Innkeeper (vendor)

Innkeepers are business owners and managers responsible for providing lodging, food and hospitality to travellers. As individuals, they must enjoy people, even the difficult ones, as the job demands gregariousness and patience. They oversee inns, taverns and other accommodations, ensuring that guests are housed, fed and attended to. Most innkeepers inherit the trade, learning from previous generations in a family-run business where relatives fill various roles, from cooking and cleaning to managing supplies and bookkeeping. This structure reduces costs and ensures reliable service.

Their work requires constant interaction with guests, some of whom are difficult, demanding or dishonest. Innkeepers must balance warmth and efficiency, responding quickly to requests while maintaining firm control over their establishment. Because guests carry weapons and wealth, security is a priority. It is common for inns to lock doors at night, sometimes securing guests in their rooms to prevent theft or violence. In many places, an innkeeper is legally required to house all travelers if space allows, even if it means forcing strangers to share a bed.

Beyond providing food and shelter, innkeepers are central figures in their communities. Their establishments serve as gathering places for locals, traders and adventurers, where news is exchanged, deals are struck and plans are made. For travelers, an inn is often more than a resting place — it is a point of contact with the wider world, where encounters can lead to friendships, conflicts or unexpected opportunities.

Types

The variety of inns and lodgings available to travellers is vast, affecting accommodations and services. Way stations resemble campgrounds, providing a field, fire pit and access to water. Guests set up tents or park wagons, sharing news and entertainment. Caravanserais along trade routes offer massive enclosed spaces for caravans, with water from cisterns but little else. Some are unattended, allowing free lodging. Hostels, often run by religious communities, provide communal sleeping spaces or open-air clay-walled cells. A morning meal is given in exchange for labour and charitable nurses may assist the sick.

Rookeries, or thieves' dens, exist in city slums, offering wooden pallets in filthy, vermin-infested conditions. Residents value anonymity, making it a place where one might gain criminal contacts over time. Roadhouses, small and rural, cater to wealthy and well-travelled guests, offering quiet, affordable rooms with basic comforts. Inns, found in towns and cities, range from three-room lodgings above taverns to large establishments with courtyards, stables and auxiliary services. Guests are assigned rooms based on availability, locked in at night for security.

Sovereign inns, located in the wealthiest districts, cater only to the well-dressed and influential. Guests are chosen by social standing and rooms are opulently furnished with balconies, private baths and personalised service. Valets, concierges and guards provide specialised attention, while stables include a resident farrier. Such establishments are hubs of power, where high society meets in comfort.

Taverns

Essential to inns and communities, these range from small taprooms serving ale to grand public houses offering elaborate meals and extensive drink selections. Taprooms are simple, serving only a few varieties of beer and ale, often run by a single barkeep. Taphouses are larger, dedicated drinking establishments, sometimes offering coffee or tea instead of alcohol. Public houses serve food, featuring spit-roasted meats, stews, fried delicacies and an assortment of side dishes. Desserts like apple pie and custards are rare but available in the evenings.

Food and drink options vary widely. On tap, patrons find ales, ciders, stouts and meads. Cellar selections include absinthe, whiskey and Madeira wine. Kitchens prepare soups, roasted meats, fried fish and exotic dishes like turtle soup and pheasant. Kitchen staff, including cooks, servers and helpers, work long hours, often as part of a family operation. Patrons receive quick service and tipping customs vary by establishment.

See also,
The Adventure
Travel