A five-star restaurant has responded to Serena Williams after she claimed she and her daughter were refused entry from the establishment during her stay in Paris for the 2024 Olympic Games—and the exchange has resulted in a debate online.
On Monday, August 5, the tennis star voiced her frustration on X (formerly Twitter), writing, "Yikes @peninsulaparis I've been denied access to rooftop to eat in an empty restaurant of nicer places 🫠but never with my kids. Always a first. 🙄 #Olympic2024."
The 23-time Grand Slam winner posted a photo of the hotel's sign alongside her message. Her post drew significant attention, with fans quickly commenting their disapproval and some accusing the hotel of racial discrimination. However, not everyone supported the four-time Olympic gold medalist, with some suggesting she expected special treatment.
Now the restaurant has responded, claiming the rooftop bar and restaurant were indeed fully booked.
Newsweek emailed spokespeople for Williams and The Peninsula Paris for comment on Tuesday.
"Dear Mrs. Williams, Please accept our deepest apologies for the disappointment you encountered tonight," a post from The Peninsula Paris X account reads.
"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."
They added: "We have always been honored to welcome you and will always be to welcome you again. The Peninsula Paris."
The restaurant's response has resulted in people continuing to debate about the situation in the comments.
Some theorized that the restaurant was lying and others criticized staff for not making room for the tennis star.
"The restaurant could be lying though. It is possible that they are just trying to save face after treating her poorly. If they showed poor hospitality, I doubt they would admit to it," one person wrote.
"We don't believe you especially if that sentiment wasn't relayed at the time of the incident. Exceptional people deserve exceptional service even in less than exceptional places such as The Peninsula Paris," said another.
A third person added: "It's Serena Williams - you make a table for her!"
"How come yall didn't say that when she was still there?" someone else questioned.
However, others slammed Williams for being "entitled," with one person writing: "There is literally nothing more entitled than walking into @peninsulaparis during tourist and the Olympics, expecting a table to be ready for you."
"Wait are we really telling this place that because she's a celebrity they should have figured it out? No. If they're booked, they're booked and it's entitled as heck to be upset that they didn't figure it out because 'I'm special,'" a different X user wrote.
"Dear Peninsula Paris, You did not have to do this but thank you for keeping regular customers' reservations instead of caving in to an entitled celebrity's grifting complaint on social media. She should have made a reservation like everyone else," said another.
Williams, who retired from professional tennis in 2022, is in Paris by her husband Alexis Ohanian and their daughters Olympia, 6, and Adira, 1.
On July 26, she shared a boat alongside Rafael Nadal, Carl Lewis, and Nadia Comaneci, when she participated in the Games' opening ceremony.
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