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    Italy’s top court rules against tourist refused tap water in Dolomites hotel
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    Italy’s top court rules against tourist refused tap water in Dolomites hotel

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    29 Comments

    1. JourneyThiefer on

      €7 for a bottle of water is the real crime here, wtf 💀

      But like why could they not just give her tap water though? Weird to not just give it lol

    2. Candygramformrmongo on

      “Asking for free tap water at a restaurant in Italy is generally considered a breach of etiquette, especially if the server has already offered the choice of a bottle of natural or sparkling water. But customers are becoming bolder, with many seeking to avoid using plastic, and more restaurants now offer filtered water.”

      She offered to pay for the tap water, EUR 7 a bottle is highway robbery

    3. Firstnarrows100 on

      I am personally shocked that all 3 courts in Italy upheld the hotel’s right to refuse free tap water and instead force a charge for plastic bottled water.

      Do you think the same thing would happen in your country?

      Does the law now always side with corporate greed over essential human rights?

    4. CountFew6186 on

      Wow. Even here in the land of greed and capitalism, every restaurant I’ve been in over the course of 50+ years has offered free tap water.

    5. Caspica on

      Italy is so weird with restaurants. This, and “pane e coperto”, is just plain stupid.

    6. Deriniel on

      just to be clear,at a bar in my city i heard the owner (woman in this case,but I’m sure a lot of men owner think the same) complain about a client asking for a second glass of water after his coffe “i pay this water!” she was saying wile filling with treated tap water another half glass (yes they don’t even give it full)

    7. arwinda on

      Same in Germany. There’s no right to get a glass of tap water here…

      The EU Drinking Water Directive 2020/2184 encourages restaurants to provide free water, or for a small fee. But it’s just a suggestion. Law fell short of providing free water.

    8. Due_Student9136 on

      is this typical for italy? i’ve only been a couple times so far and don’t recall. i’m going in the fall again & am planning a trip to the dolomites in a year with my husband & kids. i live in europe which is already kinda funny about tapwater, but this is another level of BS.

    9. _Lefinn on

      I feel so lucky living in France for the fact that fresh and cold water is free and often offered directly by waiter, and no to very little tip culture.

    12. fralupo on

      Reminds me of “The Moon is a Harsh Mistress”, the popularizer of “there ain’t no such thing as a free lunch”. The book has a restaurant where meals are free with the purchase of super-expensive drinks.

    13. SasquatchForYou on

      I’ll say this makes sense.

      She was in luxury hotel, and she didn’t want to pay for the drinks, which isn’t wrong, but restaurants can choose what they serve you.

      Arguing she was denied water is false, because if she was dying of thirst, she would be fine drinking from the tap in the toilets. So, her access wasn’t denied, just serving was denied.

      I’m fine with this…

    14. lowrads on

      It’s pretty awful that Italians would think it normal or lawful to force such wasteful practices on people just to make a mappa. How many planets do they think we have?

    17. vinny_twoshoes on

      this is one of the ways the US is ahead of europe. free tap water at restaurants is perfectly acceptable and i can’t think of a non-greed based reason why it shouldn’t be

    19. WinterMedical on

      At a five star hotel where she was staying? Do these people know anything about hospitality?

    20. combrade on

      Some parts of Europe feel like a cultural shock without free water. I also wish water had served with ice. It’s the only thing I miss from America when traveling.

      Like, climate change is making your summers absolutely rough. Access to Water is important given the heat can be deadly ,

    21. -Gambler- on

      >”During her stay, the tourist complained about “constantly being denied the opportunity to consume tap water, and instead being forced to purchase bottled water”, [Corriere Alto Adige reported](https://corrieredellaltoadige.corriere.it/notizie/cronaca/26_maggio_25/acqua-di-rubinetto-il-ristorante-puo-rifiutarsi-di-servirla-l-hotel-in-alto-adige-batte-la-cliente-in-cassazione-nessun-obbligo-f24899e4-b3e5-4120-81cf-37a1e4228xlk.shtml?refresh_ce), citing court papers.

      >The woman then pursued legal action, arguing water was “a natural resource and a universal human right” and that “the free provision of a minimum vital quantity is necessary to meet essential needs and must be guaranteed”, Corriere wrote.

      >The woman considered tap water to be an integral part of the service at a restaurant or hotel, “much like finding a bed with sheets, a warm room and soap in the bathroom”.”

      uhhh… was there no tap in the hotel bathroom? lmao

    22. FallenAngel7334 on

      Why is it suddenly acceptable to order things not listed on the menu? Just because its water its OK?

      My favourite coffee shop has a free water fountain, flat and sparkling water. Its a nice touch and I appreciate the care. But its up to the restaurant to decide what they serve. And its up to us to not go to restaurants that dont share our values.

    23. Pauly309 on

      I hate European bottled water because it always has bitter fiz taste. I asked for spully vasser dish water and saw a look of horror. I looked thru a drink store for ohna “without” gas but found my drink had gas schemech “flavor” to my disgust. Drank it only because I was partched all day in sun in August, and it was water.

    25. _jdd_ on

      Pure greed. This kind of thing is all over Europe. We need an EU law that guarantees free tap water at restaurants.

    26. NearPup on

      The cost of water at Italian restaurants was a big culture shock for me when I visited (from the perspective of someone who’s lived in both Canada and the US). In North America it isn’t even uncommon for restaurants / cafes to give you tap water for free even if you don’t purchase anything, and it’s unheard of for it to not be free for customers.

    27. _x_oOo_x_ on

      It was at a ski resort. Could it be that tap water there is not safe to drink or it’s uncertain if it’s safe, so the resort wanted to avoid liability? Otherwise I don’t see why they’d refuse to bring a glass of water to an otherwise paying guest..

      I’ve been to high altitude resorts where “tap” water was pumped from a nearby stream and it was only meant for showering and flushing the toilet with. They had bottles of water for toothbrushing in the bathroom cabinet though

    28. Matchbreakers on

      I think in Denmark they are required to give you a glass of tap water if asked