The Truth (part 1)
The hall with a saloon atmosphere they were in was the Player Hall. The reason there was a bar, dining tables or doors leading to private lounges was simply because it was a good way for Players entering or exiting an Ordeal to wait or take the pressure off, but also to recruit teammates.
From the fifth Ordeal onwards, the Red Cube sometimes recommended forming a team. Even more rarely, in the more advanced Ordeals, having a faction was required. Being a Solo Player was of course possible and in the case of these Ordeals, these Solo Players would come together to form a new team.
The reason why the Red Cube left such information and the possibility for Players to organize themselves in the more advanced Ordeals was sadly obvious: The higher the Ordeal number, the fewer potential participants there were in the running.