innkeeper

American  

[in-kee-per] / ˈɪnˌki pər /

noun

1. a person who owns or manages an inn or, sometimes, a hotel.

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innkeeper British  

/ ˈɪnˌkiːpə /

noun

1. an owner or manager of an inn

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Etymology

Origin of innkeeper

First recorded in 1540–50; inn + keeper

Explanation

An innkeeper is someone who owns or manages an inn. When you arrive at an inn, the innkeeper might be the person who checks you in and gives you a key to your room (and maybe a chocolate on your pillow). The earliest innkeepers ran inns in Europe during medieval times. These inns provided lodging, food, and a place for travelers to leave their horses, and an innkeeper managed all of these details. Today in the UK, some pubs call themselves inns, so you might find an innkeeper serving pints there, while in the US an inn is almost always a more charming version of a motel, run by an innkeeper.

Example Sentences

Innkeeper Robin Reynolds said the plan is to keep it simple: eight rooms, solar panels, saltwater pool, rates of $95 to $105, a “low-key, old-school, drive-up” situation.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 5, 2023

Innkeeper and owner Sheila Condie says the cost of supplies - beer, fish, meat and more - are all rising.

From BBC • Oct. 27, 2022

Seven of the eight Innkeeper board members at the time of its 2007 sale will serve as Chatham board members.

From Reuters • Apr. 16, 2010

Hilton's overseas hotels last year brought in more than a quarter of the chain's net operating profit of $5,700,000, and Innkeeper Hilton expects that they will soon account for more than half his earnings.

From Time Magazine Archive

"Innkeeper, tell the proprietor of the circus that Gwynplaine is coming back."

From The Man Who Laughs by Hugo, Victor