Hi Paul,
I'm not sure what you are looking for in a hostal. Some of the albergues on the routes are new, privately owned, upmarket with modern kitchens, shiny showers, cafeterias and very little atmosphere. These are mostly big - like railway stations - and sleep over 100 people in dormitories of varying sizes. Estella (116 beds) Logrono (80) Ponferrada(160) or Azofra where the albergue is like a modern university campus res and Terradillos de los Templarios where you can choose from a 2 bed to a 20 bed dorm. All very 'nice' and comfortable.
At the other end of the scale are the small, basic albergues - some with no running water, electricity or proper toilets. These are more atmospheric and (for me) have a more spiritual hospitality than the big comfortable hostals.
At Hospital de St Nicholas you sleep in the church and the monks wash your feet. At Manjarin you sleep in a stone barn and the founder, Tomas the Templar, cooks supper and also conducts a Templar ceremony at 11 each morning. At San Bol you wash in a medicinal spring and have your meal cooked by an Italian with Rastafarian locks down to his waist. At La Faba the owner is a German hippie who only serves vegetarian food (grown in the field opposite the albergue) and sells Indian jewellry. Most of these only sleep up to 10 pilgrims, have a donativo dinner, singing and blessings.
In between these two are many municipal or church sponsored albergues , and a few larger 'traditional' refuges like Granon, Tosantos, Bercianos, Ave Fenix that are in churches, old straw and mud buildings and are often run by families who have dedicated their lives to serving pilgrims.
When you ask for recommendations, it would be useful to know what you are hoping to find - modern comforts or basic and traditional.