Thoughts on these hotels?

[crbonade]

Hello everyone, it looks like I will finally get to do my Camino this fall! I am a miserably light sleeper (if there's one thing being in the army has taught me, its that shared accommodations are NOT for me), so I'm planning to reserve private rooms along the way. My planned stages are below, along with the hotels/albergues/etc. that I'm contemplating staying at.

Does anyone have any feedback/tips about any of these locations, or recommendations for other places to look into that have private (double) rooms? I'd prefer not to adjust the towns I'm staying in by more than a few KM, since some of the stages are already a bit long (I'll be able to take my time walking longer stages since I plan to book in advance, which helps since my time off work is limited).

Thanks in advance!

Walking Day	Start	Stop	Hotel	Notes
0	Madrid	Oviedo	Soho Oviedo	Train from Madrid to Oviedo
1	Oviedo	Grado	Hotel Areces	Naranco World Heritage Churches (afternoon prior, or morning of start, depending on arrival time)
2	Grado	La Espina	El Texu
3	La Espina	Campiello	Casa Ricardo
4	Campiello	Berducedo	Casa de Aldea Araceli
5	Berducedo	Castro	Hotel Rural Chao San Martín
6	Castro	Complejo "O Piñeiral", Fonsagrada	Complejo "O Piñeiral"
7	Complejo "O Piñeiral", Fonsagrada	Castroverde	Pension Residencia Cortes	Neolithic stones along the way
8	Castroverde	Lugo	Hotel Mendez Nunez
9	Lugo	A Covela	Albergue A Nave or Casa da Ponte	Detour to Santa Eulalia. Roman Path at San Romao
10	A Covela	Boente	Albergue Boente
11	Boente	O Pedrouzo	Pension O Pedrouzo
12	O Pedrouzo	Santiago de Compostela	Costa Vella	Pilgrim's Mass at 12pm/6:30pm (double-check times/location)

 

[Former member 99290]

Hi @crbonade

Lucky you heading to the Primitivo. Of the places you mentioned, in October 2019 we stayed in a private room in El Texu, Albergue Casa Ricardo, Albergue A Nave and Albergue Boente - and very happy with all of them. In El Texu and Albergue A Nave we had communal dinners.

We tend to stay in private rooms these days - but try to seek out Albergues that have both dormitories and private rooms to enjoy the company of other pilgrims. I’ve found there are quite a few of these on the Primitivo including all four above.

Hope you have a wonderful Camino

 

[crbonade]

Hi @crbonade

Lucky you heading to the Primitivo. Of the places you mentioned, in October 2019 we stayed in a private room in El Texu, Albergue Casa Ricardo, Albergue A Nave and Albergue Boente - and was very happy with all of them. In El Texu and Albergue A Nave we had lovely communal dinners.

We tend to stay in private rooms these days - but try to seek out Albergues that have both dormitories and private rooms to enjoy the company of other pilgrims. I’ve found there are quite a few of these on the Primitivo including all four above.

Hope you have a wonderful Camino

Thank you! I tried to find a good amount of places that have both private rooms and dorms so my mom and I don't feel completely isolated from anyone else who's walking, glad to hear good things about some of the places I picked

 

[peregrina2000]

Does anyone have any feedback/tips about any of these locations, or recommendations for other places to look into that have private (double) rooms?

Hi, @crbonade, Good choices, IMO. There are cheaper options in non-albergue places in some of the towns, but you have probably seen those and have decided to go more upscale.

Oviedo — great location for your hotel.

Grado -- That must be a relatively new hotel. Much more upscale than what has been the go-to non-albergue option, the Hotel Auto Bar.

Berducedo - Casa Marqués has albergue and pensión rooms and may have more of the “pilgrim vibe.”

Castro — I’ve stayed here and it is kind of unusual, but it’s fine. Not a hotel in any common understanding of the word, you are essentially going to be in a bedroom of her house. It is clean. I would eat at the albergue that’s about a 2 minute walk.

Castroverde — I have stayed in the pensión. It is very basic, but clean and fine.

Ferreira — I’ve been in a private room in the Nave and in Casa do Ponte. There will be more pilgrims in the Nave, but the Casa do Ponte is charmig and the owners are very nice.

And definitely do not miss the bóveda of Santa Eulalia. I have been there three times now and it always is beathtaking.

Costa Vella was my go-to Santiago hotel till I learned about San Martín Pinario. Beautiful garden, lovely rooms in an old stone house.

Hoping you have a great Primitivo!

 

[crbonade]

Hi, @crbonade, Good choices, IMO. There are cheaper options in non-albergue places in some of the towns, but you have probably seen those and have decided to go more upscale.

Oviedo — great location for your hotel.

Grado -- That must be a relatively new hotel. Much more upscale than what has been the go-to non-albergue option, the Hotel Auto Bar.

Berducedo - Casa Marqués has albergue and pensión rooms and may have more of the “pilgrim vibe.”

Castro — I’ve stayed here and it is kind unusual, but it’s fine. Not a hotel in any common understanding of the word, you are essentially going to be in a bedroom of her house. It is clean. I would eat at the albergue that’s about a 2 minute walk.

Castroverde — I have stayed in the pensión. It is very basic, but clean and fine.

Ferreira — I’ve been in a private room in the Nave and in Casa do Ponte. There will be more pilgrims in the Nave, but the Casa do Ponte is charmig and the owners are very nice.

And definitely do not miss the bóveda of Santa Eulalia. I have been there three times now and it always is beathtaking.

Costa Vella was my go-to Santiago hotel till I learned about San Martín Pinario. Beautiful garden, lovely rooms in an old stone house.

Hoping you have a great Primitivo!

Yeah, having a 2nd person splitting the costs definitely gives me more options for more "upscale" places - not necessarily a must-have for me personally but I think my mom will be more comfortable/relaxed so willing to spend a little more for that.

For Castro, is Albergue Juvenil Castro where you're recommending for food?

I'll have to look into San Martin Pinario for SdC, thanks!

 

[peregrina2000]

For Castro, is Albergue Juvenil Castro where you're recommending for food?

Yes, their kitchen seemed to be open at all hours and the food looked good. Fresh.

If you get to Castro in time for a visit, I’d highly recommend going to the Castro (hill fort). The site itself was closed for repairs/conservation when I was there in September, but it has now opened. At least that’s what I see on the internet. The museum is small but very interesting, and just a stone’s throw from the place you are staying.

 

[DonnaM]

Hello everyone, it looks like I will finally get to do my Camino this fall! I am a miserably light sleeper (if there's one thing being in the army has taught me, its that shared accommodations are NOT for me), so I'm planning to reserve private rooms along the way. My planned stages are below, along with the hotels/albergues/etc. that I'm contemplating staying at.

Does anyone have any feedback/tips about any of these locations, or recommendations for other places to look into that have private (double) rooms? I'd prefer not to adjust the towns I'm staying in by more than a few KM, since some of the stages are already a bit long (I'll be able to take my time walking longer stages since I plan to book in advance, which helps since my time off work is limited).

Thanks in advance!

Walking Day	Start	Stop	Hotel	Notes
0	Madrid	Oviedo	Soho Oviedo	Train from Madrid to Oviedo
1	Oviedo	Grado	Hotel Areces	Naranco World Heritage Churches (afternoon prior, or morning of start, depending on arrival time)
2	Grado	La Espina	El Texu
3	La Espina	Campiello	Casa Ricardo
4	Campiello	Berducedo	Casa de Aldea Araceli
5	Berducedo	Castro	Hotel Rural Chao San Martín
6	Castro	Complejo "O Piñeiral", Fonsagrada	Complejo "O Piñeiral"
7	Complejo "O Piñeiral", Fonsagrada	Castroverde	Pension Residencia Cortes	Neolithic stones along the way
8	Castroverde	Lugo	Hotel Mendez Nunez
9	Lugo	A Covela	Albergue A Nave or Casa da Ponte	Detour to Santa Eulalia. Roman Path at San Romao
10	A Covela	Boente	Albergue Boente
11	Boente	O Pedrouzo	Pension O Pedrouzo
12	O Pedrouzo	Santiago de Compostela	Costa Vella	Pilgrim's Mass at 12pm/6:30pm (double-check times/location)

Hi, I did the Primitvo last September, I stayed at the Soho Oviedo, it was a cute hotel not far from the route...The Areces, small, clean and the owners were fab...the wife made great cake , Casa deAldea in Berducedo...Stunning! Great food, great place, great hostess!, the hotel Mendez Nunez was ok but felt a little big and corporate compared to the others (for me). I feel your pain of being a light sleeper! Buen Camino, you will love it!

 

[Former member 99290]

@crbonade Just to add -

Oviedo is a wonderful town. I’ve visited four times (twice as a starting point for the Primitivo, once at the end of the Salvador, and another time en route from somewhere else). Always so enjoyable.

I see your itinerary and hope that the train schedule will allow you and your Mom at least a few hours after your arrival.

If you could manage a whole day, even better.

 

[crbonade]

@crbonade Just to add -

Oviedo is a wonderful town. I’ve visited four times (twice as a starting point for the Primitivo, once at the end of the Salvador, and another time en route from somewhere else). Always so enjoyable.

I see your itinerary and hope that the train schedule will allow you and your Mom at least a few hours after your arrival.

If you could manage a whole day, even better.

I won't be able to book train tickets for another month, but looking at the renfe schedule there is a regular morning train that arrives at noon. Definitely looking forward to being able to wander the town, and we'll probably check out the Naranco churches that afternoon too

 

[Albertagirl]

If you wish to consider staying in San Martin Pinario in Santiago, here is a recent thread about it: Hospederia San Martin Pinario are the rooms in hostal ok . I have stayed there after all my caminos. Last fall I arrived before my booking on the pilgrim floor, so I took a room in the Hospederia, then moved into the pilgrim hostel on the fourth floor later. From my experience, the room on the pilgrim floor was more comfortable, as well as being cheaper and including an "eat as much as you want" breakfast. I understand that some double rooms are available there. It is very popular, so should be booked in advance. The email for pilgrims to book is: "Reservas H.S.Martin Pinario" <reservas@sanmartinpinario.eu> . And Buen camino to you and your mom.

 

[crbonade]

Does anyone know of an email contact for Hotel Rural Chao San Martín in Castro? I've been trying to find one with no luck. Casa Ferreiro Castro is booked for the night I'll be there, and I'm worried that Chao San Martin will be also if I don't contact them early... but with only a phone number to call that's difficult from the U.S.

Same question for Pension Residencia Cortes in Castroverde, if anyone happens to have an email for them also...

 

[Fromchicago]

Hi @crbonade .. planning my path for next April and came across your post. I am also a VERY light sleeper so I am taking from your notes. How did your Comino go? Where you happy with your hotel choices?

 

[crbonade]

There was one place we stayed where the bed was so uncomfortable that we were in absolute misery all night. When I get home this evening I'll dig out my notes on where we wound up staying each night, I tried to journal about that part of the experience (in addition to my journaling about the actual walk) so if I have notes on what I thought about each place I'll try to include it.

There were definitely some places I stayed that I loved and would return to, and some that I personally would not recommend (and one or two I wanted to try but couldn't because they were sold out).

If you don't see a reply from me in the next 8 hours or so please remind me!