In Barcelos Hostel & Guest House

We were walking the Camino to Santiago, and the friendly receptionist looked after our transported bags. We could also leave our luggage for pickup. The room had lots of windows and looked out over the square. The place was clean, right in the center, and breakfast was good. They even gave us fruit to take along.

I know booking the wrong night was my mistake. I noticed as soon as I made the reservation for a dorm bed through Booking while walking the Camino, and within minutes I emailed the guesthouse and messaged them through Booking to ask about cancelling or moving it to the next evening. I heard nothing, then was charged the full price as a no-show the following morning. Not replying to a guest's emails is poor service. They might still have refused my request, but at least they could have responded. A serious business should communicate with its guests. There are billboards with QR codes along the road 20 km south of Barcelos, which give the impression of a professional operation. But based on my experience and their aggressive replies to other Google reviews, I don't think they manage the business maturely or responsibly. Pilgrims passing through Barcelos should stay somewhere else.

We'd already paid for a room, but after seeing our IDs, a woman at the hotel refused to let us in. She spoke very rudely, and we were left without a reservation and with our children. We still don't understand what happened. To us, this hotel is a scam. Avoid it. Their reply called the matter professional, but that's absolutely false. See the response from Booking by email. They made a judgment based only on an ID, before speaking with us. On the phone, they wouldn't let us explain because of their aggressive manner. Don't disrespect us. If you're a shopkeeper, you should know better. I prefer to move on, but customers should know that entering this establishment could be financially and morally damaging.

Andreina was incredibly kind and helped with everything, from getting me an extra towel or hair dryer to finding restaurants and making connections in the community. The accommodation felt safe and comfortable, with lovely balconies, clean showers and good water pressure. Each bed had its own privacy curtain, and there was a big, beautiful kitchen and plenty of shared space.