Italy Court Rules Hotels Can Refuse to Serve Tap Water

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Rome: Italy's supreme court has ruled that hotels and restaurants are not legally required to give tap water to customers, putting an end to a years-long legal battle initiated by a tourist who was denied the request at a luxury hotel in the Dolomites.

The issue began in 2019, when a woman staying at a five-star hotel in the Corvara ski resort requested tap water repeatedly with her evening meals. Hotel staff refused it and provided bottled mineral water for €7 per bottle. The tourist later filed a complaint that access to water is a fundamental human right that should be considered a key element of hotel and restaurant service.

She claimed €2,700 in compensation for supposed financial loss and emotional pain, but the lower courts denied her claim. The argument eventually reached Italy's Court of Cassation, which confirmed previous findings and determined that no Italian law requires hotels or restaurants to provide clients with tap water.

The judgement has sparked debate in Italy about consumer rights and sustainability, where bottled water is still used in restaurants despite the fact that tap water is generally safe to drink. While some restaurants have begun to sell filtered tap water in response to environmental concerns, the court's decision confirms that the choice is still up to the individual businesses.