Each port has a Tavern, an Inn, a Hotel, a Club and a Brothel. These businesses can be owned by gamers. Money in these businesses is made by attracting visitors and by managing its supplies and staff. These businesses also have recruitment and contract agents, assuring gamers will visit them.
The Tavern is only for eating and drinking, but most importantly, also for recruiting common soldiers, crew and workers. As these are needed most, Taverns will see a lot of Captains, Directors and Officers come and go.
The Inn offers lodging. If gamers want to log off and on with a character in a port that is different to their family home, they need to sleep in either their ship, a local office or an Inn or Hotel. The Inn is a recruitment hub for civilian warrant officers and specialists, like foremen, craftsmen and higher qualified crews. It also offers contracts for Privateers. There will likely be a fair amount of traffic.
The Hotel offers exclusive lodging for the nobility. It is also a recruitment hub for higher educated staff, like Directors, Captains, civilian Officers, highly qualified specialists, and also a job market for gamers themselves. This is a place where the Joint Stock Companies and specialized businesses go to recruit.
The Brothel is a seedy place in the far corner of a port. Ownership is held by families of less repute. It offers lodging and more. The female and male prostitutes are not part of the staff to be managed, but rent rooms for themselves and their clients. It is a recruitment hub for all types of staff with a criminal record, such as deserters, convicted felons and former pirates, and some questionable deals can be done here.
The Club can exist in three varieties, depending on what the Governor of a port allows. A Boxing Club, a Betting Club or a Gentlemen’s Salon. Boxing Clubs allow for boxing competitions, which gamers can both participate in and place bets on. The owners can even arrange nationwide competitions. A Betting Club hosts games of chance on which gamers can bet money. The owner can also set and take bets on sail racing events. A Gentlemen’s Salon is an upmarket club that offers games of skill in which gamers can compete with one another and on which bets can be placed.
All these hospitality businesses allow for a degree of customization in decorations, paintings and bookshelves, creating their own look and feel. The owner can also arrange for musicians, creating additional atmosphere. The success of these businesses is linked to the amount of visitors. Buying such a business in a busy port can be a goldmine and buying a quiet place will make it necessary for the owner to come up with ways to attract more visitors.