Albergue Monte Do Gozo, Santiago De Compostela

Very good

The host was very gracious....

Liked: Being in he center of the plaza

Okay for a night but...

Liked: I just needed a place to stay for the night, I don't have anything too positive that is noteworthy. It's not the worst place ever, but it isn't the nicest either. For a night or two, it's doable.
Disliked: The room strongly smelled like humidity, to where it permeated to my clothes. To be fair, there was a storm that night, but I don't think this smell developed in only one night. Maybe something in the room was wet, and the room remained closed without ventilation for too long. I called the front desk, and they suggested maybe it came from the plumbing, which, if true, makes it even worse because it might be an issue on the whole property and not just an individual room. The property has a good setup for festivals and attendees for that kind of event, but I wouldn't consider it as an alternative to a hostal or a private room in a more centric location. Also, there is only one bus route nearby, and you have to go uphill to reach the property. There are no rideshare apps allowed in Santiago, so you have to call a taxi the old-fashioned way. In my case, they didn't answer, so I had to go down the road and hope one with availability drove by me. If you are mostly spending time in the city and don't have a car or don't want to rely and spend money on taxis, stay elsewhere.

Pleasant

Very good

Liked: Cheap and cheerful. Good value for money. Parking space
Disliked: Receptionists had a weird attitude about them

Superb

Liked: Great price, comfortable, location is ok about 2km outside of Santiago.
Disliked: Nothing

Superb

Pleasant

Liked: Immersed in the natureClose to the beginning of the last leg of the CaminoAvailability of breakfast and dinner optionsSpacious room
Disliked: No WiFi in the roomsSince all rooms are groundfloor, it doesn't feel safe to leave windows openSoap dispenser in the shower was empty and never refilles

Exceptional

Adequate but staff was incredibly...

Liked: We stayed in a private room (for two)--it was clean, quiet, and quite adequate. But the whole albergue is like a military encampment with row after row of buildings. Monte de Gozo is a HUGE albergue. The location is on the way to Santiago, but for those of us who had already walked to Santiago, it was a burden to have to take a taxi to return to this albergue. It would make very good sense for Monte de Gozo to provide a return shuttle to Santiago, rather than every person having to hire a taxi. It's a crazy and expensive system, with people having to wait a long time for a taxi ride--and absolutely no help from the staff.
Disliked: The facility was terribly understaffed! We waited in a long line to check-in (even though we had reservations)--outside the albergue for more than 2 hours, with no communication from the staff about what was going on. The staff was apparently not prepared for the influx of guests, I don't know why they didn't call in more help; there were only 2 staff to check in hundreds of guests. Once we were face-to-face with them, they were neither friendly nor helpful, and not at all apologetic.The restaurant that evening offered a very limited menu designed around an Octoberfest theme. The only vegetarian possibility was a lentil soup which they ran out of. Annoyingly loud music blasted from the loudspeakers. It was not a pleasant experience.