A hotel is not always a hotel

The Oxford Dictionary describes the term “hotel” as follows:

“An establishment providing accommodation, meals, and other services for travellers and tourists.”

and at Wikipedia you will find the following entry:

“A hotel is an establishment that provides paid lodging on a short-term basis”

Hotels, a place to rest your head and fill your belly, right? Well, not exactly in Australia. Some Aussie hotels may leave you scratching your head when you ask for a room, but offer you a cold one instead. What gives?

Why some Australian hotels do not offer accommodation

As it turns out, it’s all about the history of hotels in the land down under. The laws of yesteryear (until the late 1980s) required pubs to offer lodging, but hotels were exempt from such requirements. So, savvy pub owners began renting out a spare room or two, essentially disguising their establishments as hotels. But the rental income wasn’t much to write home about, so they focused on what they did best – slinging drinks.

Fast forward to today, and many of these so-called “pub-hotels” still don’t offer rooms, but they do offer a good time. And while it may seem odd to call them hotels, the names have stuck. Think Royal, Commercial, Railway and Grand.

So, the next time you find yourself in an Aussie pub, don’t be surprised if a room isn’t in the cards. But hey, at least you can wet your whistle and fill your belly with some good eats. Cheers!