Married Couple and Pensiones

[Humbertico]

I have a question. Besides staying in Albuergues my wife and I will occasionally stay in pensiones or hostels. Will they charge us for the room or per person? We were trying to set a budget.

Gracias Peregrinos

 

[SYates]

Prices are typically by room, not person. Buen Camino, SY

 

[Rick M]

The charge you are quoted is for the room you book, not per person in a Pension or Casa Rural. Before you are quoted a price though, they will ask you how many people are staying there. Lots of pensions on the Camino have rooms with three or four beds as well, and these cost more. If you are booking on line, make sure you fill this in on booking.com. Nothing nefarious, they mostly charge more for two than one, to allow for the rooms with the bigger beds. Lots also include a free breakfast, which of course isn't really free. Also, be careful that many places will book a room with two beds rather than one big one if its not clear you are a married couple. Maybe thats a good thing.........!

Buen Camino

 

[David]

and also be aware that a matrimonial is a double bed, not to do with being married.

 

[freescot]

My experience is that overall the rate for one person is less than that for two, even if given a double room.

 

[KinkyOne]

My experience is that overall the rate for one person is less than that for two, even if given a double room.

Huh, not at all in my experience. I got the room myself for 25€ but when we were two it was 20€ per person. Not exactly the same room but at the same place and similar room.

Just to add. If you are calling the establishment in Spain directly and ask for room for two persons they always ask if you want double bed or twin room (2 separated beds). Again in my experience the price was the same.

 

[Tincatinker]

Our general experience has been that the quoted price is per room. Habitacion para dos persones ( camas matrimonial or not) is for the space not the occupation rate.

 

[KinkyOne]

Our general experience has been that the quoted price is per room. Habitacion para dos persones ( camas matrimonial or not) is for the space not the occupation rate.

Yes, agree, but it depends on number of occupants. I was given a three bed room just for my use. But if we would be three it would come cheaper per capita.

 

[Marbe2]

On booking.com, generally a double room, whether one or twin beds, is frequently offered cheaper if only one occupant, but not always.

 

[KinkyOne]

On booking.com, generally a double room, whether one or twin beds, is frequently offered cheaper if only one occupant, but not always.

Read my post again, please. "Per capita" (per "head") I wrote.
Of course if I would be just one person in double/twin room it would be 25€ but if we would be two persons in exactly the same room it would be 40€ (for room) which makes 20€ (5€ cheaper) per person

 

[pjacobi]

In Spain, as in other parts of Europe, a matrimonial bed is sometimes made with 2 twin matress pushed together and joined with a large sheet. Beware of rolling into the trough in the middle! At best, the middle is uncomfortable, at worst, you may sink to floor and wake up in a hammock.

-Paul

 

[KinkyOne]

In Spain, as in other parts of Europe, a matrimonial bed is sometimes made with 2 twin matress pushed together and joined with a large sheet. Beware of rolling into the trough in the middle! At best, the middle is uncomfortable, at worst, you may sink to floor and wake up in a hammock.

-Paul

Hahahaha, true

 

[J Willhaus]

And also those long round Spanish pillows in the matrimonial beds are difficult to get used to at night if you have a pillow hog for a partner. I would have the most peaceful sleeping--until the pillow was jerked out from under my head unintentionally by my hubby!

 

[peregrinamaybe]

My husband and I booked pensions periodically along the Camino del Norte. Price was always per room. When making the reservation, I always requested a room for two but typically did not specify the type of bed. Most of the pensions we stayed at weren't full so when we arrived we were typically given a choice of a room with two twins or a "cama matrimonial" which, as others mentioned, is a full size bed. Unless you are used to sharing a double and/or you both don't move much, I would go for the two twins. You will sleep much better and you still have the privacy for other activities...

 

[Gcmacrae]

I have a question. Besides staying in Albuergues my wife and I will occasionally stay in pensiones or hostels. Will they charge us for the room or per person? We were trying to set a budget.

Gracias Peregrinos

You can get clean private rooms in some private hostels or hostel/hotels. I recall 30€ for a single occupant. If there were 2 to a room; 40€

 

[Tincatinker]

And also those long round Spanish pillows in the matrimonial beds

Had more purposes than you might think. Placed lengthways down the centre of the bed they allowed those not so closely acquainted to remain so even while sharing a 'matrimonial'.

 

[kjpyle]

My wife and I stayed in private rooms about half the time on our 46 day Camino. Usually we stayed in private rooms available in an albergue, not a pension. Costs were about 50%-75% more than the two of us separately, but then again we had privacy and a private bath. Habitation para dos con banyos.
Well worth it.

 

[Robo]

I have a question. Besides staying in Albuergues my wife and I will occasionally stay in pensiones or hostels. Will they charge us for the room or per person? We were trying to set a budget.

Gracias Peregrinos

Yes they charge for the room, not per person. But...
My experience is that the cost of 2 people is sometimes a bit higher.
Or look at it another way, if occupying a room alone, it is often a bit cheaper.

i.e. Booking a double room, as opposed to a single room, even if the same room could cost slightly more 'sometimes' for two people than for one person.

An extra breakfast, more towels to wash etc, makes sense. See example below. Single occupancy for the same room is a bit cheaper.

You need to read carefully on booking.com to understand the price differences. This can be because breakfast is included, or free cancellation included. I tend to book about 50% on booking.com and the others by looking up sites like Gronze and emailing or calling. I'm lazy. Booking.com is easier

And the plus side, is that they 'should' keep your room for you as they are g'teed payment.

Of course someone will now reply saying they lost their room, even though it was booked on booking.com

 

[Des Deeney]

As stated above and in our experience its normally by the room, the big difference in pensiones is normally if you share or do not share a bathroom which effects the cost.....

 

[kjpyle]

I attempted to use booking.com a couple of times during our Camino last fall, but only when the albergue I was calling couldn't speak any English. However, I found that booking.com (at least in my case ) was charging 40% more than what was listed in either the Dintaman guide or on WisePilgrim. And they would do the high-pressure sales thing of telling you there is only room left, or three other people just looked at this lodging. So, I began to learn just enough Spanish to book over the phone. Some reservations we made were more than a week in advance. No sentence structure. Only yes and no type of conversation. Use Google translate to find out what you want to ask. I always started by asking them to speak English, but would go on if they said 'no'.
Example:

Me / Albergue hospitalero

me/ Habla Ingles, por favor?
albergue/ No
me/ Reservacion habitacion para dos?
albergue/ Today? (they usually know that word)
me/ No
albergue/ Manana?
me/ No. Miercoles veintedos Agosto
albergue/ Si! (for Wednesday 22 August) Nombre? (your name?)
me/ Kevin
albergue/ Tu nacionalidad? (What's your nationality)
me/ USA
albergue/ Estados Unidos (repeating back USA in Spanish - that threw me...)
me/ Si
albergue/ Gracias
me/ Gracias!

Write down the day & date in Spanish in your notebook/guidebook before you call.
For someone who really doesn't know any meaningful Spanish, being able to book a room in advance with someone who couldn't speak any English was an extremely satisfying part of my Camino.

About every private room we had in an albergue included a private bathroom.
Habitacion para dos con bano = Room for two with a bathroom.