It is the government of Navarra who has forbidden the Colegiata de Roncesvalles to accomodate people in other places than the 183 beds in the restored part of the Monastry.
Up till today they could use much more beds when many pelgrims arrived: 40 beds in the basement, 34 beds in the so-called 'winter-albergue', 80 beds in the 'bordas' on the 'campamento' and even more beds in the old white cabins on the campamento. So on very busy days they could provide a bed for approx. 400 people. Not the best beds, and certainly not the best sanitary services, though the price per bed for these last beds were in relation to the less comfortable situation.
There has been a complaint about the 'campamento' and now the Colegiata is no longer allowed to use the overspill of the beds due to hygienic and health standards. The 80 beds in the 'bordas' are really OK, but the showers and toilets are old. The Colegiata has been waiting already for a few years for a license to build a proper sanitary building and a pilgrims' accomodation on the campamento, but this license has not been given, so up till now the pelgrims who slept there had to use the really old showers and toilets.
Also the 40 beds in the basement have such poor shower and toilet equipment, so therefore these beds cannot be used anymore.
I have been a hospitalero in Roncesvalles two times before, and will be there again next June. We hospitaleros feel very sad with these problems, and are not looking forward to having to send exhausted people away in busy times, knowing we have lots of beds which are not available due to the government .....
As for the left side of the building (somebody mentioned this): up till last year old Spanish people lived there. But there are plans to restore this part of the monastry in a few years, just like they did in 2003 with the part of the albergue which is in use now, in order to accomodate much more pilgrims in a comfortable way.
Buen Camino to you all, maybe I'll see you next June!