Britain's luxury hotel Claridge's has introduced a collection of the world's finest bottled mineral water with the most expensive costing 50 pounds a litre. Launching a water list next month, Claridge's will have 30 different brands from as far afield as the icebergs of Newfoundland, the volcanoes of New Zealand and the Nilgiris Mountains in India. ''Water is becoming like wine. Every guest has an opinion and asks for a particular brand,'' Claridge's food and beverage Director Renaud Gregoire was quoted as saying by Daily Mail.

He said experts can differentiate between water's mineral content and pH balance. Llanllyr, a Welsh artesian water, has a soft taste from sources under organic fields, while Wattwiller, spring water from France, has a ''pleasant hint of sweetness to the palate.'' The waters will have price tags almost on a par with a wine list.

One variety, 420 Volcanic, sourced through 200m of volcanic rock, costs 50 pounds a litre. Berg, iceberg water from Canada, costs an 30 pounds a litre, while Mahalo Deep Sea Water, from Hawaii, costs 28 pounds a litre. The list has been welcomed by the hotel's guests but it has left environmentalists enraged.

A spokesman for Thames Water said, ''Our water is of the highest standard and it costs less than a 10th of a penny per litre.''