What was an inn like in the middle ages?

Answer 1

They kept an inn where people stopped for the night and would serve food and ale. Usually there was a stable attached as well because people usually rode a horse or walked. Many times the inn was only place that a person could stop, but it wasn't always the cleanest or the safest place.

Answer 2

A good example of a typical late medieval inn is the New Inn in Gloucester, England. Dating from the mid 15th century, it is perhaps the most complete medieval inn still in existence.

In its original form it was a large rectangular building built around a courtyard. Some medieval inns might have had the range facing the main street filled with shops that were rented to tenants. (Such was the case with Tackley's Inn in Oxford, although this inn was converted into a residence hall for academics at the University early in its history, and its shops are no longer extant.) One of the ranges would have contained a great hall, the primary area for serving food and drink to the guests. In the case of New Inn the Kitchen was probably adjacent to the great hall, but in some inns the kitchen might be a removed structure in back. New Inn had parlors in two of the ranges in the lower floors, and the upper floors contained galleries and chambers that were available for guests. These chambers would likely often be shared by guests. Inns were a far cry from a modern hotel. You might find a bed, but there was good chance you would be sharing a room in not a bed with someone you didn't know. The sanitary facilities were a latrine behind, although a chamber pot might be used in the night to avoid the walk in the dark.