Piccadilly Point, manchester

I wish I could give zero stars. Please do not come to this place. The hallways constantly smell and there’s a pungent odor that never seems to go away. It’s shocking because there are cleaning staff for the ground floor, yet the corridors in the residential blocks are completely neglected. They get visibly dirty in certain blocks and no one seems to take responsibility for maintaining them. Even the vacuum cleaner provided is difficult to use/unusable. Basic facilities are inconsistent as some flats get a proper dustbin in the kitchen but mine didn’t. We had to use a black bin bag and carry it all the way down just to dispose off rubbish, which is extremely inconvenient. The laundry situation is a nightmare. There are only about 12-14 machines (washers and dryers) for over a thousand students. It’s completely inadequate and there’s only one laundry block (nothing in Block B) making it even more inconvenient. The lift situation is just as bad. There are only two elevators in block B and one of them was out of service for over 4-5 months. So, around 500 students had to rely on a single lift, leading to long wait times. One night around 2 am, both elevators stopped working entirely. I had no choice but to climb 14 floors to reach my room and was told nothing could be done until the next day. The gym is small but usable. I’ve only been once but the equipment seemed fine. One of the few neutral points. The location is poor. There’s no proper grocery store nearby, which makes daily life difficult. The only advantage is that the station is right next to the accommodation but that’s where the positives end. On the other side, there’s a party venue that plays loud music almost every weekend, often from afternoon until past midnight. I even reported it to the Manchester City Council but management said they couldn’t do anything since the noise comes from outside. The bed is another major issue. The springs are uncomfortable and I wake up with shoulder and back pain every day. The rooms are small but manageable for one person. However, the difference between room categories is noticeable as I stayed in one of the cheapest options and even basic things like mirrors were significantly smaller. The bathroom has poor ventilation with no proper window or exhaust. After every shower, water marks build up on the floor and require constant cleaning. Heating is one of the worst problems. The heater automatically switches off after 2-3 hours, which means waking up freezing during winter nights. I’ve fallen sick multiple times because of this. When I reported it, I was told it’s due to “energy conservation” and that heating stops once a certain temperature is reached. However, it’s not realistic to wake up every few hours just to turn it back on. Their suggestion to wear warm clothes or use heavier bedding is not practical when the heater is initially running. I’ve never experienced this issue in any other accommodation and I’ve visited quite a few of my friends’ places. The only positive aspect is the parcel system as deliveries are handled securely and collection is straightforward with ID. Overall, this place is extremely disappointing. The location, facilities, maintenance and living conditions do not justify the price. AT ALL. It honestly feels like they are ripping students off. I only extended my stay until August because I had no other option at the time. Otherwise, I would have left immediately. I would not recommend this accommodation to anyone. There are plenty of student accommodations in Manchester. Keep looking, just not this one.

There’s a bar next door and events across the street. The noise is extremely loud — my desk literally shakes. This wasn’t disclosed beforehand, so it feels misleading. The accommodation doesn’t do anything about it; they just say it’s external noise and they can’t help. They should improve the window insulation or go and speak to the organisers.

Do not move here. The sound proofing is ATROCIOUS. Your weekends will be filled with constant noise pollution because the windows cannot block out anything. You will hear club music directly from your room or people yelling outside at night. Or you will hear music from venues outside playing nonstop for 8 hours straight. This is a horrible location and the complete lack of sound proofing doesn’t help

Unfortunately, administrating staff don’t understand a simple problem of fixing the internet and placing few modems to cover all of the accommodation territory. Fix this issue or you will have problems)