There are dozens of large-scale purpose-built student accommodation (PBSA) blocks all over Bristol, from Stoke Bishop to Temple Meads and from Frenchay to Bedminster – and now the best one in Bristol has been named.
With more than 65,000 students now studying at Bristol’s two universities – a number that is rising – there is still a huge shortage of ‘PBSA’s, despite a boom in building them over the past decade or so. But which of the student accommodation buildings are the best is the subject of a new award scheme, organised by StudentCrowd.
And the student review website, which has become an online bible for universities, courses, accommodation and the all-round student experience since it was set up in 2015, has named Marlborough House as the best student accommodation in Bristol.
StudentCrowd analysed a total of 48,981 accommodation reviews to select the ‘Best Property’ in the qualifying cities, and in Bristol were able to name a winner and two runners up. The winner was the Study Inn Bristol, near the Bearpit, which is managed by Study Inn.
“The awards recognise the properties which tick all the boxes for students across seven categories, including location, property management, cleaning, social spaces, social experience and internet/wifi,” said a StudentCrowd spokesperson. “These awards celebrate the teams working hard to put students at the heart of their operations and are the only awards based solely on the students’ voice,” she added.
The Study Inn Bristol at Marlborough House is a niche student block in Bristol – it offers ‘luxury serviced accommodation’ to University of Bristol postgrad students, and includes its own cinema room and gym. It’s not cheap either – with a 51-week tenancy for this current academic year costing around £280-£300 a week – or roughly £1,250 a month per student, a figure which is much higher than the maximum maintenance loan a student can receive for living expenses.
The Student Voice Awards also named the second and third best student accommodation places in Bristol. In second place was Zinc Quarter, which is managed by Student Roost.
Zinc Quarter opened recently in a newbuild opposite the Gardiner Haskins car park near Old Market. Its prices range from just over £200 a week for a single room and a shared bathroom, up to £331-£386 a week for ensuite rooms.
In third place on the Student Voice Awards for Bristol was Brunel House, which is managed by Unite Students and is around the back of City Hall on Frog Lane, just below Park Street. Brunel House is one of the most expensive student accommodation buildings in the city centre, with ‘studios’ costing between £379 a week and £449 a week – or more than £1,900 a month.