LOGROÑO – The new entity in charge of managing the Municipal Pilgrims Hostel of Logroño He wanted to reduce the tension generated after the change in management of the historic Jacobean accommodation and ensures that the entire process has been developed with total transparency and in accordance with the law.
The person responsible for the management of the hostel, Maite Moreno, of the Spanish Federation of Associations of Friends of the Camino de Santiago, has responded to the controversy that arose after the Federation replaced the Rioja Association of Friends of the Camino, who had run the shelter for more than three decades.
Moreno wanted to settle any controversy by clearly stating that "we have done things well", defending that the Federation simply participated in a public procedure convened by the Logroño City Council and obtained the highest score among the entities presented.
The change in management caused an intense debate within the Jacobean world. The Rioja Association expressed its disagreement with the municipal decision and even announced the presentation of an appeal, arguing that its experience of more than thirty years at the head of the shelter had not been sufficiently valued.
For its part, the City Council explained that the modification of the management model responded to the adaptation of current regulations, which requires this type of services to be awarded through open procedures, guaranteeing the principles of publicity, transparency and competitive competition.
After being closed for several months to carry out improvement works financed with European funds, the Municipal Pilgrims Hostel reopened its doors on July 1, completely renovated and with capacity for 68 pilgrims. From that moment on, the Federation officially assumed the management of both the shelter and the Fielato Tourist Information Point.
The new management ensures that its priority is to offer a close welcome and keep alive the traditional spirit of the Camino de Santiago. Among the first initiatives, the welcoming of pilgrims with water with lemon, fruit and personalized information about Logroño and the next stage of the journey stands out. French Way, also maintaining the hospitality model based on voluntary donations.
The Federation recalls that it has extensive experience in managing Jacobean hostels in different parts of Spain and that its network of volunteer hospitalists It constitutes one of the fundamental pillars of the service offered to walkers.
While the debate between both entities continues, the new manager insists that her objective is not to fuel the controversy, but to focus on what is really important: offering the best possible care to the thousands of pilgrims who cross Logroño every year on their way to Santiago de Compostela.
With the high season of Camino de Santiago In full development, the hostel is once again one of the main reception points for the French Way, a key infrastructure to guarantee the hospitality and rest of pilgrims who travel one of the busiest routes in the world.
