Hotels in Italy can refuse to serve tap water, top court rules

Italian hotels are not legally required to provide free tap water to guests, the country’s top court has ruled after a tourist sued a luxury Dolomites resort for refusing to serve it during meals.

As reported by Reuters, the case involved the five-star Hotel Sassongher in Corvara, where a guest staying over the 2020 New Year holidays was denied tap water and instead offered bottled mineral water costing €7 (about $11.25 CAD) per bottle.

She later sought more than €2,700 (around $4,300 CAD) in damages.

In a decision issued in late April and later reported by Italian media, the Court of Cassation upheld earlier rulings, stating that Italian law does not require restaurants or hotels to serve tap water free of charge.

The tourist argued that water is a universal human right and that businesses should guarantee a minimum amount free of charge to meet essential needs. However, the court rejected that interpretation.

The hotel declined to comment, and the tourist’s lawyer did not immediately respond to media inquiries.

Across Europe, there is also no blanket law requiring restaurants to provide free tap water. While the EU Drinking Water Directive encourages businesses to offer it, the policy is voluntary rather than mandatory.

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