Italy’s highest court has ruled that hotels and restaurants are not legally required to provide tap water to customers, after a tourist lost a years-long legal battle against a luxury hotel in the Dolomites.
The case centred on a woman from Rome who stayed at the five-star Hotel Sassongher in Corvara, in the Dolomites, during the 2019 ski season. Staying on a half-board basis, with evening meals included but drinks excluded, she repeatedly requested tap water at dinner rather than bottled mineral water.
According to Italian media reports, hotel staff refused her requests and instead placed a 0.75-litre bottle of mineral water costing €7 on the table each evening. The tourist reportedly even offered to pay for tap water, but the hotel maintained its policy of serving bottled water only.
The woman later filed a lawsuit claiming her consumer rights had been violated. She argued that water is “a natural resource and a universal human right” and that access to tap water should be considered a basic part of hotel service, comparable to “finding a bed with sheets” or “soap in the bathroom”.
She sought €2,700 in compensation for alleged emotional distress and economic damage.
However, the case was dismissed by lower courts before eventually reaching Italy’s Supreme Court of Cassation, which ruled in favour of the hotel.
Silvio Belardi, the lawyer representing the hotel, told Italian newspaper Corriere Alto Adige that the judges reaffirmed there is “no obligation for the establishment to provide drinking water to customers”.
Speaking to the BBC, Belardi explained that the hotel’s policy reflected the practices of many high-end establishments in Italy, where only sealed bottled water is served at restaurant tables.
“We also argued that if a person wanted running water, they could easily get that in the hotel, just not at the restaurant,” he said.
The court ultimately concluded that Italian laws and regulations do not oblige restaurants or hotels to provide tap water and that the decision remains at the discretion of individual establishments.
The ruling has reignited debate over cultural norms and sustainability practices in Italy’s hospitality sector. While requesting tap water in restaurants is common in countries such as the United Kingdom, France and Spain, it remains relatively unusual in Italy, where bottled mineral water is deeply embedded in dining culture.
Restaurants can refuse to give tap water to customers – that's according to the judgment of Italy's supreme court. A woman filed a lawsuit and lost after repeatedly asking for tap water with her meal in a five-star hotel in the Dolomites. pic.twitter.com/EL87upYWh8
— Channel 4 News (@Channel4News) May 27, 2026
In England and Wales, licensed premises are legally required to provide free drinking water upon request. Italy, however, has no equivalent regulation.
The case also highlighted changing consumer habits, particularly among travellers seeking to reduce plastic waste and avoid unnecessary bottled water purchases. Although asking for tap water in Italian restaurants is often considered poor etiquette, some establishments have started offering filtered water options in response to growing environmental concerns.
Despite the public attention surrounding the case, the court rejected the tourist’s claim for compensation, ruling there was insufficient evidence of financial or moral harm.
