An employee at a luxury hotel in Paris claimed that Serena Williams appeared ‘unrecognizable,’ after the tennis champion stated that she and her children were denied entry to a rooftop restaurant.
The 23-time Grand Slam champion took to X to voice her frustration regarding the experience she encountered at The Peninsula Hotel on Monday, expressing her discontent about how her visit unfolded.
Posting a photo of the hotel, she captioned it: ‘Yikes. @peninsulaparis I’ve been refused access to the rooftop to dine in an empty restaurant, but never with my kids. There’s always a first time.’
The hotel responded on X, stating that the only vacant tables she observed were at their gourmet restaurant, L’Oiseau Blanc, which was reportedly fully booked.
A staff member from the rooftop restaurant, Maxime Mannevy, allegedly mentioned that Williams appeared ‘unrecognizable,’ according to a colleague who was on duty at the time.
Serena Williams claimed she and her kids were denied access to a rooftop restaurant at the Peninsula Hotel in Paris (the tennis star pictured with daughter Olympia and husband Alexis)
Staff at the hotel reportedly claimed Williams looked ‘unrecognisable’ while the hotel has also responded in defence in a message on social media
The Peninsula Hotel claimed their rooftop bar was fully booked and the only unoccupied tables at their gourmet restaurant were fully reserved
She explained to Variety: ‘When she arrived, only two tables were available, and they had been reserved by hotel clients.’
‘My colleague didn’t recognize her and feels terrible, but he informed her as he would any other guest that she needed to wait downstairs at the bar for a table to open up. It was nothing personal.’
The restaurant’s response on X read: ‘Dear Mrs. Williams, We sincerely apologize for the disappointment you faced this evening.’
‘Unfortunately, our rooftop bar was indeed fully booked, and the only vacant tables you noticed belonged to our gourmet restaurant, L’Oiseau Blanc, which was fully booked.’
‘We extend our deepest apologies for the disappointment you faced tonight… we have always cherished welcoming you and will continue to do so in the future. The Peninsula Paris.’
Fans of Williams quickly criticized the hotel for turning away the tennis icon, with one X user asking: ‘How can someone be denied entry when they are Serena Williams… lol’
‘Glad you didn’t spend your money there,’ another fan commented.
‘You’re better off not dining there; their food is below average — I’ve had to pay for it several times,’ remarked someone else.
Williams has attended several sports at the Paris Olympics, and is pictured with her daughter Olympia as they arrived for the artistic gymnastic women’s team final last week
‘It’s Serena Williams – surely, they make a table for her!,’ a fourth commenter remarked.
However, not all social media users supported the star; some labeled her attitude as ‘entitled’ and indicative of ‘privilege.’
One X user stated: ‘Wait, are we really suggesting this establishment should have known who she was? No. If they’re fully booked, that’s it, and it’s highly entitled to expect them to manage it differently just because “I’m special.”
Another added: ‘I love the users here arguing she deserved special treatment and should have been accommodated in a fully booked venue. Seriously, talk about privilege, lol.’
Some fans supported Williams on social media, though others criticised the former tennis star
Williams (right) was part of the opening ceremony as she shared a boat with Rafael Nadal, Carl Lewis and Nadia Comaneci
One user commented: ‘There’s truly nothing more privileged than arriving at @peninsulaparis during peak tourist season and the Olympics, expecting a table to be instantly available.’
Williams has been seen enjoying various Olympic events with her six-year-old daughter, Olympia, and her family while in Paris.
She also featured in the Games’ opening ceremony on July 26, sharing a boat with other sports legends, including Rafael Nadal, Carl Lewis, and Nadia Comaneci.
Since retiring from tennis in 2022, Williams has won four Olympic gold medals, including in both singles and doubles at the 2012 London Games.
