innkeeper
n.the person who owns or manages an inn, which is a place where people stay and eat. This is an older word that you might see in history books or stories about the past.
n.the owner or manager of an inn, specifically a public house that provides lodging for travelers. Often used in historical or literary contexts to distinguish from modern hoteliers.
“The innkeeper showed us to our room for the night.”
“In the 18th century, the local innkeeper was a vital source of news and gossip for the entire village.”
“The weary travelers were greeted by a grizzled innkeeper who had spent decades managing the same establishment, his knowledge of the local roads surpassing that of the county's own surveyors.”
From Middle English inkeper; equivalent to inn + keeper. Compare Middle English inholder (“innkeeper”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.