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Hotels Double or Single?

barryg

Active Member
Time of past OR future Camino
June: Camino Frances from Pamplona
This is probably a stupid question, but are the hotels and casa rurals--the non albergue lodging--double or single occupancy? My wife and I are traveling and I simply assumed the hotel prices that are quoted are for two people. Am I mistaken?

Barry
 
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Usually they are, but most sites specify if the room is for one or two (or three, or four, as Spaniards like to travel in groups and room together). Sites will often also quote a price for an individual using a room for two.
 
If you are booking online the site should ask you the number of people and then the price will be given per room.

When my husband joined me on the Camino, we called the lodging directly and asked for a "matrimonial" room. That's not the honeymoon suite 😉, it just means a bed that can accommodate two. If you ask for a "double" you most likely will get two single beds in one room.

If you're not reserving ahead, still use the same term when you arrive. Albergues may or may not have a matrimonial. Private accomodations should.

In private lodgings we usually asked someone on staff to call on our behalf, using our phone. Every one waved away our phone and quickly took care of the reservation. In an albergue, especially if volunteers run it, the hospitaleros may be too busy to help with so many other things to attend to.

Your Camino is fast approaching. All the best to both of you!
 
St James' Way - Self-guided 4-7 day Walking Packages, Reading to Southampton, 110 kms
In an albergue, especially if volunteers run it, the hospitaleros may be too busy to help with so many other things to attend to.
And then there are hospitaleros like myself, barely confident in our basic Spanish to deal with the pilgrims and make our own reservations. I would not want to try to make anyone else's reservation, for fear of totally screwing up.
 
If you are booking online the site should ask you the number of people and then the price will be given per room.

When my husband joined me on the Camino, we called the lodging directly and asked for a "matrimonial" room. That's not the honeymoon suite 😉, it just means a bed that can accommodate two. If you ask for a "double" you most likely will get two single beds in one room.

If you're not reserving ahead, still use the same term when you arrive. Albergues may or may not have a matrimonial. Private accomodations should.

In private lodgings we usually asked someone on staff to call on our behalf, using our phone. Every one waved away our phone and quickly took care of the reservation. In an albergue, especially if volunteers run it, the hospitaleros may be too busy to help with so many other things to attend to.

Your Camino is fast approaching. All the best to both of you!
Matrimonial must be American Spanish in Spain is Matrimonio referring to double room with one bed.
 
There are often rooms with three single beds, and the price differs whether there are one, two, or three occupants. Same with rooms with two beds, or even a room with one double bed. As a single person, I often got a "double room for a single use" for a lower cost than if two people occupied the room.
 
Last edited:
St James' Way - Self-guided 4-7 day Walking Packages, Reading to Southampton, 110 kms
A tip if you are not booking online, you can sometimes ask some nice Spanish pilgrim or hospitalero to help you call ahead and make a reservation in case you are not confident in your Spanish. I agree with @Albertagirl that Phil and I, while usually able to make ourselves understood on the phone, might screw up your reservation. I am not afraid to make my own reservation now though.
Janet
 
If you are booking online the site should ask you the number of people and then the price will be given per room.

When my husband joined me on the Camino, we called the lodging directly and asked for a "matrimonial" room. That's not the honeymoon suite 😉, it just means a bed that can accommodate two. If you ask for a "double" you most likely will get two single beds in one room.

If you're not reserving ahead, still use the same term when you arrive. Albergues may or may not have a matrimonial. Private accomodations should.

In private lodgings we usually asked someone on staff to call on our behalf, using our phone. Every one waved away our phone and quickly took care of the reservation. In an albergue, especially if volunteers run it, the hospitaleros may be too busy to help with so many other things to attend to.

Your Camino is fast approaching. All the best to both of you!

Do you book online with the hotel or through a 3rd party such as booking.com? Or which app or website do you use to book ahead?

I really just want a hotel the very first night, as we are getting into SJPDP at around 7:30 pm & I’m afraid the municipal albergue will be full. The rest of the Camino we want to stay in either parish or municipal albergues. Thanks so much for your advice!
 
St James' Way - Self-guided 4-7 day Walking Packages, Reading to Southampton, 110 kms
Do you book online with the hotel or through a 3rd party such as booking.com? Or which app or website do you use to book ahead?

I really just want a hotel the very first night, as we are getting into SJPDP at around 7:30 pm & I’m afraid the municipal albergue will be full. The rest of the Camino we want to stay in either parish or municipal albergues. Thanks so much for your advice!
I stayed in Gite Bidean, which is an albergue with a few double rooms with ensuite. They have an optional communal dinner, which was very good. I booked it via booking.com.
 
A tip if you are not booking online, you can sometimes ask some nice Spanish pilgrim or hospitalero to help you call ahead and make a reservation in case you are not confident in your Spanish. I agree with @Albertagirl that Phil and I, while usually able to make ourselves understood on the phone, might screw up your reservation. I am not afraid to make my own reservation now though.
Janet

Thanks for your reply. I confess I don’t know what a hospitalero is, but you sound like someone who knows the Camino. Do you know how likely it is that I would get a bed at the municipal albergue in SJPDP if I arrive at 7:25 At night on August 14th. Pretty specific, I know.
 
The focus is on reducing the risk of failure through being well prepared. 2nd ed.
Do you book online with the hotel or through a 3rd party such as booking.com? Or which app or website do you use to book ahead?

Barry, do whichever is most convenient. If the hotel website has a booking form or an email contact, that would be my preference. If not, I have used booking.com very successfully and many others have as well.

As far as the albergue having space when you arrive, I guess no one can really say. My understanding is the Pilgrim Office stays open until the last train or bus of the day arrives, and they will help you find a bed. But at that point your only option is to take what is available.

If it were me, I would have a confirmed reservation ahead of time, just because after a long flight and a long day I'm more concerned about getting in and getting settled and, hopefully, getting some sleep before heading out for my first day. But that's just me. Others will offer different advice!

A hospitalero/a is the person who runs the albergue. In municipals, parochials, and association-run albergues, they will usually be volunteers. The same term is usually used for private albergues, and whoever is there is often the owner or family member. In all cases, it's pretty much a labor of love.

I hope that helps with some of your questions. 😊
 
No, I think it's my garbled Spanish.🤷‍♀️ 😛 Thanks for the correction. It will help others as well. 😊
Matrimonial is also a Spanish word that means relative to matrimonio. Threrefore it could be used in this context. In fact, if I google "habitación matrimonial" there are sites, that I think are from Latinamerica.
But in Spain the way is "habitación de matrimonio".
 
The 2024 Camino guides will be coming out little by little. Here is a collection of the ones that are out so far.
What’s the best app for booking hotels & casa rurals


Do take a look at the listing on Gronze.


Do try to book directly with the hostals. pensions. Those bookingsites make too much profit anyway!
 
There are two problems with the booking sites that may mean that you either pay more or there is apparently no available space when you try to book. Because the booking sites have to get their profit, they add it onto the price of your booking. So the manager of the accommodation is likely to only release some of the rooms to booking.com or other booking sites. When you try to book, you will get a message that there is nothing available for your date. But if you book directly, a room will sometimes be available, often at a lower price. I search booking.com for information about what accommodation is available in a particular area. I set it to show the cheapest first, then after I look at their information, I search Google to see if the place has its own website or email and book through there. Of course, some good places to stay may not use booking sites, so you can also try gronze.com, which gives information about some available accommodation at locations on the camino, but is not a booking site. Be warned that booking.com will list, after the accommodation in the immediate vicinity of where you want to stay, other places some distance away. They will show this, but you may not expect it. For simplicity: just one night in SJpdP, you can safely book through booking.com, if you are willing to pay the listed charge. I have never had any problem with their bookings, and cancellations made before the required date have always gone through without a problem. Buen camino.
 
I would not assume anything.
I would be sure they know you are booking for DOS personas.
Also, a doble usually means two twin beds.
A matrimonial is one bed, what we'd call a double bed in the USA.
But a double in Europe is just that. If you are from the USA and are used to a King size bed you will probably have to get used to being cozy together 😆
 
Get a spanish phone number with Airalo. eSim, so no physical SIM card. Easy to use app to add more funds if needed.
My beef about the matrimonio bed is that often times it comes with ONE long pillow. My husband and I wrestle with each other for the pillow. :rolleyes: Therefore we almost always ask for the "doble," or "dos camas" to be sure! Each gets his own bed AND their own pillow. 😂
I've wondered what percentage of divorces in Spain are due to the single bed pillow. 😂😂😂
 
This is probably a stupid question, but are the hotels and casa rurals--the non albergue lodging--double or single occupancy? My wife and I are traveling and I simply assumed the hotel prices that are quoted are for two people. Am I mistaken?

Barry
I think it is for single if not stated by you that it is for two people.
 
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Hi,
I stayed last year at the Municipal albergue in SJPP.
It was full by 3pm and that was in September so I recommend booking.
 
Normally the prices of a Hotel or Casa Rural are per room. Only in a dormitory style of accomodation the price is per person/bed.

A "cama de matrimonio" in Spain is a single bed for two persons and is only 140 cm to 150 cm wide. So better ask for "dos camas".

"Literas" are bunk beds. There you can specify if you want a "cama de arriba" or a "cama de abajo" (upper/lower bed).
 
Normally the prices of a Hotel or Casa Rural are per room. Only in a dormitory style of accomodation the price is per person/bed.

A "cama de matrimonio" in Spain is a single bed for two persons and is only 140 cm to 150 cm wide. So better ask for "dos camas".

"Literas" are bunk beds. There you can specify if you want a "cama de arriba" or a "cama de abajo" (upper/lower bed).
I do a lot of searching on booking.com and one of the questions in the on-line form is how many people will be occupying the room. The site is set for two adults and no children, with the option of adding children or adding or subtracting adults. Since I travel alone, I insert the date in the on-line form and subtract the second adult, after I have chosen the place to stay. So the price per room varies according to whether one or two (or more) adults or children will be occupying the room. Most often, I occupy a single bed in a room which contains a second single bed.
 
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Do you book online with the hotel or through a 3rd party such as booking.com? Or which app or website do you use to book ahead?

I really just want a hotel the very first night, as we are getting into SJPDP at around 7:30 pm & I’m afraid the municipal albergue will be full. The rest of the Camino we want to stay in either parish or municipal albergues. Thanks so much for your advice!
I always use booking.com to book privates unless I’ve established a relationship over the years, in which case I email the lodging directly.
 
Normally the prices of a Hotel or Casa Rural are per room. Only in a dormitory style of accomodation the price is per person/bed.
In Spain this isn't always or usually true.
As a solo traveler I quite often am given either a room with two beds or a room with a double bed or even a room with three at a lower price "for single use". If I were to ask another pilgrim to share the room with me the cost would go up.
 
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Hi trecile,

I referred to the prices quoted in guidebooks. They are normally per room and differ between individual and double rooms (in some cases the price mentioned for a single is the price they charge for a room for single use, as many hostales do not have single rooms).

If you were offered a double or triple room for single use and later some fellow pilgrims arrive with whom you are willing to share the room, the price for the room will rise, but your individual costs will go down, as the difference is normally calculated on the efforts of changing the bedding and towels and a breakfast (if offered and included in the price).

BC
Alexandra
 
Technical backpack for day trips with backpack cover and internal compartment for the hydration bladder. Ideal daypack for excursions where we need a medium capacity backpack. The back with Air Flow System creates large air channels that will keep our back as cool as possible.

€83,-
I referred to the prices quoted in guidebooks. They are normally per room and differ between individual and double rooms (in some cases the price mentioned for a single is the price they charge for a room for single use, as many hostales do not have single rooms).
I agree. There is lots of helpful information in this thread but I also want to add that in my experience, when booking on Booking.com or on the website of a hotel or CR, it is crystal clear what you pay for, whether it's a room as such, a room for just one person, a room for just two persons and so on, no matter what the actual configuration of beds in the room is and no matter whether the hotel or CR has a particular pricing policy depending on the number of people as related to the number of beds in a room or not.

The prices in guidebooks are usually indicative but there are (also usually) icons next to the price or and an explanation at the beginning of the guide that tells you what the prices refer to.

When I phone or email I indicate clearly what I want: una habitación para dos personas or una habitación para una persona. I rarely bother to indicate whether I want separate beds or not. My impression is that this king size queen size stuff is alien to us here - not only in Spain but in many other European countries, too 😊. So my advice would be to not just ask for a room but always indicate the number of persons as well.
 
Most of the double or matrimonial beds in Spain seemed to be more like what we call a 3/4 bed in Canada, pretty small for 2 people, especially if you are average or larger size. Frequently the “2 camas” are 2 singles pushed together, my couple friends found that the best option
 
This is probably a stupid question, but are the hotels and casa rurals--the non albergue lodging--double or single occupancy? My wife and I are traveling and I simply assumed the hotel prices that are quoted are for two people. Am I mistaken?

Barry
Hi Barry, I am mexican let me help you...you should say...
-Buenos días (good morning)...
-Tiene disponible una habitación de matrimonio para el día ______(arrival date) ? Matrimonial is not correct in spanish
Or
-Tiene habitaciones privadas con cama grande (that means private room with doble bed) ?
Hope it helps you...
Enjoy your trip...BUEN CAMINO 🎉👣🎉👣🎉
 
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