While the implications here likely won’t be too widespread, I can’t help but find this to be an interesting ruling, especially as someone who has opinions in the tap water vs. bottled water debate (thanks to @istrakhov for flagging this).
By the way, for those curious, I think the travel angle here is how norms around bottled vs. tap water differ so much around the globe, and it’s something for travelers to navigate.
Italian hotel restaurant refuses to offer free tap water
Italy’s highest court has ruled that a five-star hotel in Italy’s Dolomites was acting lawfully when it refused to provide tap water to a guest. This actually dates back all the way to 2019 (yet the ruling just happened now, seven years later), and involves a woman who was dining at the restaurant of the five-star Hotel Sassongher in Corvara.
During a meal, she asked for tap water, but was told that only bottled mineral water was available, at the cost of €7. The woman argued that “water is a natural resource and a universal human right.” She also claimed this was a violation of her consumer rights, saying it’s a key part of a hotel’s service, and linked it to “finding a bed with sheets” and “soap in the bathroom.”
However, the Italian Supreme Court denied her request for €2,700, to compensate her for emotional distress and economic damage. The court ruled that Italian laws and regulations don’t mandate that venues provide tap water to guests, so each venue can decide on its own policy.
As a lawyer representing the hotel explained, “there is no obligation to supply tap water,” and “company policy is, like in many high-end establishments, to serve only bottled water at the table, which is sealed.” The hotel also argued “if a person wanted running water, they could easily get that in the hotel – just not at the restaurant.”
It’s worth noting that in many other countries (like England), licensed venues are required to serve free drinking water upon request.
I agree with the traveler in principle, but not in practice
In theory, I very much agree with the traveler here, that restaurants should provide tap water. When it comes to minor things I feel strongly about, the practice of people paying for bottled water is among the most confusing to me.
Assuming you’re in a place where it’s safe to drink tap water, I just find it puzzling how people instead choose to drop a substantial amount of money on water that was bottled elsewhere, and then transported halfway around the world. I always have huge respect for restaurants that offer house filtered still or sparkling water as a default, rather than trying to push people into ordering bottled water.
All that being said, I don’t necessarily feel that strongly that this is something that should be legally mandated, rather than being a business decision:
- I don’t consider this to be a violation of human rights, as the traveler claims, since one can also just go to the bathroom and drink water out of a sink there
- For that matter, the United Nations argues that food is a human right, and I don’t think anyone thinks restaurants should therefore have to give customers free food
- Now, I’d certainly vote with my wallet if I weren’t happy with a restaurant’s water policy, and if I felt strongly about that, I wouldn’t return, would leave negative reviews online, etc.
Now, do I disagree with laws in England, which require restaurants to provide tap water to guests? No, not really. It’s not that I’m against pushing for tap water, I think it just comes down to the level of regulation that you think makes sense.
Bottom line
An Italian court has ruled that that restaurants don’t have an obligation to provide tap water to guests. This all involves a 2019 incident, where a hotel in the Dolomites refused to give a guest tap water, instead forcing her to buy bottled water. She wasn’t happy about that, arguing it’s a fundamental human right, demanding €2,700, to compensate her for emotional distress and economic damage.
The court ultimately ruled that restaurants are under no obligation to provide free water to guests, so the hotel was acting within its rights. While I appreciate this traveler’s crusade against bottled water, I’m not sure I agree with the legal argument.
What do you make of this Italy tap water court case?