As a mega-celebrity, Serena Williams is used to having her desires met with ease. However, it seems she encountered a situation where that wasn’t the case.
Recently, while in Paris for the Olympic Games, where she participated in the opening ceremony as a torchbearer, Serena and her family decided to dine at a high-end restaurant.
The evening didn’t go as planned, and Serena took to Twitter to share her experience. It appears that the Peninsula Hotel in Paris was not very welcoming.
“Yikes @peninsulaparis I’ve been denied access to rooftop to eat in a empty restaurant of nicer places…but never with my kids,” she said. “Always a first.”
Her tweet sparked a lot of discussion among fans, who were puzzled as to how someone with her level of fame could be turned away.
Since her post, the restaurant has responded on Twitter: “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.”
“We have always been honored to welcome you and will always be to welcome you again.”
A representative has since expressed their deep admiration and respect for Williams, and they have apologized sincerely for how she perceived the incident.
That comment read: “The booked, and the only unoccupied tables at that time belonged to our gourmet restaurant, L’Oiseau Blanc, which was also fully reserved tonight.”
“She has always been, and will always be, more than welcome with her family at The Peninsula.”