Hospedería San Martín Pinario

Great central location and beautiful old building . Room was simple and pleasant - perfect for me. Breakfast was not the best - cafeteria style, auto machine coffee, limited selection of items available - it was extremely busy and if you got up from table to fetch something from the buffet your place setting was likely to be whisked away. On the corridors to the rooms , it was extremely dark and most the automatic sensors for the lights were slow to activate, leaving you flapping your arms in the dark to trigger them.

It is an old monastery. My room was small but clean and had a big window with a good view. Front desk staff was rude

The property from outside looks impressive. The rooms are so horribly cold, the heaters do not get turned on, the double bed is a full size with a flat mattress, and one hard pillow that lays across the entire bed for two people. The front desk man was so rude and harsh, like we were there to bother him because we wanted to check in. The breakfast is included, but they start serving at 7 am, no exception. The dinner has a set menu with a price of 15 € per person. You can not ask for a soup only or share an appetizer. They make you buy the entire menu, for the soup, if you eat it or not, the hours for the restaurant are from 8 pm - 9:30 pm only. They bring one bottle of water and one bottle of wine. There are plenty of great places to stay at in Santiago, this is not one of them.

The Hospedaria is worth it for the location, very central to everything. The staff is friendly and helpful, but upon entering we realize that we are having an experience of living in a XVIth century monastery. The corridors of the rooms have an austere look as if you were entering the cloister. The rooms with the minimum, are small, uncomfortable bed and, as in a monastery, there is no technology (TV). The shower cabin of the wc is very narrow but has good bath towels, shower gel and hairdryer. Breakfast is nice with several options. Honestly, I think there are adaptations of the old to make spaces more pleasant and without taking away the essence and history. San Martin Pinario is situated in the heart of Santiago of Compostela next to the Cathedral. It wasn't a disappointment but it could have been a more welcoming experience. It’s ok for 1 or 2 nights. It has free internet.

I have stayed here at least four times and this time I stayed in the Albergue section as opposed to the hotel. There’s not a lot of difference other than it’s less well maintained. I was happy to stay here as I like the peace and tranquility and the staff are kind. The only thing I missed in the bathroom was a bath mat as the floor gets wet. Pilgrim rooms do vary as some have a table and chair and some just a small school size chair desk. Views vary too but the windows are small and rectangular with views of the hills. There’s one working power plug which takes some hunting around to find on the walls as the obvious one didn’t fit a modern plug. You get one bar of soap and liquid soap is available in a dispenser in the shower which is also a shampoo. There’s no water in the room but you can fill your water bottle from a dispenser just past the reception desk. Breakfast is always included in the price. It’s a buffet with a fair choice but it can get quite busy. There’s a restaurant but the food is a bit hit and miss but it’s quite an experience and the wine has their own label. The bar has comfortable seating and the barman is quite a character.