Vincent Place in Southampton

The staff are friendly and helpful, and always happy to chat. Rooms are modern and well kept, while the shared areas stay clean and up to a high standard. It’s a great place for students, though a bit pricey. My only real issue is that the rooms can feel expensive for what you get, and sometimes don’t seem like good value. If you can afford it, it’s a great place to be.

Living in this dorm means it’ll be hot and noisy, and you may get hit with an outrageous cleaning fee months after you leave. If you can put up with that, then stay here.

The room I moved into was nothing like the one they showed me. The showroom visit was misleading: they took me to a much bigger room with a kitchen window and said that would be my future room. Hygiene was poor in my room and in the laundry. There was a sauce mark that hadn’t been cleaned when I moved in, and the mop and refrigerator both stank. I had to buy my own cleaning supplies. The washing machine had lots of tissues and dirt inside, and nobody takes care of it.

I was asked while on site to submit an application through their chat, and was told it only showed interest and carried no obligation. A couple of weeks later, after I’d taken no further action, someone from the place called. I said I didn’t know whether or when I’d be coming. Then they tried to charge me the full amount for a year, claiming I’d signed an electronic contract. I had to threaten legal action and respond to their first email right away to stop them holding me responsible without proof. Maybe it was an honest mistake, and perhaps I’m overreacting, but after spending a day trying to explain what seemed obvious, I expected a sincere apology. The way they tried to take advantage felt very unprofessional, as though they thought they could trick people and take their money. The place itself might be great, but after that experience I wouldn’t know, and don’t want to find out.