The Peninsula, a luxurious restaurant and hotel nestled in the heart of Paris, recently found itself at the center of a controversy involving tennis superstar Serena Williams and her adorable daughter, Olympia. Williams took to X to express her outrage, claiming that she and her daughter were denied access to the restaurant despite it being empty. The incident has sparked a heated debate online, with many questioning the restaurant’s actions and calling for accountability.
The Peninsula, known for its exquisite cuisine and elegant ambiance, is a favorite dining spot for celebrities and high-profile guests. However, the restaurant faced backlash after Williams shared her experience on social media, alleging that she was turned away at the door.
In response to the controversy, The Peninsula issued a statement addressing the incident and clarifying things. This is what the Peninsula had to say about the unfortunate incident on X.
“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.”
Williams‘ fans were quick to rip the hotel for rejecting the tennis legend as one X user asked: ‘How does one get denied when they are Serena Williams…… lol’
‘Glad you didn’t have to waste money there,’ another fan pointed out.
‘You’re better off not going, their food is subpar — I’ve unfortunately had to pay for it quite a few times,’ someone else said.
‘It’s Serena Williams – you make a table for her!,’ a fourth commented.
It came after the tennis legend shared her annoyance following the treatment in a message that read: ‘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.’But not all social media users flocked to take the star’s side, with some people claiming her attitude was ‘entitled’ and ‘about privilege’.
One X user said: ‘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.”
Another chimed in: ‘I love the people in here saying she deserved special treatment and should have gotten a table in a place that was fully booked. Jesus Christ, talk about privilege, lol’.
One more added:’There is literally nothing more entitled than walking into @peninsulaparis during tourist and the Olympics, expecting a table to be ready for you’.
Now it’s all settled as the restaurant has apologized to the tennis superstar and clarified whatever was responsible for the unfortunate incident. Let the games begin!
Flip to the next page for Serena Williams’ tweet, the Peninsula’s response and reactions…
