Italian top court rules hotel's refusal to serve guest tap water is lawful

Italy's highest court, the Court of Cassation, has ruled that hotel and restaurant establishments are not legally obligated to serve tap water to their guests. This decision arose from a lengthy legal dispute initiated by a tourist who, during a 2020 New Year's stay at the five-star Hotel Sassongher in the Dolomites, was repeatedly denied tap water and instead offered bottled mineral water at a cost of €7 per bottle.

The tourist had sought €2,700 in damages, arguing that water is a natural resource and a universal human right, and that its free provision should be guaranteed as a basic service. However, the court upheld the findings of two lower courts, confirming that no Italian law mandates hotels or restaurants to provide tap water to customers.

This ruling clarifies that the choice to serve tap water remains at the discretion of individual businesses in Italy, even as EU policy encourages such access without imposing a general obligation. The decision highlights a difference in legal requirements compared to some other European countries, where licensed venues are often required to offer free drinking water upon request.