Trafalgar Hall, portsmouth

I think I was lucky enough to get a nice city and sea view from my studio apartment on the 13th floor. I’m not sure if the studios on the other side have a sea view or not, but in my case, I would honestly say the view and the space are worth paying for. The apartment is very spacious compared to other accommodations I have seen, especially considering it’s only slightly more expensive. Maintenance and repairs are done on time when they are specific to your own flat. Communal maintenance sometimes takes a bit longer. The hallways are always clean, and since this accommodation doesn’t have social rooms, it’s quite affordable.

Had a good stay, mainly due to luck and some good flatmates. About what you would expect for student accommodation. Large rooms and kitchen compared to other options given by the university. Staff are very nice too.

Unfortunately I had a lot of issues staying at this place. Just a few days after moving in, the door handle got stuck in a downward position, meaning that the door wouldn't lock most of the time and could just be pushed open from the outside. A maintenance person came to my flat the next day and literally told me: "All the doors in this building have the same issue, there is nothing I can do about that". It seems that he wasn't aware that a door that doesn't lock is kind of a huge safety issue? I had to escalate the issue to their customer service team to get somebody to do something about it. The door in the downstairs hallway that leads to the elevators also doesn't lock most of the time. It's basically an open house! Why is it that they can't just replace the doors if they charge so much rent? There are plenty of other issues: My bathroom was mouldy, the laundry room was not clean (they blame that issue on Circuit and say that they are not responsible for cleaning the laundry room) and some of the staff are unmotivated and at times downright rude. There are some positives, like the double bed and the wooden floor, but at the end of the day you just feel like nobody here cares about providing good-quality accommodation. Oh and the second lift that the previous reviewer mentioned is still broken! Shows you how much they care about maintenance in this place.

Pros - Room was decent, nice size, was able to fit all my belongings in. Wetroom is a fairly decent size too! Staff (Especially Sarah) are lovely! Sarah has been an absolute Angel in helping myself and my partner throughout the years. We are both disabled, and she has help us with many many things. She talks to us whenever she’s in, always has a smile on her face, and always makes sure we are doing okay, and offers a helping hand if we need. Very LGBT friendly, as someone trans, times are tough, but I felt comfortable here. Fairly disability friendly. I say fairly, because due to lift being temperamental, it might be difficult for people physically disabled to get up and down the stairs. Quite neurodivergent friendly. I had no issues, they don’t push you to talk, or anything like that. Prompt reminders sent via email to make sure you’re aware of any maintenance going on, such as water testing, fire alarms, etc. Cons - Few downsides to this (why it’s not 5*) Third Party - Third party companies for repairs are fairly slow. Right lift was out of service for my entire stay for my first year, Left Lift was out of service for majority of my stay during third year. Internet fluctuates a lot. Sometimes it’s decent, sometimes it’s dreadful, and sometimes there is no internet at all. There isn’t a middle ground. Noise - Being very close to Astoria, you WILL get loud music going to very early hours of the morning. Earplugs/Headphones if needed. Flatmates - This is a hit or miss. You could get flatmates that are incredible, and actually help, or super lazy ones that don’t do much. Fruit flies/Silverfish - Also a hit or miss, you may get them you may not. From personal experience, keep the flats clean, and take down bins promptly. Daily if needed. This will help with any issues. Discuss with flatmates on a rota, don’t assume they will do it, so be prepared to take it down a few extra times. Temperature - During the summer, it gets HOT in the flats. There is minimal air flow since windows can’t open too far. Fan is a must for warmer temperatures. Overall, solid experience. Shops are close by, late closing, if you study at Eldon, it’s right across the road. For the clubbers, there is a fair few clubs nearby (EG - Astoria) Study/Bookworms - Not far from the Portsmouth Library. Gym Fans - Gym right next to the Library.

I stayed in Trafalgar Hall for 2/3 years of my undergrad at UoP, and would recommend it to other students who are looking for an ideal accommodation close to the city centre. The staff (specifically Sarah and Matt) are incredible, whenever I had an issue with anything they would always do absolutely everything in their power to fix it. While the building had issues with internet and only one working lift, this was not the building staffs’ fault, but rather third-party companies. The en-suite rooms are a decent size (especially compared to other buildings), with an average-sized communal kitchen. There was enough space for each resident to have one shelf in the fridge and freezer, and two cupboards for food/crockery. For those students in CCI, the building is directly opposite Eldon, which has a cafe and space to study/converse with friends. Every time I saw Sarah/Matt they would always greet me with a smile on their face, which helped me feel at ease and comfortable raising any concerns I had. Overall, I would recommend this building as an affordable, ideally placed accommodation, for any students studying at UoP.