Italy’s top court rules against tourist refused tap water in Dolomites hotel
Woman argued water was a universal human right but court ruled no law obliged hoteliers to serve it from taps
TL;DR
- A tourist was refused tap water at a five-star hotel in the Italian Dolomites in 2019.
- Instead, she was served expensive bottled mineral water with her meals.
- The tourist argued tap water should be a consumer right and an integral part of hotel services.
- She took legal action seeking compensation for economic damage and emotional distress.
- Italy's supreme court of cassation ruled there is no law obliging hoteliers to serve tap water.
- While generally considered a breach of etiquette, some Italian restaurants are now offering filtered water to avoid plastic use.