Serena Williams says she was ‘denied access’ to Paris hotel eatery, hotel says it was fully booked

In France for the Olympics, the tennis icon blasted the luxury hotel’s restaurant for turning her away.

A luxury hotel in Paris said it was all booked up after tennis star Serena Williams publicly criticized it for refusing service to her and her kids during the Olympics.

On Monday, she shared a photo of the Peninsula Hotel with a caption describing her experience.

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“Yikes @peninsulaparis I’ve been denied access to rooftop to eat in an empty restaurant of nicer places but never with my kids,” Williams wrote. “Always a first. #Olympic2024.”

The restaurant was quick to respond with an apology and an explanation, saying the rooftop was “indeed fully booked.”

“Dear Mrs. Williams, Please accept our deepest apologies for the disappointment you encountered tonight,” the hotel said in a reply to Williams’ post. “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.”

In a follow-up post, the hotel added, “We have always been honored to welcome you and will always be to welcome you again.”

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