Serf in a hotel, maybe (5)

I believe the answer is:

helot

'serf' is the definition.
(I know that serf can be written as helot)

'hotel maybe' is the wordplay.
'maybe' indicates an anagram.
'hotel' with letters rearranged gives 'HELOT'.

'in a' is the link.

(Other definitions for helot that I've seen before include "Spartan serf" , "He's bound to land" , "Hotel (anag) - serf" , "downtrodden?" , "Spartan slave" .)

I've seen this clue in the Evening Standard.

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