Tourist who demanded free tap water at hotel is slapped down by Italy's Supreme Court

A tourist who was denied free tap water at a five-star Italian hotel has been slapped down by the country's Supreme Court following a lengthy legal battle.

In December 2019, a woman holidaying in the Corvara ski resort in Badia had booked a half-board package with dinner included - but not drinks.

While eating her meal, the tourist is said to have made a number of requests for a glass of tap water with her dinner, which were refused by staff.

Instead, the restaurant had supplied a 750ml bottle of mineral water to her table each night - costing €7 (£6) each time.

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During her stay, the holidaymaker had expressed her annoyance at “constantly being denied the opportunity to consume tap water, and instead being forced to purchase bottled water”, according to Italian media reports.

Following her experience, the tourist launched legal action against the five-star hotel, claiming that since a water is “a natural resource and a universal human right”, the "free provision of a minimum vital quantity is necessary to meet essential needs and must be guaranteed”.

She argued that free water was as much of a necessity at the hotel as "finding a bed with sheets, a warm room and soap in the bathroom”.

Due to the “economic damage and emotional distress” suffered during her ordeal, the tourist had sought €2,700 (£2,300) in damages.

However, judges at the Italian Supreme Court in Rome turned down her demand.

Silvio Belardi, a lawyer representing the hotel, said: "They confirmed the concept that there is no obligation to supply tap water."

Across Europe, laws surrounding restaurants, cafes and bars suppling free tap water vary by country.

In England, Wales and Scotland, any premises licensed to sell alcohol is legally obliged to provide water upon request to customers.

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In France, all restaurants are obliged to provide a carafe of tap water alongside any meal free of charge.

Spain's 2022 Law on Waste and Contaminated Soil compels all bars and restaurants to offer unpackaged drinking water to customers for free.

However, in Germany and Austria, no such requirement exists in hospitality settings - with servers able to deny requests or charge a small service fee for providing a glass.

The EU's Drinking Water Directive requires all member states to install indoor and outdoor water fountains in public places.

Although there is no blanket rule for EU countries surrounding hospitality, the bloc encourages national governments to mandate businesses to provide free water.

Italy is one of seven European countries to score 100 points on the Safe Drinking Water Score rankings published in 2024.

The country was joined by Britain, Germany, Greece, Switzerland, Finland and Ireland to achieve a perfect score for the availability of safe drinking water.

Meanwhile, Moldova ranked the lowest across the continent with a score of 68.8.

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