Salceda Albergue

[sandychehade]

Cheers and buen Camino!

Text edited by moderator as only post by this member was trashing this albergue which is suspicious (a Tripadvisor tactic by competing establishments). The post was not deleted as the thread would disappear and so all the positive posts would be lost.

 

[KiwiNomad06]

I stayed at the albergue part of the hotel, Pousada de Salceda last year and had a wonderful experience. It broke the journey for me between Melide and Monte de Gozo into two nearly equal halves, what I considered to be manageable distances.

I got the last bed in the albergue section and the showers were very good - quite luxurious by albergue standards. They gave out fresh white sheets and a large white towel for those in the albergue, which seemed like heaven. I had great help from the woman in reception who rang ahead to a pension in Santiago to reserve for me in Spanish. The meal that evening was delicious, one of the best pilgrim meals I had anywhere. The wifi worked quite well: I sat outside in the sunshine using it. I met some very friendly Spanish people in the albergue, and there was a very friendly bunch of people from the hotel and albergue who ate the evening meal. None of the hotel people appeared to be the least bit unhappy with their accommodation.

I was more than happy to stay there- it was one of my favourite places in Spain.
Margaret

 

[StuartM]

Where is the albergue? I struggled finding it in Salceda and ended up in a nice but cheap hotel on the main road nearly opposite the bar. I think I only paid 17e or something for the room. The bar across the road did free tapas type food for patrons all night. All in all it was one of the nicest nights of the trip, I was glad of not finding the albergue.

 

[SabsP]

http://caminodesantiago.consumer.es/alb ... de-salceda

This is the one I guess Margaret?

Friends who stayed there said it was a lovely place. And ten euros for a bed in the albergue does seem a fair price.

And regarding OP's remark about spanish tv : Who bothers with tv anyway on the Camino when there's so much else to see and do? And I like the fact that most spanish hostals/ pensions tv only have spanish channels. Real immersion into spanish culture and way of life.... . Watching the Simpsons in a dubbed spanish version is real fun!

 

[Deleted member 3000]

We arrived after the albergue was full, but the room for two was not a lot more than the albergue for two. Ask for a churrasco when you arrive, and the meal will be spectacular.

The shower directed at your navel was novel.

Knowing what you will be getting is the key to satisfaction. When everything is different from your hopes, the place an disappoint.

You find it on faith because the last sign is on the Camino and you cross the highway and just keep going. It is a resort center more than an albergue.

Having arrived with no expectations, we loved it.

 

[KiwiNomad06]

http://caminodesantiago.consumer.es/albergue-pousada-de-salceda
This is the one I guess Margaret?

Yes, that is the place I stayed at and loved. I sat outside by that little pond and just relaxed. And as Falcon says, the meal was quite spectacular. It wasn't just a pilgrim albergue- quite a few of those in the hotel came by car.

I love Falcon's bit about how you 'find it on faith' as you do seem to walk quite a long way down the side road indicated once you cross the main road, with nothing obvious in sight. I asked a Local working outside 'albergue?' And he pointed where I was already going and 50m later it appeared. Going back to the Camino trail in the morning when I was refreshed it didn't seem far at all. Maybe 400-600m at most?
Margaret

 

[Alan Pearce]

Four of us arrived here late in the afternoon last October only to find all rooms were taken. The staff then rang a casa rural on our behalf, who sent a car and picked us up. The casa rural was deep in the woods somewhere, a long way from anywhere, but the meal was lovely and they transported us next morning, past where they had picked us up, to where the camino trail resumed. It cost more than we had been planning on, but it was a great experience, and we were grateful to the albergue staff for their help in finding us somewhere to stay. A couple who arrived there after us decided to keep walking, and ended up having to hike 45 km before they could find a bed.

Alan

Be brave. Life is joyous.

 

[zilla.kzilla]

I stayed there in a private room a couple of nights ago. I had requested a private room when I made the reservation through the host in my previous night's albergue. The bed had just about the best mattress yet - 8 inches of dense foam! Great sleep that night and, yes, the food was great. Only complaint was that the only window was a skylight with no way to open during the warm afternoon nor way to shade before dark so it was bright trying to sleep before 10 p.m.

 

[Stoner1404]

I stayed there with my son last week and had a thoroughly pleasant experience. The owners went out of their way to make us feel welcome and even served some hot empanada and chicken nuggets, free of charge, to those of us in the bar who arrived too late for lunch. The evening meal was really delicious. We had a private room and found the room and the shower to be truly luxurious. Highly recommended!

 

[annakappa]

Considering the original posting and all the subsequent favourable reports, it would almost seem that you are all talking about two different Albergues - which I'm sure isn't the case! Anne

 

[piogaw]

Hola sandychehade,

Is it possible that you have a very high expectation of what a hostal particular (private hostel) or casa rural (b&b) on the el camino de santiago should be like. €10 for dormitory type berth is not excessive. Neither is the price of €40 for a double or twin room. I passed through here during my camino last year and this is a fairly new hostel that opened in 2011.

I am sorry to say that you are expecting too much. Ask any experienced peregrinos and they will tell you the same thing. This is not the ritz, this is just a little albergue in a very small town. Although i did not stayed there, i have read the reviews both in english and spanish on various websites, you are apparently in a minority of one. I feel that i have to speak out in fairness to pousada de salcedo. Obviously you are entitled to your opinion.

 

[naplesdon]

I agree the general location as a mid point between Melide and Santiago is excellent but I ended up walking over the hill to Santa Irene last year (2012) only to find the municipal being renovated. I'm sure it is finished by now and looked like it could become a superior stop on the Camino. I back tracked a little to the private albergue and found a bed and a lovely sunny yard to unwind in, the dinner the owner and her daughter put together is first class.

 

[SYates]

Reading through all this, perhaps it would be a good idea if one of the moderators changes the thread title to something more neutral? SY

 

[PEI_Heather]

We arrived in Salceda last October at around 6:30pm, after a long trek from Palais de Rei. I hadn't slept in three nights (snorers...even through my earplugs) and had a migraine the last one. My walking partner had a guidebook from Germany, which mentioned this hotel/alberque. The alberque was full by the time we got to it, but Santiago (the owner--appropriate name, hey?!) told us he had an overflow room. It was like we'd just won the Arrived In Heaven award! Two beds, clean white sheets and real towels, a closet (we didn't use it but the novelty was great) and a big, clean bathroom all to ourselves! I wasn't hungry but Sebastian headed for the dining room and had an amazing meal. We were charged 7E for the room, which included breakfast. The sleep I had was wonderful and this place was one of the highlights of my Camino. The Camino provides, right?!

 

[Tia Valeria]

We went to 'the other albergue' - I think the OP meant O Meson at Brea. It works on the same principle as Salceda. There is a small private 10 bed albergue and then several rooms in the main house. Costs similar to Salceda and we were very happy there. So were the folk in the albergue itself.

It all depends on expectations.

 

[NoQ]

Surprised to read what the OP has written here.

We stayed here on our penultimate day and thought it was a fabulous albergue. One of the best we encountered on the Camino. It is about 400 metres off the path, so it doesn't feel busy. The place is spotless and has lovely lawns to relax on and shaded benches. The albergue looked very comfortable, though we stayed in one of their double rooms, which was fantastic value for the price. The restaurant is superb and the staff were very friendly in spite of being rather busy.

A great albergue and in a perfect spot, being between Melide and Santiago.

 

[Canucks]

This is fascinating.....an OP that hates the place and every subsequent post loving it. We will try to stay there.

But imagine, offering only Spanish tv in Spain!!! Next I will find out that they only use euros and the residents speak Spanish all the time.

 

[Deleted member 3000]

offering only Spanish tv in Spain

On most controllers you can find English language settings that will give the Disney Channel and "How It's Made" in English!!!

 

[drutherford520]

I am currently walking the Camino Frances and have stayed in such great places from Municipal Albergues to Hotels. I walked into a town yesterday and decided not to push the extra distance. I will leave names out so that no one judges an establishment based on my experience. When I walked in, I thought what a dump. The group did not want to push on so we decided to stay as part of our experience. It turned out to be one of the best experiences. The owner was a great guy and went out of his way cooking for us. I am so glad we decided to stay. By the way, it was by donation. What ever our hearts decided. Can't get that everywhere. I would stay again. Spent more there because the generosity was from his heart.
I haven't found any establishment where the wifi is as perfect as home...suspect it has something to do with the thick stone walls...maybe a higher authority is saying, get out of the room.

Dan from Colorado

Buen Camino

 

[NicoZ]

Hola sandychehade,

Is it possible that you have a very high expectation of what a hostal particular (private hostel) or casa rural (b&b) on the el camino de santiago should be like. €10 for dormitory type berth is not excessive. Neither is the price of €40 for a double or twin room. I passed through here during my camino last year and this is a fairly new hostel that opened in 2011.

I am sorry to say that you are expecting too much. .

At €40 wifi, international TV (Or even just a TV) and even a private bath aren't things you can expect. You'll still find places charging twice that without free Wifi.

A person can complain if they were promised more. They can complain if it was dirty. But unless the hotel claimed to provide WiFI and international TV then Piogaw is right. The problem isn't the hotel.

 

[Yallah]

I thought this place was great! Excellent meal and beautiful grounds. Really lux bathroom and shower in the dormitory. The dorm is a little small, but perfectly adequate. The place does have more the feel of a resort than an albergue, but I found that kind of refreshing.

I get the impression that perhaps the OP arrived wanting a cheap bed and was soured on the place when they could only offer him/her a more expensive private room?

 

[Deleted member 3000]

The OP made just the one post, and has not visited the Forum since May, so only those of us who liked the place seem concerned now! Its reputation has been restored, I think, so future pilgrims can visit without fear.

 

[Tia Valeria]

Maybe the moderators could tweak the thread title to simply read 'Salceda albergue' as it still appears negative to a first time reader.

 

[lisr]

I am here to day, and I have to say that this place is really nice and kind.

 

[piogaw]

i think we better put this topic to rest. one negative comment out of hundreds of positive comment, does this tell you something?
buen camino to all.

 

[William Marques]

I have edited the original post and changed the title. There are so many posts these days that it is difficult for the moderators to track them all. If you spot this kind of thing again please report it and action will be taken.

 

[piogaw]

thank you william for editing the original post. i hope this albergue's reputation has been restored.

buen camino and god bless.