Live down the road from Hedgerley & Langley Park and have loved this movie since the 70's. Every Parent should sit down and watch this movie with their children, An amazing movie and superb British cast to boot.
.."a select hotel." What was that scene? Children being shown, partially clothed, to old men? ( It's been going on a long time in the arts hasn't it.) Really could have done without that. Someone caved to pressure.
The early 19th century, cloistered, innocent children narrating were relating a story second or third hand. They han't actually visited the place, and didn't really know what was truly going on there. As such it was done to illustrate just how rotten the villains were. The scene would have been far from uncommon at the time (in 1812 they were still indenturing children and wives for debts owed by deceased fathers). Its unlikely the filmmakers had intended any "Epstienian" in meaning as you seem to be assuming.
