A staff member at a five-star Paris hotel has claimed Serena Williams was “unrecognisable” after the tennis star claimed she and her children were refused entry to a rooftop restaurant.
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.
Sharing a photo from the hotel, she wrote alongside it: “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.”
The hotel responded in a post on X, saying the only unoccupied tables it saw belonged to its gourmet restaurant, L’Oiseau Blanc, which it said was fully booked.
A member of staff at the hotel’s rooftop restaurant, Maxime Mannevy, reportedly claimed Williams looked “unrecognisable”, according to his colleague who was working at the time.
Serena Williams claimed she and her children were denied access to a rooftop restaurant at the Peninsula Hotel in Paris (the tennis star is pictured with her daughter Olympia and husband Alexis)
Hotel staff reportedly claimed Williams looked “unrecognisable”, while the hotel also responded in defence in a social media post.
The Peninsula Hotel said its rooftop bar was fully booked and the only unoccupied tables in its gourmet restaurant were fully booked.
She said Variety: ‘When he arrived there were only two tables available and they had been reserved by hotel guests.
“My colleague didn’t recognise her and feels terrible, but he told her what he would have told any other customer – to wait downstairs at the bar until a table was free. It wasn’t personal at all.”
In its response on X, the restaurant said: ‘Dear Ms Williams, Please accept our sincere apologies for the disappointment you experienced this evening.
‘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.
‘Please accept our sincere apologies for the disappointment you have experienced this evening… it has always been an honour for us to welcome you and it will always be so again. 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 been involved in several sports at the Paris Olympics and is pictured with her daughter Olympia as they arrived for the women’s artistic gymnastics team final last week.
“It’s Serena Williams. Make her a table!” commented a fourth.
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.”
Some fans supported Williams on social media, while others criticized the former tennis star.
Williams (right) took part in the opening ceremony while sharing a boat with Rafael Nadal, Carl Lewis and Nadia Comaneci.
Another added: ‘There is literally nothing more legit than walking into @peninsulaParis during tourist events and the Olympics, expecting a table to be ready for you.’
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 taking part in the Games’ opening ceremony on July 26, as she shared a boat with other legendary sports stars including Rafael Nadal, Carl Lewis and Nadia Comaneci.
Williams, who retired from tennis in 2022, has four Olympic gold medals to her name, including in both singles and doubles at London 2012.