Athena hall is a modern, spacious and excellent student accommodation. It has spacious rooms and facilities, all bedrooms come with an r suite which isn’t something you always see at universities. The staff at reception are always helpful and are there for any issues or concerns. The communal area is slightly small but there are other places to go close to the accommodation socialise. It is right on the waterfront and my flat has a beautiful view of the marina, another thing that isn’t usual in student accommodation. The value for money is excellent with different levels of rooms as well as studio flats available. I have a studio flat and have loved the separation and independence of living on my own compared to shared flats, which I also tried. The accommodation could have more of a social area but other than that it is perfect for any student.
Ipswich Hall Rankings
| Athena Hall | #1 |
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Athena hall is a modern, spacious and excellent student accommodation. It has spacious rooms and facilities, all bedrooms come with an r suite which isn’t something you always see at universities. The staff at reception are always helpful and are there for any issues or concerns. The communal area is slightly small but there are other places to go close to the accommodation socialise. It is right on the waterfront and my flat has a beautiful view of the marina, another thing that isn’t usual in student accommodation. The value for money is excellent with different levels of rooms as well as studio flats available. I have a studio flat and have loved the separation and independence of living on my own compared to shared flats, which I also tried. The accommodation could have more of a social area but other than that it is perfect for any student.
Athena Hall Information
| Telephone | 01473 301 125 |
| Postcode | IP3 0FR |
| Price from | £143.52 per week for 23/24 (subject to availability) |
| Features | 2-minute walk from the University of Suffolk. Communal spaces, all bills included, social hub, laundry room, bike storage, security monitoring, high speed WiFi & social events. |
| Top tip | Stay with Collegiate this Summer. You can book for 1 to 7 weeks. Visit the website and book your room now for 2023/24! |
Athena Hall Biography
Situated along the beautiful Neptune Marina quayside, Athena Hall is in the perfect location for students. With the University of Suffolk being only a two-minute walk away and the heart of Ipswich on your doorstep, Athena Hall offers its residents an ideal student living experience.
The accommodation offers stylish rooms, social events and communal spaces including a social hub. The all-inclusive rent covers a laundry room for residents, bike storage, CCTV, and unlimited high-speed WiFi.
Students have their choice of three different-sized en-suite rooms, as well as a studio apartment option. The en-suites come equipped with your own bathroom, double bed, study area, and ample storage space. You’ll also be sharing the fully kitted-out kitchen and lounge area with your flatmates. The studio comes with all the essentials that are offered in the en-suite rooms, but with the added privacy of your own quiet space to make your own.
Don't miss out on Athena Hall. Visit their website today and book your space!
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Read Athena Hall Reviews
Athena Hall was a brilliant accommodation for me in my first year of university. Each block seems to come together for parties and social activities which is why I met my current boyfriend and a lot of friends were made. I got along very well with 3 of my flatmates, who were all very easy to live with. I loved that I had my own bathroom which gave an extra bit of privacy. I had to move out of Athena hall when prices were raised. It was too expensive for me so I moved into a cheaper accommodation. The good thing about Athena hall is that it is right next to the university and there is a small Tesco around the corner.
Great space for all students! Serene
A great place to stay, situated in probably the nicest part of Ipswich, affordable choices of rooms which vary in size.
Athena hall is too expensive for the facilities it is. The washing machines are always dirty and never cleaned and find hair there. The building is currently being redone which has impacted my studies as it is super noisy and there has been major inconvieniences as I have had to move into a temporary flat and they tell you this ,last minute and did not give any compensatiobn.
We all get our own private bathrooms which i know a lot of university halls do not accommodate this. The kitchen and living area is very spacious
Perfect place for out-of-country students, especially with reference to location and security perspective. There is a beautiful view from the room, a picturesque marina front, and nearby parks for morning walks. Plenty of options to spend fun time with friends in the evening with nearby pubs and cafes. The administration staff is cordial and polite with exemplary services.
Good accommodation, good sized kitchens. Although a little pricy especially as parking is not included.
The staff at Athena Halls are very nice and are always happen to listen to any concerns or queries you have.
Better than private property, enjoyable.
The staff are very nice ,as well as that the en-suite rooms are very nice.
I only spent one year at this accommodation and for first year to be social it is very good however I wouldn’t recommend for third year or postgraduate studies
Its very small but in a good location
Athena hall is a modern, spacious and excellent student accommodation. It has spacious rooms and facilities, all bedrooms come with an r suite which isn’t something you always see at universities. The staff at reception are always helpful and are there for any issues or concerns. The communal area is slightly small but there are other places to go close to the accommodation socialise. It is right on the waterfront and my flat has a beautiful view of the marina, another thing that isn’t usual in student accommodation. The value for money is excellent with different levels of rooms as well as studio flats available. I have a studio flat and have loved the separation and independence of living on my own compared to shared flats, which I also tried. The accommodation could have more of a social area but other than that it is perfect for any student.
Athena hall isn't the best when it comes to the price as it is quite expensive and i dont really see a justification of the price, however the receptionists are lovely and the only good thing really about the building.
Close to the Uni which is great. More could be done to help student socialise and make friends. Can easily feel isolating.
For the price you get very good accommodation with good space. The accommodation holds days where they provide free food/tasks at the front desk aswell as events like “where’s wally” where students can receive a prize.
Athena hall is in a great location not far from the Uni, which makes it easy and accessible to attend lectures on time. There could be more facilities added to support our living standards. For example, I had to buy a bin for the flat when moving in as one wasn’t provided, which I think is quite poor. Some renovation is needed inside, however overall it is a good accommodation which suits the needs of students.
The best accessible student accommodation
It's difficult to say because I lived at Athena before they changed to Collegiate, pre-Covid and then through Covid 2022 as well. The cleaning definitely could have been better. Often you'd come to move in and there would be mess left from the tenants from the previous years or the summer tenants. I found dirty glasses and socks in my bedroom from someone else and my friend's room was also broken into and used for weeks whilst she was on placement, despite being reassured that her flat was being checked weekly. One of the flats in C block was deemed a bio-hazard for about a year because of the state it was left in (more the tenants fault than the accommodations, but it was still shocking that this was achieved despite their inspections). The laundry is extortionate in my opinion, but then again, unless you're coming from a situation where laundry is done in a laundromat it'd be shocking for anyone who previously didn't pay close to £10 for a single wash and dry cycle.
Lived at Athena Hall for 2 years and have had a pleasant experience other than the expenses towards Landry, the prices could be lowered to make it easier for people to do weekly washes.
It is a good place to live and it has access to a lot of social elements. It also has shops nearby.
Feel like it is a bit over priced for the space you get, there has been construction going on for the whole year. I needed to move to a temp flat for 2 weeks and back again whilst dealing with personal stuff which was stressful and got no compensation or anything I just had to deal with it. Reception is easy to talk to.
Good accommodation. Everything is within good distance to all university campuses. Added bonus is the marina
It’s generally a good hall for students as it is close to the university but however, it’s not the cleanest and it’s not got many social spaces that students can do.
Great experience, no complaints!!
All the staff are helpful and do their best to update us on anything as soon as possible. The wifi is amazing and only ever fails if there’s work being done on it/the lines.
Wi-Fi is really good, has everything you need including an on suite bathroom. Prices have gone up recently so it is way too expensive for me as a student with no job. When I got there I had unblock my sink myself and the shower was rusty so had that replaced. In the perfect location right outside uni. I recommend Spring Court accommodation for value for money.
The laundry area could be more clean and kept up better otherwise the location and staff are perfect
Athena Hall is a 5 minute direct walk from campus, by the scenic waterfront and happily placed by two affordable and friendly coffee shops (that offer student discounts and deals ). Overlooking the harbour, it is a clean and comfortable place to call home during your time at study
The staff are incredibly helpful and the building is secure with security.
Doors are often broken and not fixed, roommates aren’t taught to keep the place clean. Could do with inspections
the accommodations need more attention to detail and a better relation with the university to enable students to get information while staying here, also working together to create events both at the university and the accommodation's
Good but needs more student services
I have lived here for 3 years and it has gotten worse every year. Firstly the water pressure and hot water is always an issue. In 2020 our flat mates couldn't take a shower if one of us was shower or there would be no hot water. Now in 2021, I haven't been here since December, came back in May and the hot water in my shower isn't working. There was an email on the day of my return that someone has inspected our hot water boiler, however when I arrived in the evening the hot water in my shower and toilet sink was not working. First return back started off with a cold shower. The amount of cold showers I have had to take in this accommodation is ridiculous. I do not know what I am paying for, I paid the full price even though I was not living here for a few months due to Covid, so when I return for the last few weeks I expect the basic necessitates. Enjoy freezing cold showers? Enjoy having trickle of water coming out of your sink due to water pressure problems the? You found you place
I have been living in a studio in Athena hall for 3 years straight. I found it as a great option for when I was student. It is so close to the University campus (for whenever you wake up later, you can always go to the university fast by foot and not be late at all), always great maintenance of the flats and studios (the mainteinance guy has always been there to fix everything needing it, he is amazing!! Always so fast in his work and the quality afterwards - just 5 stars!), having a Tesco next to the building (for whenever you want a quick snack after being in lectures all day). It's all worth it, I mean it! ❤️
Hello and thank you for your feedback! I will pass your feedback onto the team and to maintenance Kind regards Daniel Boyd Assistant General Manager Athena Hall
For all the problems I've caused throughout the years I cant fault Debra for being caring and passionate about looking after us and providing everyone with a safe home while at university. My mental heath is not the best and she helped me through growing up (to a point). I would highly recommend this accommodation to anyone!
Hello! Thank you for your review, We will make sure this is passed to the team. We wish you luck for the future Kind regards Then Accommodation Team Athena Hall
The photos they post online are a scam. Most ovens don’t have any stickers on. All the kitchen stools are broken. Curtains have suspicious stains on. No plugs in the sinks. The fridges are damaged. Mattresses are ripped and paper thin. Walls are stained and dirty. The showers are disgusting and mouldy. Same with the sinks. Water is never hot enough. One maintenance guy for the entire building, so nothing gets fixed. The common room is barely ever used because there’s nothing to do and rarely any events. The flats are dark and dingy. They don’t clean it before you arrive (and if they do, they do a shoddy job). It’s always too hot, or freezing cold. Overall, really poor student housing.
Hello Thank you for your review. If you could contact me direct I would like to know more about your time here so we can better this experience for future students. As you have not left no contact details I cannot contact you direct about this review, but my team and myself would happily talk through anything you have to say. Kind regards Daniel Boyd Assistant Accommodation Manager Athena Hall
Excellent service from the team! Over the past few months the team have managed to withstand the stupidity of self initialed people who think it's great to knock down the staff as they don't get their own way! Would recommend this accommodation to anyone who wants to live in a friendly and welcoming place! Debra and Daniel work hard and to slate them on other platforms is totally unnecessary! Good work guys and look forward to seeing you soon
Hello Thank you for your review, the team and myself thank you for your comments and we look forward to welcoming you back in September. Kind regards Daniel Boyd Assistant Accommodation Manager Athena Hall
Slow staff, slow internet, slow to act, slow to inform. Far from anything good, please commute if you can.
Hello Thank you for your review. If you could contact me direct I would like to know more about your time here so we can better this experience for future students. As you have not left no contact details I cannot contact you direct about this review, but my team and myself would happily talk through anything you have to say. Kind regards Daniel Boyd Assistant Accommodation Manager Athena Hall
This is an absolutely horrible place to live. Filthy in both my room when I first moved in as well as in communal spaces. Awful environment. Would not recommend.
Hello Thank you for your review. If you could contact me direct I would like to know more about your time here so we can better this experience for future students. As you have not left no contact details I cannot contact you direct about this review, but my team and myself would happily talk through anything you have to say. Kind regards Daniel Boyd Assistant Accommodation Manager Athena Hall
Absolutely shocking. The deposit given at the start of the year is NOT spent on fixing anything. They keep it for themselves and leave damages that don’t need immediate fixing. Rooms are dirty upon arrival for the new students. I found an diabetic needle in my draw and poo in my toilet. My friends have found much worse. I had a flood on my first night in first year as someone left the tap on upstairs. The rooms flood so easy. All my clothes were damaged and a pair of headphones. They tried to replace my Apple headphones for cheap ones. I wasn’t having it. They replace my damp laminate flooring with flooring that was a lighter colour and the shapes didn’t match. I had a patchy floor for the whole year. My friends have had much worse experiences. The landlord during covid is forcing us to pay 25% of rent even though none of us were living there at the time. They don’t care about our wellbeing You’re better off going to Spring Court round the corner.
Hello I hope you are staying safe and you and your family are all ok. Thank you for taking the time to make this review, I understand your frustrations and if you would like to talk to us direct we can go over your concerns. We operate an open door policy and we always encourage students to come speak to us direct to speak about any issues they are having, so we would happily talk about the issues you have raised. Kind regards Daniel Boyd Assistant Accommodation Manager Athena Hall
I would not recommend this place. The amount we pay should mean that maintenance issues should not be a regular occurrence. This is not the case. And when maintenance issues are reported, they take a while to fix and sometimes don’t even fix them.
Expect for the fire alarms this place does what it says on the tin! Daniel in the office makes you laugh with his emails but he means well! Overall happy here and the other students are friendly! The location is perfectly close to everything I need.
Untidy environment, too loud, and most neighbors are not considerate of others. Pricing is ridiculously high and not worth the money for the 10 minutes of hot water in the studio flats.
There is very little student-friendly accommodation in Ipswich that has bills included, is close to the uni and to the town; for less than the cost of Athena Hall. It is not bad for the price, but it could be a lot better. Overall rating 3/5.
Most of the issues arise when management leave at 6, feels like the night staff/security do not do their job properly (doors are broken, broken glass on courtyard etc)
Found a used condom wrapper behind my bed when I moved in.
In general the place is quiet good but there's are other student accommodation that is better value for money in the local vicinity
The best thing about it is the location. All the rest are so bad and frustrating that make you want to move out right from the first day. I wouldn't even recommend it to my worst enemies. The staff treated me with disrespect on multiple occasions and the room was really dirty when I received it. Also, water infiltrated into my room through the walls when it rained for a small period of time and destroyed a lot of my work and materials which were worth a lot of money. Even in this situation, the staff treated me like they weren't responsible and it was such a big thing for them to resolve. They moved me temporarily in another dirty room, much smaller than mine and I have to go through the pain to talk to the insurance and wait god knows how much to claim the compensation.
More modern than most. friendly staff in reception. great kitchen/living areas great maintenance could improve on cleaning external areas more regularly must improve online portal
Great location to uni but it’s far too expensive! The courtyard is a mess. Sometimes cannot collect parcels from reception in the day!
Poor security, a homeless person got into the halls. staff are cold and have been known to withhold mail from people they do not like. Washing facilities are too expensive. Internet is slow. Drugs are a problem. Getting out of tenancy is difficult. Mental health a moral are poor across athena hall. Manager refuses to engaged with the uni and su. Room prices are too expensive, silver room prices are pointless as they are only one floorboards wider than bronze. Overall a poor experience and poor value for money
If the laundry would take cards as it is at other universities, that would be great
Maintenance is too slow in fixing issues. Laundry is extortionate and complaints are not responded to.
Halls are okay, however marks on the walls and missing paint was not painted over before moving in. Very view appliances were provided (not kettle, toaster, bin). However staff are very friendly and helpful. It is also close to campus
Not great. Noisy neighbors and nothing is done about it. A lot of money for a s***** broken room. Just commute or get student housing elsewhere
Friendly staff, ideal location with a 10 minute walk into town centre
Don't rely too heavily on the photos online because upon arrival you'll be disappointed. It does the job, but isn't worth the money in my opinion. Very convenient. Fire alarm goes off a lot. Staff are nice, just think it could do with a bit of upkeep (particularly with the kitchen appliance, painting and floor)
Wouldn't choose to live here... But here I am.
Rude and obnoxious staff. Way too expensive rent for what the rooms are like. Cleaning people are shocking, had to deep clean the kitchen when I moved back in cause it hadn't been done...
Doesn’t take parcels on weekend but didn’t say when they changed. Very expensive considering washing and tumble dryer isn’t included and the machines only take cash only. Security spend the whole time on their phones watching Netflix. They let random people into the building and they were banging on the doors in the middle of the night
Is a very nice place to live for university bit pricy but that's expected for student living. The day staff and very nice and friendly never spoke to night staff so can't comment on them. There are little problems with this place but doesn't get in the way of living here. If you're going to live here definitely try get a gold suite room the extra space is worth it.
No cleaners available but great location and nice rooms. Some small issues with cleanliness when I first moved in but nothing major. My personal experience has been positive but I know others have had issues.
I recently moved in but wish I hadnt - the room was filthy, and it's too expensive. There isn't 24 hour security as they claim either. Had so many maintenance issues but had problems trying to get them fixed - freezer was broken when I moved in but staff said that it was my responsibility to fix it despite fact that I hadn't broken it in the first place. Took a month before they finally decided to look at it even then I was still left to fix it. Continuous fire alarms which is extremely annoying. Also had problems with the electrics keep tripping. Do not recommend staying here.
Hello we are sorry that you have had a bad start to your stay with us at Athena Hall. If you can come see us in the office we can address your issues raised. We are in the office all day till 6pm then security take over till we arrive back in site so please come see us anytime! Kind Regards Accommodation Team
it’s a student accommodation but security moan and have ago on a weekend. Find that hard to understand at student accommodation at university.
Thank you for your feedback, we will take this information and speak to our security team and address this. If you have any issues the office team are in Monday to Friday 08:00 - 18:00 please pop along and speak to us so we can help quickly. Kind Regards Athena Hall Admin Team
It's great for making friends because you share the kitchen and living spaces, but you also get your own space and bathroom.
Thank you for your feedback! It is greatly Appreciated! Kind Regards Athena Hall - Admin Team
The building itself is nothing spectacular, there is no ventilation residents are expected to live in rooms with no open windows throughout the year, rooms are barely even breathable in the summer, staff are extremely rude, miserable and unhelpful. The prices are extremely high, considering this is probably the worst accommodation in the Fresh Student Living company.
I lived in Athena Hall for two years and it was my first time living away from my parents. The move in day was full of issues about an initial payment, and the issues only grew from then on. I had issues regarding fire alarms going off at 2am, not once or twice, but at least once a week. These issues were not resolved in my two years there. Issues regarding ventilation in the rooms was a huge one - you could barely breathe over summer in the flats as there was absolutely no way you would get fresh air through windows which open 2 inches wide. Along with these issues were issues with security who did nothing about rowdiness from people who didn't even live there in the car park who would harass residents, issues with other residents were also not resolved in an appropriate manner. Magnetic locks on doors did not work meaning anyone could walk in, and so long as you paid highly overpriced rent on time, the management did nothing. I would not recommend this accommodation to anyone.
Disgrace and a waste of money!
Lovely accommodation, it's a shame some of the staff can't be bothered to Sort out some of the issues I've had that weren't my own fault. Usually takes weeks for them to sort it