BROWNCOUNTYBOB
Active Member
- Time of past OR future Camino
- Camino Frances: 2015, 2017, 2019, 2021
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I suppose two instances does not create a trend, but to advise fellow pilgrims that make advance room reservations . . . Today, I received notice from Booking.com that a room reservation I made some time ago was cancelled by the private albergue without explanation. Fortunately I was able to make an alternate reservation at a place we stayed at in 2019. Three weeks ago, the same thing happened; our room reservation on Booking.com was cancelled without explanation. There were no available private rooms nearby, so we shortened our hike that day to stay in another town, which lengthened our hike the following day. Crossing my fingers that there are not additional room cancellations for our upcoming camino! Bob
I had this happen with a booking in St Jean. Just a few days before arrival.
They cancelled my booking because they had a large tour group book in!
They actually told me that!!
Won't be staying there again........
Yup nothing like a Camino to bring out the Soviet Central planner in me - the gods own joke as I know that the best laid plans rarely survive when faced with reality. That said I've bookings for every night from Lisbon to Porto starting this Saturday.I've thought about this. I have most of my stops for next month booked through Booking.com, but a couple of reservations are simply through email with little proof of confirmation. Undoubtedly, this will be an interesting year with reduced capacities and short staffing in many places.
I am a planner. Someone who doesn't just plan but has backup plans in place. This is where I'll need to adjust. I hope to be at a place when I arrive in Spain that, no matter what happens, I'll remember that I'm on Camino and there will be some hiccups. Nothing some red wine and some sleep won't make a little better.
We had the same thing happen to-us once inSJPdP!I had this happen with a booking in St Jean. Just a few days before arrival.
They cancelled my booking because they had a large tour group book in!
They actually told me that!!
Won't be staying there again........
Happened to me too. Twice.I suppose two instances does not create a trend, but to advise fellow pilgrims that make advance room reservations . . . Today, I received notice from Booking.com that a room reservation I made some time ago was cancelled by the private albergue without explanation. Fortunately I was able to make an alternate reservation at a place we stayed at in 2019. Three weeks ago, the same thing happened; our room reservation on Booking.com was cancelled without explanation. There were no available private rooms nearby, so we shortened our hike that day to stay in another town, which lengthened our hike the following day. Crossing my fingers that there are not additional room cancellations for our upcoming camino! Bob
I haven’t been canceled yet but there is definitely a shortage of rentals. We also had to cut one day short by 6 miles because rooms were all booked.I suppose two instances does not create a trend, but to advise fellow pilgrims that make advance room reservations . . . Today, I received notice from Booking.com that a room reservation I made some time ago was cancelled by the private albergue without explanation. Fortunately I was able to make an alternate reservation at a place we stayed at in 2019. Three weeks ago, the same thing happened; our room reservation on Booking.com was cancelled without explanation. There were no available private rooms nearby, so we shortened our hike that day to stay in another town, which lengthened our hike the following day. Crossing my fingers that there are not additional room cancellations for our upcoming camino! Bob
Something similar happened to me once in Zubiri. This new small pension was run by a younger man (who had a day job) and his mother. They had two rooms - one had two twin beds ( which I-had a printed booking for) and the other room had only a double bed.Happened to me too. Twice.
DO NOT BOOK AT BOOGALOW in Gijon....they cancelled my room and put me in a lower quality room just bc someone else wanted the room I booked! They do not honor resevations apparently!
That works well during a normal year, but during a pandemic I would be inclined to reserve a day or two ahead.Maybe i am a dinosaur...i hardly ever book...if i do not find a place i move on...God and his little helper Santiago.. provides ;-)
Yikes!I had this happen with a booking in St Jean. Just a few days before arrival.
They cancelled my booking because they had a large tour group book in!
They actually told me that!!
Won't be staying there again........
Less chance of them canceling if you’ve paid.If you have paid for the room on Booking.com, would they potentially still cancel or just when you reserve?
Times have changed, and are changing all the time, so it might be a couple of years before the Camino returns to "normal". This is what Spain recommends:
Booking albergues on the Camino
It should be noted that only 50% of the spots will be available compared to what they have offered in other years, since they have had to adapt to the new security and hygiene rules: limiting space, equipment and public spaces, so one of the changes derived from this ‘new normal’ after Covid-19 is the strong recommendation to book ahead a place at albergues or other types of accommodation. This will ensure that you find available spots and open places.
This year much of the accommodation along the Camino may not be open, and most will have a bed limit, so we suggest making sure beforehand of the places where you want to spend the night. You can find a list with over 4.000 albergues, hotels and hostels on the Correos website, with phone numbers and e-mail addresses so you can plan ahead. www.elcaminoconcorreos.com/en/accommodations
The Xunta de Galicia has created a website where you can check availability and book a place at public albergues. (https://alberguesxacobeo.gal/) There is a phone number, as well: (+34) 881 250 888.
According to the Consellería, pilgrims will now be able to book a reservation from the day before to 1pm of the same day. From then on, if there are remaining spots, they will be available for pilgrims who arrive without a reservation.
The Asociación de Albergues Privados de Galicia (Agalber) has created a map and listing of all all albergues that will be available throughout the different Caminos during the winter months. You can check it out here on their interactive map with the location and contact of the Network of Safe Albergues https://www.amcsantiago.com/. This map is updated weekly including all available albergues.
I suppose two instances does not create a trend, but to advise fellow pilgrims that make advance room reservations . . . Today, I received notice from Booking.com that a room reservation I made some time ago was cancelled by the private albergue without explanation. Fortunately I was able to make an alternate reservation at a place we stayed at in 2019. Three weeks ago, the same thing happened; our room reservation on Booking.com was cancelled without explanation. There were no available private rooms nearby, so we shortened our hike that day to stay in another town, which lengthened our hike the following day. Crossing my fingers that there are not additional room cancellations for our upcoming camino! Bob
I would love to have your problems of cancelled accommodation on the Camino. Living in Australia we are unable to leave the country and overseas travel to a European destination may be another six months away. Yes I’ve been vaccinated, however our Government is playing it overly safe and keeping our country like a fortress. To a keen world traveller like myself it’s difficult staying home. Enjoy your journey.I suppose two instances does not create a trend, but to advise fellow pilgrims that make advance room reservations . . . Today, I received notice from Booking.com that a room reservation I made some time ago was cancelled by the private albergue without explanation. Fortunately I was able to make an alternate reservation at a place we stayed at in 2019. Three weeks ago, the same thing happened; our room reservation on Booking.com was cancelled without explanation. There were no available private rooms nearby, so we shortened our hike that day to stay in another town, which lengthened our hike the following day. Crossing my fingers that there are not additional room cancellations for our upcoming camino! Bob
I agree. I can't remember booking on the Camino. This year I was going to, but couldn't because the rules kept changing. I think maybe the lesson here is don't book and have a traditional Camino experience. I have never booked and never been without na bed. Maybe it will be different this year. I guess, I'm betting on the hope that it won't.Maybe i am a dinosaur...i hardly ever book...if i do not find a place i move on...God and his little helper Santiago.. provides ;-)
I agree. I can't remember booking on the Camino. This year I was going to, but couldn't because the rules kept changing. I think maybe the lesson here is don't book and have a traditional Camino experience. I have never booked and never been without na bed. Maybe it will be different this year. I guess, I'm betting on the hope that it won't.
I suppose two instances does not create a trend, but to advise fellow pilgrims that make advance room reservations . . . Today, I received notice from Booking.com that a room reservation I made some time ago was cancelled by the private albergue without explanation. Fortunately I was able to make an alternate reservation at a place we stayed at in 2019. Three weeks ago, the same thing happened; our room reservation on Booking.com was cancelled without explanation. There were no available private rooms nearby, so we shortened our hike that day to stay in another town, which lengthened our hike the following day. Crossing my fingers that there are not additional room cancellations for our upcoming camino! Bob
It may be coincidence but one of my booking.com reservations was cancelled yesterday also (Casa Lixa Hotel Rural Albergue). Luckily I was able to find a replacement booking. It’s a bit tough finding economical accommodations in some of the towns.
According to the title of the thread, yes.Are these cancellations at private places/hotels?
What I get from this is that you can't trust any reservation you make even if you paid upfront. I think we have to understand that walking any camino this year and next will be much more expensive and that you might have to stay in the more expensive hotels when you reach town. All the places that had to close are trying to recoup the money they lost and some are not beyond cancelling a booking because a better one came along. Not an honest thing to do but sadly understandable.
Are these cancellations at private places/hotels?
That’s very interesting… the same thing happened to me yesterday. I had a private room booked for this September 2021 in Las Herrerias and I got an email saying my reservation has been cancelled by the property!
If you have paid for the room on Booking.com, would they potentially still cancel or just when you reserve?
You also have to be careful of booking.com as there were many times they showed nowhere to stay in a town but when I phoned up the hotels, there were plenty of spaces. Happened to me on the Portuguese and the Ingles. When I spoke to one hotelier about it they said that they were only allowed to show a small number of rooms as available and those went quickly.
That's not unusual. The albergues, pensions, hotels, etc. don't make all of their rooms available to Booking.com, hotels.com, Expedia, etc.You also have to be careful of booking.com as there were many times they showed nowhere to stay in a town but when I phoned up the hotels, there were plenty of spaces.
When I walked the Frances is 2018 I often made a point of selecting albergues that were not on booking.com. I figured (usually correctly), the Booking ones would fill up first and I stood a better chance of just showing up at a place that didn't use online services. They were some of my best experiences-- often family-run, easier to snare a bottom bunkIn travelling round Portugal--not as a peregrino but as a casual, and penny-conscious traveller, I've found a lot of the smaller places don't actually use booking.com. They tend to cater to Portuguese travellers rather than foreign ones, I suspect many times because of the perceived language barrier and their lack of confidence talking to non-Portuguese-speakers.
These places tend to focus on workers, doing jobs in smaller towns for a week or two, and needing a place to stay in the meantime. They're usually small, extremely clean, very reasonablly priced, and entirely adequate for a night's sleep.
In my experience, if you arrive, having noticed their (usually small) sign outside the business, fumble your way through asking for a room, and they have space, they're overjoyed to be getting the extra business, I've found.
I don't know if Spain is the same, but I'd think so. Some of my best travel experiences have come from situations like this!
When I walked the Frances is 2018 I often made a point of selecting albergues that were not on booking.com. I figured (usually correctly), the Booking ones would fill up first and I stood a better chance of just showing up at a place that didn't use online services. They were some of my best experiences-- often family-run, easier to snare a bottom bunk, and the vibe just seemed friendlier all around.
Hi there. As a co-owner with my wife of a B&B style accommodation in Huelva Province of Andalucia and a client of Booking.com, I know that it is very difficult to just cancel a reservation made by a client. In the normal course of events one has to pay for your client's accommodation in a comparable lodging close to your house. That Booking.com are just allowing these cancellations without any comment suggests that the accommodation has been removed from the Booking site because the owners have stopped providing accommodation. I fear that these are straws in the wind and that the true devastating effect of the COVID pandemic upon accommodation in Spain and not just on the Camino is still to be appreciated. The economic importance of the Camino, especially to villages, towns and cities on the Frances, is so overwhelming that it is inevitable that subsidies must be forthcoming from central government and/or the regional governments. Fingers crossed.I suppose two instances does not create a trend, but to advise fellow pilgrims that make advance room reservations . . . Today, I received notice from Booking.com that a room reservation I made some time ago was cancelled by the private albergue without explanation. Fortunately I was able to make an alternate reservation at a place we stayed at in 2019. Three weeks ago, the same thing happened; our room reservation on Booking.com was cancelled without explanation. There were no available private rooms nearby, so we shortened our hike that day to stay in another town, which lengthened our hike the following day. Crossing my fingers that there are not additional room cancellations for our upcoming camino! Bob
Denise, one of the two cancelations was at Casa Lixa Hotel Rural Albergue in Las Herrerias, just like you. So possibly it shut down. The other cancellation was at Hostel El Palomar in Atapuerca. Bob
That sounds plausible.Casa Lixa got new owners and are officially opening today. That is probably the confusion.
It says: "This property isn’t taking reservations on our site right now" on Booking.com. I hope this is not a bad omen. I have fond memories of the couple who owned and managed El Palomar in Atapuerca when we stayed there in 2018. Their former website has also been inactivated.The other cancellation was at Hostel El Palomar in Atapuerca
I am not drawing such conclusions for the Camino Frances yet! There was a report on FB from an American pilgrim who had stayed at Refuge Orisson a few days ago. They were 10 guests and it was the highest number of pilgrims staying at the place this year!Draw your own conclusions!
You also have to be careful of booking.com as there were many times they showed nowhere to stay in a town but when I phoned up the hotels, there were plenty of spaces. Happened to me on the Portuguese and the Ingles. When I spoke to one hotelier about it they said that they were only allowed to show a small number of rooms as available and those went quickly.
If they said that they are not allowed to show all their rooms it must be true.When I spoke to one hotelier about it they said that they were only allowed to show a small number of rooms as available and those went quickly.
That sounds plausible.
Also good to learn that when an owner has a good reason to cancel a Booking.com booking they are responsible for finding alternate accommodations for the guests. So there are some advantages for customers when using the often criticised Booking.com ... not to mention the customer-friendly booking conditions especially along the Camino Frances where you don't have to pre-pay and can usually cancel your booking until the last minute without penalty.
I understand this plea and it is good that you mention it.if I take out the middleman, people on the ground reap much more benefit.
I understand this plea and it is good that you mention it.
OTOH, the middleman offers a useful service (information, reaching a larger pool of customers, ease of booking and cancelling for the customer), and both property owner and guest benefit from it. Whether the commission is too high and the market dominance too big, is something I cannot judge because I don't understand much of business anyway.
I sometimes forget the title when reading through all of the responses. Love you too.According to the title of the thread, yes.
Me too, all bookings made with option to cancel (generally 2 days before arrival date) so I can be flexible. I just want the security this year especially of knowing I have something private. If you book regularly with them, you get Genius rates which can be a savings of 15 - 20% as well.I used Booking.com to make around 70% overnights for our upcoming Camino Frances. I've generally found their processes and communications to be very good. This is the third time we are making advance reservations and we've only experienced a few minor issues. I rarely pay in advance. This trip there is only one reservation that is non-refundable, but we've stayed there before and it is a risk worth taking. I anticipate that this fall there will be a huge number of pilgrims and therefore shortage of beds for those that do not make advance reservations. Bob
True, I have noticed that more and more with camping in the past few years. I think with Covid and all the restrictions camping has been the "go-to" vacation plan. I don't know about other countries but in Canada RV sales have gone through the roof. Everyone bought an RV and the parks are full and that is with the border being closed between Canada and the US. But on the other hand, if you are looking to buy an RV - in the next couple of years, there will be some great second hand deals.It seems to me that the need for reservations creates a vicious cycle. Not only on the Camino, but national parks, and other popular destinations. As more and more people make reservations, it becomes more necessary to make one yourself or else take a chance of not having a place to stay. Then the situation progresses so that you have make reservations farther and farther in advance in order to secure a spot. Eventually it becomes impossible to do anything spontaneously.
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