Serena Williams has criticised a five-star hotel in Paris for denying her family access to a rooftop restaurant 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, sharing her annoyance at the way her visit unfolded.
“Wow!” Williams wrote. “@peninsulaparis I was denied access to the rooftop to eat at a restaurant empty of nicer places, but never with my kids. Always a first.”
Williams also shared a snapshot of the hotel’s sign, so her followers could know which establishment she was talking about.
The Peninsula Hotel later expressed regret for turning Williams away, sharing on X: ‘Dear Ms. Williams, Please accept our sincerest apologies for the disappointment you encountered this evening.
Serena Williams and her daughter, Olympia, were denied access to their hotel in Paris on Monday
The five-star Paris Peninsula hotel later apologised to the tennis legend on social media.
‘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.
‘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.
Williams has attended several Olympic events with her six-year-old daughter, Olympia, and her family in Paris.
Williams has been a regular sight at the Olympics since she took part in the opening ceremony.
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.