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Deleted member 67185
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In some threads on pre-booking Camino lodging (albergues, hostals, hotels, hostels, etc), using Booking.com or another reservation app is frequently mentioned. The discussion will sometimes then lead to posts about trying to book a place for the night but finding no beds or rooms available for the date or the reservation.
So I thought I'd confirm what many other Forum members have stated prior: That it is typical for lodging facilities to only make a portion of their rooms available for reservations thru the Booking.com-type apps.
Here's my example. When Jill and I finish our pilgrimage on Camino Ingles from Ferrol this October, I wanted to make sure we stay at the same wonderful place in Santiago de Compostela that my son Caleb and I stayed at last October when we finished the Camino Frances.
For the last few days I have tried using several different reservation booking sites to secure a room at the lodging. These included Booking.com, Travelocity, Expedia, Trivago, Hotels.com, etc. Results: nothing, nada, zip. No rooms available, even within 14 days of my desired dates.
It was frustrating because I really wanted to stay at that place again. The staff and accommodations were wonderful. I started looking at other places to stay, and during the time we will be there on October 23 to 25, there were a number of other great choices.
Then I remembered what I already knew. . . . . and I sent an email directly to the place. Not only that, but since Caleb and I really liked the specific room we were staying in, I also asked them to help identify THAT specific room for the reservation (Great location in the old city, a french door opening to a French balcony, great view from above of a busy pedestrian street, very comfortable and spacious room with a great bathroom that has a big shower stall and a separate and looong bathtub, etc).
I got a quick reply - - given the time zone differences -- and they knew which room we had stayed in. Right now I am just waiting to hear back that the reservation has been finalized for that specific room on the days requested in October.
So if you find that the lodging reservation/booking app shows that no rooms are available, don't listen to it. Try directly contacting the place you want to stay at, either thru email, Facebook, or phone. If by phone and you need translating assistance, oftentimes the place you are staying at already can help out.
And no, I am not going to reveal the place; at least not til AFTER I get the confirmation. Besides, there are a lot of great lodgings available in SdC; my choice is somewhat colored not only by the qualities of the place, but also by sentiment.
So I thought I'd confirm what many other Forum members have stated prior: That it is typical for lodging facilities to only make a portion of their rooms available for reservations thru the Booking.com-type apps.
Here's my example. When Jill and I finish our pilgrimage on Camino Ingles from Ferrol this October, I wanted to make sure we stay at the same wonderful place in Santiago de Compostela that my son Caleb and I stayed at last October when we finished the Camino Frances.
For the last few days I have tried using several different reservation booking sites to secure a room at the lodging. These included Booking.com, Travelocity, Expedia, Trivago, Hotels.com, etc. Results: nothing, nada, zip. No rooms available, even within 14 days of my desired dates.
It was frustrating because I really wanted to stay at that place again. The staff and accommodations were wonderful. I started looking at other places to stay, and during the time we will be there on October 23 to 25, there were a number of other great choices.
Then I remembered what I already knew. . . . . and I sent an email directly to the place. Not only that, but since Caleb and I really liked the specific room we were staying in, I also asked them to help identify THAT specific room for the reservation (Great location in the old city, a french door opening to a French balcony, great view from above of a busy pedestrian street, very comfortable and spacious room with a great bathroom that has a big shower stall and a separate and looong bathtub, etc).
I got a quick reply - - given the time zone differences -- and they knew which room we had stayed in. Right now I am just waiting to hear back that the reservation has been finalized for that specific room on the days requested in October.
So if you find that the lodging reservation/booking app shows that no rooms are available, don't listen to it. Try directly contacting the place you want to stay at, either thru email, Facebook, or phone. If by phone and you need translating assistance, oftentimes the place you are staying at already can help out.
And no, I am not going to reveal the place; at least not til AFTER I get the confirmation. Besides, there are a lot of great lodgings available in SdC; my choice is somewhat colored not only by the qualities of the place, but also by sentiment.