A luxury Parisian hotel was forced to apologize to Serena Williams and her family after the retired American tennis player was reportedly denied entry to the hotel’s rooftop restaurant.
“Yikes @peninsulaparis I’ve been denied access to rooftop to eat in a empty restaurant of nicer places but never with my kids. Always a first,” Williams wrote on X Monday.
Williams, 42, has been in Paris with her husband Alexis Ohanian, and their two daughters Olympia, 6, and Adira, 10 months, since the start of the 2024 Olympics.
Following more than a week of games, Williams attempted to dine at the rooftop restaurant of the Peninsula Paris, a five-star hotel whose restaurant offers a view of the Eiffel Tower.
As many fans reached out to show their support, so did the Peninsula Paris.
“Dear Mrs. Williams, Please accept our deepest apologies for the disappointment you encountered tonight. Unfortunately, our rooftop bar was indeed fully booked and the only unoccupied tables you saw belonged to our gourmet restaurant, L’Oiseau Blanc, which was fully reserved,” the hotel’s response read.
“We have always been honored to welcome you and will always be to welcome you again,” they concluded.
Although Williams has yet to reply, many are unsure how to take the hotel’s response. Some insisted “you make a table for her!” while others believed “she owes your team the apology.”
