I used the "best albergue" list for many of my accommodations this spring, and every one I stayed at was excellent. They are on that list for a reason.
But I also made a point of mixing up the kinds of places I stayed, private, municipal, parochial, association, large dorms, small 2-bunk rooms, the big towns, the non-descript villages that so many others walked right through.
I loved the variety, and it really enhanced my pilgrimage. In the end I decided the parochials were my favorites, even though they were often far more modest than the others. But I found a particular vibe about them that was special.
So the big, cavernous, room full of bunks at the Samos Monastery was perfect, starting with the warm welcome from the volunteer hospitalero, and evoking in me a sense of what it must have been like to walk the Camino decades ago.
And it made me appreciate all the more all the up-to-date amenities, style and class of the wonderful Las Cassona de Sarria the next night! I recommend them both.
Enjoy!