Serena Williams calls out 5-star Paris hotel for denying family access to rooftop

Following Serena Williams’ post, many fans accused the hotel of racism.

Serena Williams criticized a Parisian hotel for refusing her and her family entry to its rooftop restaurant.

“Yikes @peninsulaparis,” she wrote on X Monday. “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. You’re Really Gonna Reject Me?!?!”

Courtesy: Serena Williams/X

The 42-year-old tennis champion also shared a photo of The Peninsula’s sign along with her message.

Following her post, many fans accused the hotel of racism.

“You should claim racism and get someone fired,” one person wrote, while another noted, “It doesn’t matter how much money you have. Racism doesn’t care bro 🤣.”

However, not everyone was Williams’ side, with some accusing her of acting like an entitled “celebrity.”

“BREAKING NEWS: Celebrity told ‘no,’” one user commented, while another wrote, “I’m a celebrity, kick a regular person out so I can eat.”

A few hours later, the hotel responded with a comment, stating that they were indeed fully booked despite how it appeared.

“Dear Mrs. Williams,” they wrote in response. “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 is in Paris for the 2024 Olympic Games, accompanied by her husband, Alexis Ohanian, and their daughters, Olympia, 6, and Adira, 1.

The former athlete took part in the opening ceremony’s torch relay.

The 23-time Grand Slam champion, who retired from professional tennis in 2022, appeared alongside other famous sports figures, such as Rafael Nadal, Carl Lewis, and Nadia Comaneci.