Staff at five-star Paris hotel admit they failed to recognise Serena Williams after she claimed the venue turned her and her children away from their rooftop restaurant

A staff member at a five-star hotel in Paris claimed Serena Williams was “unrecognisable” after the tennis star claimed she and her children were denied access to a rooftop restaurant.

The 23-time Grand Slam champion went to X to publicly complain about the treatment she received at The Peninsula Hotel on Monday, expressing her annoyance at the way her visit had gone.

She shared a photo of the hotel and wrote: ‘Ouch. @peninsulaparis I have not been allowed to go to the rooftop to eat in an empty restaurant or a better place but never with my kids. Always a first.’

The hotel responded to X in a message claiming that the only free tables she saw were at their fine dining restaurant, L’Oiseau Blanc, which they said was fully booked.

A staff member at the hotel’s rooftop restaurant, Maxime Mannevy, reportedly claimed that Williams looked “unrecognizable,” according to her colleague who was working at the time.

Serena Williams claimed she and her children were denied access to a rooftop restaurant at the Peninsula Hotel in Paris (the tennis star is pictured with daughter Olympia and husband Alexis)

According to reports, hotel staff claimed Williams looked ‘unrecognisable’, with the hotel also responding in a social media post in her defence

The Peninsula Hotel claimed that their rooftop bar was fully booked and that the only free tables in their fine dining restaurant were fully booked

She said Variety: ‘When she arrived, there were only two tables available and they were reserved by hotel guests.

‘My colleague didn’t recognise her and felt terrible, but he told her what he would have told any other customer, which was to wait downstairs in the bar until a table became available. It was absolutely nothing personal.’

The restaurant responded to X as follows: ‘Dear Ms. Williams, We sincerely apologize for the disappointment you experienced this evening.

Unfortunately, our rooftop bar was indeed fully booked and the only free tables you saw were those of our gastronomic restaurant, L’Oiseau Blanc, which was completely reserved.

‘Please accept our deepest apologies for the disappointment you experienced this evening… we have always considered it an honor to welcome you and will always consider it an honor to welcome you back. The Peninsula Paris.’

Williams fans were quick to criticize the hotel for turning down the tennis legend. One X user asked: “How can someone be turned down when they’re Serena Williams… lol”

“Good thing you didn’t have to waste money on that,” another fan commented.

‘You better not go there, the food is substandard. Unfortunately I’ve had to pay for it a few times,’ said someone else.

Williams competed in several sports at the Paris Olympics and is pictured with her daughter Olympia as they arrived for the women’s artistic gymnastics team final last week.

“It’s Serena Williams, get her a table ready!” a fourth commented.

But not all social media users were on the star’s side, with some calling her stance “entitled” and “privileged.”

An X user said: ‘Wait, are we really telling this place that they should have figured it out themselves because she’s a celebrity? No. If they’re booked, they’re booked and they’re damn right to be mad that they didn’t figure it out because “I’m special.”

Another chimed in: ‘I love that people here are saying she deserved special treatment and should have gotten a table at a restaurant that was fully booked. Jesus Christ, what a privilege, lol’.

Some fans supported Williams on social media, while others criticized the former tennis star

Williams (right) was part of the opening ceremony when she shared a boat with Rafael Nadal, Carl Lewis and Nadia Comaneci

Someone else said: ‘There is literally nothing more privileged than walking into @peninsulaparis during the tourist and Olympics and expecting a table to be ready for you’.

Williams competed in various Olympic disciplines in Paris with her six-year-old daughter Olympia and her family.

She was also one of many famous names in attendance at the Games’ opening ceremony on July 26, sharing a boat with other legendary sports stars including Rafael Nadal, Carl Lewis and Nadia Comaneci.

Williams, who retired from tennis in 2022, has won four Olympic gold medals, including in singles and doubles at the 2012 Games in London.