Options for Rural Hotels to Provide Alcohol
Partner Michael Newman, who is head of Holland & Knight's Alcohol Beverage Team, wrote an article for Hotel Business Review on the different options available for rural hotels that don't have bars but might want to still provide alcohol to guests.
Many hotels and motels in smaller cities and rural or suburban areas that don't attract enough guests or regular patrons to justify operating a full-service bar or paying to get licensed may want to consider other legal approaches such as: special retail licenses, stocking accommodations with in-room honor bars (or "mini bars") if states allow, or self-service. Mr. Newman's article provides examples and resources to help hotel executives decide whether or not any of these options are right for their business and if their state alcohol beverage regulators allow them, or if they should continue to elect to not have alcohol available to their guests.