The Courtrooms, Bristol

Review about the heat and musty smell is right on the money. Can also agree on the 22 pound pay out for weeks of FREEZING showers (the shower is now just nearly unbearable hot, but it's improved so I guess I can't complain). That hilariously low payment also came with a time limit of a few weeks and required a British bank account - because screw international students, I guess. They are currently doing the most unbearably loud and invasive renovations. Be prepared to be kicked out of your room into -4 degree weather for 8+ hours during FINALS WEEK! It feels like there is little to no respect for the fact that some of us are here to study, learn, and live. I never leave angry reviews like this but I am genuinely so tired of it. The loud drilling, loud conversations outside your doorway, the hammering, the dust and smell and sweaty workman body odor inside of your room, in your sheets and seeping into your stuff - get ready for it all! What a joke, seriously. One, ONE of the staff members at the front desk is absolutely lovely and warm and inviting - but does that make it better? Hardly. Only just makes me run here to complain. It seriously sucks, guys.

Ventilation is awful, so the whole building is hot and smells musty. Persistent drain problems means some en-suites permanently smell awful. All my bedroom lights were broken from day 1 of moving in and still haven’t been fixed after asking repeatedly. Some kitchens are much bigger than others for the same price, it’s basically a lottery to get a decently sized living space. There was no hot water for nearly 2 weeks and we only received £22 each as compensation. Location is great, but does not justify the ridiculous rent prices.

Bike was stolen from the 'secure' bike storage facility

The staff of The Courtroom are very friendly and responsible. They always respond to my emails very soon and help me to deal with problems timely. Although some of residents are very noisy, the Night Team responds very quickly to stop them even at dead of night.

My experience of living in the Courtrooms for one year has been pleasant however this is not to say there are some fundamental problems with this university accommodation. As a result, I would not recommend this university accommodation as there are much better halls of residence. The location however is a huge positive to the courtrooms as it is a short walk away from Bristol a huge shopping center and the Bristol University campus itself. The Courtrooms is also located near a bus stop for easy travel which is important as the halls are at the bottom of a massive hill which can be tiresome to walk up. The facilities themselves are very modern compared to many other halls, however, suffer from a lack of any character or style. They are also comparatively small compared to other halls. For instance, the study room consists of a table, six chairs, and a bouquet of plastic flowers which is not enough for a hall of this size. There are two elevators, however, one was prone to constant breakdown and was never trusted by me and other residents living here to use. The lounge comes with a pool table (absent of balls making it unusable) as well as a few other comforts. The laundry room is pathetic with only 1 washing machine per 53 people and charges a ridiculous £5.70 for a wash and dry. The rooms themselves are very small compared to other halls of a similar price however are very modern and are significantly soundproofed. The bathroom is nice too although very small meaning you must stretch out your legs in an uncomfortable position if you wish to use the toilet. The kitchen however is of a decent size and comes with a small sofa and dining table. I was able to comfortably have a Christmas dinner with 17 people. Overall, the rooms are satisfactory for living. The Courtrooms however has a reputation for being very unsociable. People are pleasant here but there is a lack of community spirit compared to other halls. This does come with the benefit of it being a very quiet hall of residence, so it is ideal if you are focused on your studying. Having said this if you look hard enough it is possible to make friends. The staff are very friendly and helpful. However, trying to organise replacements for broken goods in the kitchen is a long and tedious process. One of my friends living here had an issue with there window as it was unable to be opened. The Courtrooms said this was too costly to replace and instead offered a free pizza as compensation. As a result, the room would often overheat and cause issues with ventilation. Yet perhaps the biggest issue with the Courtrooms is the price. There are halls of residence that are much better for the same price. For £172 a week this seems exceptionally overpriced when compared with other alternatives. I would not recommend it.

Nice accommodation, clean and modern but it is very bad value for money and I would not reccommend it. The rooms are small and we have had builders all around the site since January. This has meant we cannot used our back entrance despite it being more accessible for getting into the city centre, cannot access bike rack or bins, we have had early mornings, sometimes being woken up at 7 or 8 by loud drilling, we cannot open our curtains to our rooms because there is scaffolding and builders outside and currently during exam season there is near constant loud drilling and hammering next to the study room and common room which makes study very difficult. This has been such a hindrance to living here and shows a total lack of consideration by the business for the residents. We had no indication this long-term building work would be happening upon signing the lease and all complaints by the residents about the constant noise has been ignored. I would not reccommend anyone staying here for such a high price considering this has been such a long-term interruption to studies and there is every suggestion that they would do it again.