There are many private shelters kept by people devoted to the pilgrimage's reason. They are almost always clean and comfortable. There are hot showers and places to wash your clothes, boards to messages and advices. Almost always clean and reasonable comfortable. There are, in most shelters, hot showers, places to wash your clothes, murals to leave messages and warnings, guest's book and pilgrim's book where every pilgrim can registrate their impressions.
Hosts are the ones who take care of the shelters.
They are voluntary ex-pilgrims that dedicate their vacations to work at shelters, taking care of their administration. At some shelters we can find priests and in the others citie-hall employees. It's your choice. Nowadays there are traditional places signed as the beginning of the Saint James's route. At the French route, it used to begin at Roncesvalles, in Spain.