Staying in St Jean Pied de Port-bad experience in a hostel

[julianshelley]

while we had an amazing time walking the Camino i would just like to mention a very unpleasant experience we encountered on our travels. Every Auberge/hostel we stayed in was amazing apart from one hostel in St Jean... The name was "SUR LE CHEMIN AU CHANT DU COQ", I feel a little bad mentioning it here but really feel that fellow pilgrims should avoid staying here. The owner was most abusvive. On arrival we were told by her son that the price would be 15 Euros between us. The owner came into the room for payment after we had taken a shower and we explained that we thought it was 15 E between us. She said that it was 15 Euros each. By this time I had given her 15 euros and she was unwilling to return it. We explained very diplomatically that will have to leave. She started shouting saying "don't you like my house!" and "you will remember me". We found the whole incident most unpleasant and we really felt that she was blatantly trying to exploit Pilgrims. Just a word of warning be careful!
Hate to be negative about what was such an amazing experience but think fellow travellers should be warned.

 

[Anniesantiago]

Do you speak Spanish?

I wonder if it could have been a language misunderstanding? $15/person isn't really too much in SJPP during high season?

Although this webpage states 7 Euro per person (I think?)

http://www.caminosantiago.org/cpperegri ... ergues.asp

 

[MichaelB10398]

Annie, you are correct that the cost quoted was 7 Euro per night per pilgrim. It is not being negative, but rather sharing your experience so that other pilgrims are warned and will be more careful. The Camino is a personal journey for each of us. Along the Way we will meet many people who go out of their way to serve us or to facilitate our walk. We should never forget that each is human just like us and though at most times they choose the right, at other times they choose badly.

Thank you for sharing your experience and now you can let it go and focus on all the good you experienced. You did the right thing.

Continued peace,

Michael

 

[Anniesantiago]

I agree it's good to share this information, good and/or bad.

We had an experience in Ferreiros where a fellow pilgrim bought the table a bottle of wine.
We WATCHED him pay for it.
After he drank his glass, he left the bottle to us and continued walking.
When we got ready to leave, the innkeeper made us pay AGAIN for the bottle.
We protested at first, then just figured she must need the money if it was making her tell a lie, so one of the pilgrims paid her the second time for the bottle and we tried to leave with a blessing.

But the good experiences far outweigh the bad, happily.