Paris restaurant apologises to Serena Williams

Williams was both disappointed and shocked by the incident as she wrote, “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. #Olympic2024,” on X, formerly Twitter.

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However, the restaurant is now apologising to the 23-time Grand Slam winner, explaining why the staffers turned her down. “Dear Mrs. Williams, Please accept our deepest apologies for the disappointment you encountered tonight,” the Peninsula Paris said in a statement shared on X.

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“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 statement continued. In a separate tweet, the luxury hotel added, “We have always been honored to welcome you and will always be to welcome you again. The Peninsula Paris.”

As Williams’ tweet went viral, her fans flocked to social media to extend their support. “How does one get denied when they are Serena Williams…… lol,” queried an X user. A second user said, “You’re better off not going, their food is subpar — I’ve unfortunately had to pay for it quite a few times.” “Who doesn’t make room for a queen?” said another.

Yet another infuriated fan said, “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.”