Luxury hotel wins court case after refusing to give a tourist tap water

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Italy’s highest court has sided with a luxury hotel in the Dolomites, confirming they were within their rights to charge a tourist $8 for bottled water instead of providing complimentary tap water.

The issue began during the 2019 ski season when a woman asked for tap water at the restaurant in the five-star Hotel Sassongher in Corvara. Hotel staff reportedly refused and only offered bottled water instead, according to reports in the Italian media.

So, this tourist got super upset that I had to pay for water, and she actually sued! She was arguing that water should be free for everyone, like a basic human right, and that me being denied it was a rip-off. Seriously, a lawsuit over water!

She asked for around €2,700 to cover the emotional and financial impact of the issue, arguing that everyone deserves access to water just like a hotel guest expects a bed with clean sheets or soap.

Italy’s top court dismissed the idea that restaurants and hotels are legally required to offer tap water to customers.

According to lawyer Silvio Belardi, who represented the hotel, the court ruled that hotels are not required to provide guests with tap water.

The court’s decision also clarified that, according to current Italian law, each establishment can independently decide whether or not to offer tap water to customers.

Unlike many European countries, England and Wales legally require pubs and other licensed venues to offer free drinking water to customers upon request.

Honestly, we still don’t know who this woman is, and no one’s said where she came from yet. It’s a bit frustrating as a fan trying to piece everything together!

Hotel Sassongher, the focus of this case, is a hotel in the Dolomite Mountains of northern Italy that typically costs around $500 a night.

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2026-05-27 13:49