Parkside Student Residence

The gym was a real highlight: much better equipped than most hotel gyms, with several treadmills and even a boxing bag. There was also an outdoor area, reached through the kitchen at the end of the corridor. Use the disabled door openers to get there. My room was clean and tidy, though a little worn. With both bedrooms in the suite, there’s more space than you’d get in a hotel room. The furniture is practical, with iron bedsteads, and the mattress was okay. A nice duvet would have helped, though as a student I suppose you bring your own. The bathroom was a good size and having a proper bath was nice. I was on the fifth floor, fairly close to the street, and would have preferred a higher one. The air-conditioning was noisy, and I left mine off because the building vent was next to the bedroom. Breakfast had a good selection, but the beans tasted odd, the egg wasn’t hot, and there were no sausages. I’d go back, as long as I remembered this isn’t a hotel, though the price reflects that. I’d forgotten my receipt, but after emailing to ask, I got a copy about a day later and could claim my expenses.

I’m gluten free, so I expected eating here to be tricky. The options were definitely more limited for me, and I skipped the pastry, pasta, and pizza section. Still, they did their best to accommodate me at breakfast, lunch, and dinner, which I appreciated. The staff were really friendly, and I had a good dining experience at Parkside.

The food is really bad. The chefs may be good, but they’re told to make it bland and tasteless, and so much ends up wasted because nobody wants to eat in the dining hall. I’d tell people to save their rent and avoid Parkside. The staff are extremely rude. Sam, who works here, showed no empathy at all and said she didn’t care about international students.

I was subletting at Parkside for a month, and by the last week I’d had enough. There were three fire alarms and building evacuations at 3 am. After the first fire, my room had no electricity or hot water for three days. The elevators kept going out, and once I had to climb to my room on the 21st floor. I moved out a few days before my end date and contacted Parkside several times to ask for compensation for that week. Nobody replied. I later called customer service, and, as I expected, they said there would be no compensation.