Hotels can refuse to serve tap water, Italy's top court rules
Italy's highest court has ruled that hotels can refuse to serve tap water to guests. This decision came after a tourist sued a luxury hotel for not providing tap water during her stay. The court upheld that there is no legal obligation for bars or restaurants to serve tap water in Italy.
- ▪The ruling was in response to a complaint from a tourist against Hotel Sassongher.
- ▪The tourist sought over €2,700 in damages after being denied tap water.
- ▪Italian law does not require hotels to provide tap water to customers.
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Hotels can refuse to serve tap water, Italy's top court rulesSign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inboxA view shows Milan's skyline during sunset in Milan, Italy, July 6, 2023. REUTERS/Claudia GrecoPublished May 27, 2026, 07:54 PMUpdated May 27, 2026, 07:54 PMMILAN, May 27 - Italian hotels can refuse to serve their guests tap water, Italy's highest court ruled in response to a tourist's complaint against a luxury hotel in a ski resort in the Dolomites.The tourist sued the five-star Hotel Sassongher in Corvara, where she stayed for the 2020 New Year holidays, after it refused to give her tap water during meals, offering instead mineral water at €7 ($8.15) per bottle.She sought more than €2,700 in damages.In a ruling issued in late April but reported by national media this…
Excerpt limited to ~120 words for fair-use compliance. The full article is at Straits Times — World.