I believe that there are/were various kinds of hotels. They were places of accommodation and food and if licensed provided alcohol as well. In the 'olden days' travellers did not necessarily use them as tourist stops solely but as a necessary stop on longer journeys or as here in Australia, isolated families took the family 'to town' and stayed several days. This was because they often lived as much as several hundred km from town. The family business was attended to, major shopping was done, and then they headed home. There was a bar (served alcohol) but the main dining room was a family room. In Australia to get a hotel licence the publican must provide accommodation .. it's not just a boozer. Then there are taverns and inns which have slightly different regulations re the accommodation. Often if there was no single people's accommodation some permanent workers in an area had a room in a hotel .. a type of boarding house. In England I believe that so called private hotels were usually a type of temperance hotel .. accommodation only .. and the private suggested that they were not brewery affiliated. I am no expert in the area so look forward to info from others. Anne Maye.