We were not among the purists who took the chance of finding a bed - we were May/Jun '16 and the last 2/3rds of the StJPdP - Santiago trek were very overcrowded, and though most could find rooms, some were sent to the next town. We simply wished to not have to scramble around town to find a place - this is our observation only, your mileage may vary. Yes, we were forced to adhere to a schedule, but it was MY schedule and the slow meander each day knowing we had a place allowed us not to be in the early-morning crowd, ambled in late in the afternoon after taking advantage of every (known to us) side trip, off-trail church, and inviting cafe/bar along the way. I was comfortable doing it that way. My purist friends (said in a loving tone, of course) did not have many horrible experiences, but did have to run around a bit looking for a bed. Ours was waiting for our arrival. Jus' my opinion....