If you’re planning on hiking in the Italian Dolomites it seems getting free tap water might not be so easy.
A tourist’s request for tap water at a luxury hotel restaurant in the Dolomites has ended in Italy’s highest court ruling that diners do not have a legal right to be served water from the tap.
The dispute began in 2019 when the woman stayed for a week over Christmas and New Year at a five-star hotel in the ski resort of Corvara, in Badia. Her half-board package included dinner, although drinks were excluded.
Italian media reports said the woman repeatedly asked for tap water with her evening meals and even offered to pay for it. The hotel refused and instead placed a 0.75-litre bottle of mineral water on the table each night, charging €7 (about $11).
According to court documents reported by Corriere Alto Adige, the tourist complained she was “continually denied” tap water and effectively forced to buy bottled water.
She later launched legal action, arguing water was a universal human right and that access to a minimum amount should be guaranteed. She also claimed tap water should be considered a standard part of hotel and restaurant service.
The woman sought €2,700 (about $4300) in compensation for financial loss and emotional distress. However, lower courts rejected her claim before Italy’s supreme court upheld the decisions, ruling there is no legal obligation for restaurants or hotels to provide tap water.