What does the cryptic crossword clue "Way of paying hotel led by former empire-builders (2,4)" mean?

The definition is "Way of paying". The wordplay uses a charade (building blocks). INCAS (synonym="former/long past empire builders in South America") + H (synonym="letter represented by “hotel”, in the phonetic alphabet") = INCASH; definition: "Way of paying" The answer is INCASH.

Way of paying hotel led by former empire-builders (2,4)

Guardian Cryptic #29013 | 6 Down | 2023-03-09 flower

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