Paris Restaurant Apologizes to Serena Williams, Citing Full Booking

A luxury hotel in Paris has issued an apology to tennis legend Serena Williams after she shared on social media that she and her family were turned away from its restaurant on Monday. Williams’ post quickly garnered significant attention.

“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,” Williams expressed on X (formerly Twitter).

The Peninsula Paris, a five-star establishment known for its gourmet restaurant with views of the Eiffel Tower, responded promptly: “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.”

A follow-up message from the hotel read: “We have always been honored to welcome you and will always be honored to welcome you again.”

The social media post from Williams, who was one of the torchbearers during the Paris Games’ opening ceremony, reached over 4 million viewers. Reactions to her post were mixed. Some supported Williams, stating it was unacceptable not to accommodate her, while others believed that even celebrities do not have special rights to a fully booked venue.

Reflecting on the Games’ opening ceremony, Williams shared a positive note on X: “Have you ever had an unforgettable moment? That was yesterday for me. Truly unforgettable. From being part of an amazing Opening Ceremony at the Paris Olympics – to riding in the boat in the rain – and it was pouring! So much so my lashes came right on off. Unforgettable!”