Last minute accommodation around the Snowy Mountains during peak ski season is a mixed bag. Your options are mostly limited to very very expensive places that either cater for large groups ($1000 per night split between 4 couples sounds good but not so much for our family of 4) or are just really expensive due to their lavish inclusions or location. We just wanted to show our toddler the snow, not go into debt so the motel accommodation at The Station seemed to fit the bill.

Upon check-in we saw young people were the room cleaners (we called them backpackers but I guess they could have been from anywhere, working to pay for their winter near the ski fields) My husband.noriced them scavenge a bottle of Kahlua from one room (I'm assuming it was a room people had already checked out of but the Inn Keepers Act requires the proprietor to hold onto guests belongings so this bottle wasn't exactly fair game - this was actually advised to guests via a poster by the door!). The backpackers explained why we discovered on our second day the new supply of paper cups in our room (in lieu of mugs with your tea and coffee facilities) included at least one dirty cup we had discarded the day prior (my daughter's initials on the cup the indisputable evidence!) I also felt our belongings were not quite so secure with a transient group responsible for the care of our room. From what I could tell, their only job while a room is occupied is to replace the milk, tea, coffee, sugar and maybe the towels.

The room itself was disappointing but adequate. The layout of beds to sleep six made it feel like a backpacker dorm and the way the toilet, shower and dual bathroom basins were set out confirmed that these rooms are really designed with groups (not families) in mind. There was one chair in the room and though there was plenty of drawer and cupboard space there was no table. My baby was crawling about with staples sticking out of the corner of one of the beds so I had to do some creative housekeeping of my own to make the bed safe. The heating was so good that it was bad... none of us has ever been that hot at night! We turned it right down at night but didn't dare turn it off as we didn't know what temperature we'd wake up to! The room was quite large and the tv and kettle worked fine. The kettle could only be used on a set of drawers, making it the perfect height for the baby and toddler to attempt suicide by. The room was not exactly child friendly with the mini fridge cables there for the playing, too. The lights could not be dimmed so your options were ridiculously harsh or else work by bathroom light.

I guess you can weigh up the pros and cons from that! The place was cheap, reasonably clean and all linen was provided so if you're only looking to spend one or two cheap nights in Jindabyne I reckon you could live with this accommodation unless you're a princess. I wouldn't return unless all the other affordable options are fully booked, which is possible if you're booking at the last minute.

The Station is ideal for groups of young people who may put facilities ahead of comfort. With a bar, buffet and pizza onsite plus ski hire and transport to the skitube available, The Station is exactly the place backpackers and students should head to. Another reason for families to avoid it, perhaps, but we did not encounter any of the noise or rowdiness that might have been expected. The Station also has apartment accommodation but I can't comment on those facilities.

Approximate cost: $110

The Station operates for several years now. It's a good and affordable place to stay when you go to the snow.
We stayed with a group of friends in a cabin and it had all you need to be able to rest after a whole day being on the slopes.
Simple beds, heater, hot water in shower, place to hang your clothes, small fridge and TV. The issues there is that there are paper thin wall with the other cabin so if you get people who likes party hard you will need earplugs otherwise you will get no sleep....
In the resort there is also a restaurant, and they provide buffet like breakfast ($15) and a dinner ($20) and if you feel like you need some more entertainment there is a pub with a live music.
I would say you get what you pay for. Rooms start from $100 per night.

I love how we get our own 'house' when staying here, it's much better than normal rooms. Service is quite good, and sometimes you can get great deals when you buy packages. Food is good too and the great thing is that it's a buffet so you can stack on as much food on your plate as possible and have as many servings as you'd like.