Casa El Arbol in La Faba
I've just returned home from my third walk and first I want to thank the forum members who helped me plan.
My only negative lodging experience -- nothing overtly dangerous, just unpleasant -- was at Casa El Arbol in La Faba.
But now I see a report of sexual harassment by the owner. The thread SOLO WOMEN TRAVELERS, where the attack was described, has been closed. So I want to add my voice -- to counter all those great online reviews.
I emailed for a single room reservation and the owner offered me a "king size" bedded room at an excellent price.
Upon arrival I went to the bar to check in. There was a woman cooking and another woman serving. I stood there for at least twenty minutes, regularly asking for help, and was completely ignored and then only grudgingly helped when I pleaded that I was very tired and desperately needed the room.
I checked into the room (with ordinary double -- there are no king beds in Europe) and found blood stains on the sheet and pillowcase. The housekeeper showed me that her bruised knuckles had caused the blood, and changed the sheets. But the stains were very obvious and I wondered whether she'd noticed them and just let them go.
No towel. The unfriendly woman from check-in explained that towels cost extra. I replied that with a private room a towel should be included. She returned with a towel.
There is one bathroom for all the rooms. That means ONE room, with ONE door, containing one open bathtub, sink, and toilet for ten beds. The wait even to use the toilet can be very long. The shower didn't work properly, until I heard someone complain.
The owner scheduled a salsa concert outside "for the peregrinos." The music was good but very loud, and it didn't stop until 10:30. I'm sure it disturbed early-rising pilgrims at the refugio as well as us.
Very loud rock music plays all the time in the bar/restaurant. At 7am, when you're contemplating a meditative mountain walk over coffee, it's particularly off-putting.
People rave about the "gastrobar" food. What they don't say is that the owner continually tries to remove your plate before you're done, presumably to turn over the table.
On their own, any of these complaints would be minor annoyances. The Camino rightly asks us to go with the flow. I don't like to use the term "customer service" to describe the hosting we receive as peregrinos, but this experience was simply SO negative compared to every albergue and hotel I've visited, over four years. My sense is that, with the increase in walkers and demands for accoms, the owner decided to get into the albergue act but thinks being a hospitalero means no more than setting aside some rooms to supplement his restaurant income.
Most important, I must have felt unsafe, because I blocked my door with furniture before I went to sleep.
And now, to hear this very troubling report about the owner's behavior, I feel compelled to add my voice. At the least, the vibe is bad; at worst, the place is unsafe.
