After it was claimed that former American tennis player Serena Williams was refused access to the hotel’s rooftop restaurant, a posh Parisian hotel was compelled to issue an apology to Williams and her family.
“Hell no, @peninsulaparis Nicer restaurants have denied me access to their rooftops to eat, but never with my kids.” X Monday, Williams wrote, “Always a first.”
Since the 2024 Olympics began, Williams, 42, and her spouse Alexis Ohanian, along with their two children Olympia, 6, and Adira, 10 months, have been living in Paris.
The four-time gold medallist at the Olympics participated in the torch relay this year, which carried the torch from the Seine to the Olympic Cauldron. Nadia Comăneci, Carl Lewis, and Rafael Nadal joined her throughout her section.
Williams tried to eat at the rooftop restaurant of the Peninsula Paris, a five-star hotel with a view of the Eiffel Tower, after more than a week of games.
Williams, however, stated that despite what she described as a “empty restaurant,” she and her family were refused admission when they arrived.
The Peninsula Paris extended their support to as many fans as possible.
“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.”
