympic events with her six-year-old daughter, Olympia, and her family in Paris.
She was also among several high-profile names who took part in the Games’ opening ceremony on July 26, as she shared a boat with Rafael Nadal, Carl Lewis and Nadia Comaneci.
Williams described the ceremony as “unforgettable.”
“I participated in an incredible opening ceremony of the Paris Olympics and I traveled by boat in the rain, and it was pouring! So much so that my eyelashes fell out,” she joked on X.
In addition to her Grand Slam victories, Williams has four Olympic gold medals to her name, including in both singles and doubles at London 2012.