Any positives were cancelled out by this visit. the bedside tables had not been cleaned and had sticky dirty marks, perhaps left by the previous incumbent, also what looked like short curly hair too sitting on the surface. This time the place felt like it just had not been cleaned properly.

The TV reception only allowed viewing of about two free to air channels sufficiently to follow the programme. The airconditioner seemed to take an age to work.

Rather than stay further nights here, chose to move to another hotel in the vicinity.

The best thing about the hotel is the price (<$100 aus). Otherwise, there are mixed feelings. The check-in night staff I met were great and super-helpful, the morning person was good but gave bad directions (fortunately, I ignored her directions). The rooms were comfy and clean, but they were clearly dated and a beat beaten up (AC / heating unit missing cover, e.g.). The rooms were huge, though, had the usual appliances and even a kitchenette if I remember right. It would be a comfy place to spend a few days with kids. There was a little pool in front and a restaurant. Otherwise, there's not much within walking distance, but it's a very short drive to town center. WiFi was available, but not free. There's a McD nearby with free WiFi.

I have stayed at the Sundowner Paddlesteamer twice over the past 3-4 years while en-route to Melbourne. Our decision to stay here was largely based on price, and having stayed here before. The price was around 30% less than on my previous stay, presumably due to the new freeway which bypasses Albury causing reduced demand for rooms.

The ground floor room was clean, comfortable and there was ample parking at the hotel. Check in was friendly and convenient. We arrived after dining had finished, so I drove in to town to get some food to bring back to the room. Our stay was excellent, and on the basis of the room and service I would normally recommend to stay here again.

Unfortunately this hotel has introduced credit card surcharges. I find it deplorable that while hotels enjoy more benefits of credit card use than most other industries (booking guarantees, pre-authorisations, charging for no-shows, charging for late charges, avoiding large cash transactions), the industry has been one of the most bullish industries in Australia to introduce credit card surcharges. It also makes it misleading when comparing prices between different hotels. I go out of my way to avoid providing repeat business to hotels who surcharge, which will definitely cause me to look elsewhere next time I travel through Albury, rather than simply rebooking at the Sundowner Paddlesteamer.

We stopped in Albury for the night on our way north and were positively surprised both by the hotel and the town. It was really good value for $90 with a large well equipped and pleasant room and a great pool. Can't say much about the restaurant as it was closed for the holidays but the city centre is a couple of minutes drive away with nice cafes and restaurants.

Can easily recommend it for both a stopover and a longer stay.