Based on some of the reviews, we stayed at the Hotel Gerl, just outside of Salzburg.
I would not recommend this hotel in the summer as there was no air conditioning in the rooms and the temp was over 30 degrees celsius. Our two rooms had a view of the alps, facing west, and with the sizzling sun, it was quite unbearable.

You should also note that there is a difference between a standard room and a comfort room. Be sure to ask for the comfort room. For example, the pictures in the hotel brochure depict a comfort room, and you would not recognize the standard room, much to our surprise. Another example is that in the standard room you don't get a washcloth.

To be fair, the owner and family of this hotel tried their best to make each guest's stay pleasant. Unfortunatley, that did not work out in our case. We couldn't wait to leave. The room described on the internet was not the same as the one we obtained. The manager owner attempted to rectify the situation, however he did not have the two rooms we required. He was very friendly and cordial.

The garden area with the outdoor pool was very nice and a most welcome addition especially with the unseasonable heat. The pool water was refreshingly cool.
The breakfasts were very good with tasteful delights, meats, breads, fruit and other dishes. The dining room was bright and cheerful.

For a budget minded traveller- this hotel is recommended as Salzburg tends to be quite expensive. However, if you want any upscale amenities, I would suggest an alternate hotel.

it was the lady at the tourist info place that suggested the hotel - so we felt safe with that. this was our first visit to austria so had no idea of the standard etc. couldn't have wanted more - we had two nights at the hotel. the room was spacious and clean - had a balcony that looked across to the mountains. the food was good - ate in the hotel one of the evenings - it was basic but good and plenty of it. we wanted to stay a third night but they were full - it was defiantly our loss. it was a short drive to salzburg - a short walk away from two restaurants - lovely and quiet at night.

The staff is very friendly and helpful, they all speak perfect English. Guests can enjoy a spacious garden with a lot of nice facilities for kids to have fun. An indoor and an outdoor swimming pool are also available for free. The breakfast is very good and you have plenty of food articles to choose from.
Although really close to Salzburg (about 6-8 km to the city center) you still need to get from the hotel to the city by car, as no city buses connect the hotel to the city (it seems there are some buses, but they are running every hour...).

After much consultation of Tripadvisor reviews we chose the Hotel Gerl over two others nearby. The location off the motorway makes it extremely easy to get to and it has many visible signs that lead the way. Plenty of free parking is available. We flew into Vienna, arriving around 2pm then drove the roughly 3 hrs to Salzburg, so we were beat upon getting to the hotel. I think the title of my review says it all...these folks were the friendliest of all the places we stayed during our trip. They made us feel welcome immediately. We stayed at the Hotel Gerl for two nights while touring Salzburg. We ate in the restaurant the first night and it was great, especially for our son who is new to international travel and cuisine. The hotel has a nice indoor swimming pool that was a welcome amenity on a cold March day, and there is a sauna as well. The rooms were comfortable, nicely appointed bathroom as well. Yes, the hotel is on a busy road but most activity is likely commuters into Salzburg. Road noise in the room was not an issue. Free wireless is available in the lobby, ask the staff for the password. Later in our trip we stayed at a larger, more modern hotel...but all in all, this hotel was our favorite!