The Peninsula Hotel in Paris has responded to the controversy sparked by tennis legend Serena Williams, who alleged that the swanky rooftop restaurant refused her and her family service despite the venue appearing empty. The restaurant’s clarifications come after Williams aired her grievances on social media, igniting a firestorm of public debate.

Williams, a 23-time Grand Slam champion, took to X (formerly Twitter) earlier this week to express her frustration. The athlete shared a photo of the restaurant’s sign and tweeted: “Yikes. @peninsulaparis I’ve been denied access to rooftop to eat in an empty restaurant of nicer places but never with my kids. Always a first.”

The tweet quickly gained traction, with many rallying to Williams’ side. The backlash against The Peninsula was swift, with numerous supporters expressing outrage over the perceived snub.

In response to the uproar, The Peninsula Hotel issued a detailed rebuttal. The establishment clarified that Williams’ family had not been turned away due to any personal bias but rather because the rooftop bar was fully booked. “Dear Mrs. Williams, Please accept our deepest apologies for the disappointment you encountered tonight,” read the hotel’s initial statement. “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.”

The hotel also emphasized that they hold Williams in high regard, stating, “We have always been honored to welcome you and will always be to welcome you again. The Peninsula Paris.”

To further clarify, a “context” tag was added to Williams’ tweet, noting: “Serena Williams was not denied a table. The restaurant was fully booked and she was advised that was the case.” This was supported by a link to a PEOPLE article that covered the incident.

The Peninsula’s statement to TODAY echoed these sentiments: “In response to Mrs. Williams’ tweet, for whom we have the utmost admiration and respect, as we do for all our esteemed guests; we can only reiterate our deepest apologies for her perception of tonight’s situation. The rooftop bar was fully booked, and the only available tables were in L’Oiseau Blanc, which was also fully reserved.”

An employee from Peninsula’s L’Oiseau Blanc, Maxime Mannevy, provided further context to Variety. Mannevy explained that the staff member involved did not recognize Williams and followed the same protocol applied to any other guest. “When she came there were only two tables available, and they had been reserved by clients of the hotel,” Mannevy said. “My colleague didn’t recognize her and feels terrible, but he told her what he would have told any other client, which is to wait downstairs in the bar for a table to become available. That was absolutely nothing personal.”

As of now, Serena Williams has not commented further on the hotel’s response. The incident highlights not just the pressures and challenges of high-profile public figures but also the complexities that can arise in luxury hospitality. As the story unfolds, it remains to be seen how this controversy will impact public perception of both Williams and The Peninsula Hotel.