They’ve washed their hands of a thirsty tourist.
A five-star hotel in Italy that refused to serve a guest tap water did not break the law, the country’s highest court ruled.
A disgruntled female guest made waves when she filed a lawsuit against Hotel Sassongher because it would only serve her bottled water during her 2019 stay, arguing that access to water was a fundamental right.
The case against the hotel — located in Badia, a municipality in the Northern Italian province of South Tyrol — was brought to the Italian Supreme Court after it was rejected by a Roman court as well as an appeals court, as per CNN.
The traveler — who asked for $3,147 in compensation — explained that she booked a $6,654 package that did not include beverages.
During dinner at the hotel’s restaurant, the parched guest requested tap water and offered to pay for it as a service charge, but the staff would only allow her to purchase bottled water priced at $8.15.
The woman argued that “water is a natural good and a universal human right of every individual, and that the free supply of a minimum vital quantity necessary to satisfy essential needs must be guaranteed, even in the event of arrears,” according to the court documents.
However, the court ruled in favor of the hotel, citing that Italian law does not mandate that restaurateurs or hotel owners serve tap water.
Hotel Sassongher told CNN this week that it “fully respects the decision of the Supreme Court.”
