We’re celebrating after being shortlisted for three categories at the prestigious GSL Awards 2025 — and achieving our best-ever results in the GSL Index Survey.
Host recorded exceptional performance in this year’s GSL Index Survey, including:

• Earning Platinum Certified Operator status for the second consecutive year — recognising consistent delivery of excellent student experiences.
• An overall Net Promoter Score (NPS) of +41 — the highest ever achieved by Host — compared with a large operator benchmark of +20. This marks a remarkable +21 point increase in just two years.
• A highest individual property NPS of +83 — reflecting the outstanding experience provided at local level.
• 88% satisfaction rating (with 53% of residents rating their accommodation as ‘very good’) — significantly above the national average.

These results led to Host being shortlisted in 3 categories for the GSL Awards:

• Best Private Housing
• Best Customer Service
• Best Value for Money

The GSL Awards are the only industry accolades based entirely on verified feedback from students — making this recognition especially meaningful.

Sam Hollex, Director of Operations at Host, said:

“We’re proud to once again be shortlisted for the Global Student Living Awards — an achievement that matters so much to us at Host because it comes directly from the students who live with us. Being consistently recognised year after year is a reflection of the hard work, care, effort and attention our teams bring every day, creating places where students feel supported, included and truly at home. Thank you to every member of the Host team across the UK.”

Host operates student accommodation in cities across the UK providing value-for-money, high-quality, well-managed living environments where students can thrive both academically and socially. For more information, visit: www.host-students.com

The winners of the GSL Awards 2025 will be announced in London on 16 October 2025.

About GSL

The GSL Awards [https://gslglobal.com/awards/] are based exclusively on direct feedback from tens of thousands of students across 200 universities and colleges every year. With no written nominations and no ‘expert’ judges, the Global Student Living Awards are uniquely credible and highly prized.

Data for the awards are collected through the GSL Index [https://gslglobal.com/index/]. Registration for universities and student accommodation providers to participate in the next wave of the GSL Index, is now open.

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The modern and popular Village at The Viaduct student accommodation is in the city centre viaduct area of Durham.

The Village is only a short walk to Durham’s bus station which provides direct access to Durham University within 20 minutes, meaning you can escape campus and be in the heart of city centre life.

The Village at The Viaduct comes with all-bills included, you’ll just need to choose whether you’d like an en-suite or studio room. And when it comes to relaxing after a long day studying sit back in our spacious communal lounge and beautifully landscaped gardens.

Durham.

The city of Durham is a wonderful and historic area in the north-east of England with the River Wear looping around the Cathedral and Castle. It is a compact yet varied city with plenty to offer.

The city’s easy to get around. Spend your student days walking its cobbled streets, finding hidden gems and popular haunts. Explore Durham University’s Botanic Garden adventure tails. Go on a tour of the Castle. Or explore the UNESCO world heritage site celebrating over 1,000 years of religion, education, and pilgrimage.

Top places to see in Durham.

1. Durham Cathedral.

Durham Cathedral has been a place of worship, welcome and hospitality for almost a millennium, inspiring all who come. Built in 1093 to house the Shrine of St Cuthbert, Durham Cathedral is renowned for its magnificent Romanesque architecture and spectacular location at the heart of the Durham World Heritage Site.

2. Durham Castle.

Durham Castle is a Normal castle which has been occupied by the University of Durham since 1837. The facility is open to general public through guided tours, but it is used as a working building and is home to over 100 students.

3. Escape Rooms Durham.

A real life escape game has arrived in Durham. You and your team will need to solve a series of puzzles in under an hour, can you beat the room? Great for team building, stag/hen do’s or just a great way to spend an hour with friends or family!

4. Durham Climbing Centre.

A keen climber or fancy trying it out? Just pre-register online, watch the safety video and book your slot. A great fitness activity solo or with friends.

5. Rio Brazilian Steakhouse.

Authentic Brazilian Churrasco dining experience, right in the heart of Durham. The perfect place for a meal out with friends or family whilst you stay in Durham.
Specially trained Gaucho Chefs are on hand to serve their exquisite meat cuts that are continuously carved at the table in a traditional Rodizio style.
You’ll find the restaurant located inside the Walkergate Durham Shopping Centre.

Universities in Durham.

The world leading Durham University is the only university in the city, and has put the location on the map as an ideal place to be a student.

Why study at Durham?

Durham University has over 27 departments and schools offering over 330 undergraduate and postgraduate courses. Whatever your interest or passion, there will likely be a course for you. Their research-led education will challenge and inspire you to achieve the best.

Durham Students Union.

A students’ union with a purpose. Making changes for students, with students, in their interests.

Durham SU was created by students in 1899 to bring students from across the university together.

Join an active group, there are plenty to choose from. From Angling to Bollywood Dance Society. Don’t see the group you are looking for? You can apply to start your own group.

Have an interest you’d like to explore further? Durham SU have a wide range of Interest Groups from Pottery to Coffee Society that you can join.

Want to find out more? You can join our waiting list for September 2024. For updates and news from Host visit us on Facebook and Instagram.

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The joint venture is seeded with two Host-owned operational Purpose-Built Student Accommodation (PBSA) assets in Leicester and Colchester, a PBSA development project in Bournemouth and a purpose designed co-living development project in Guildford (CGI Imagery below).

In addition, there is an immediate identified pipeline of over £250m of PBSA developments totalling more than 1,000 beds in the prime Russell Group university markets of Manchester, Bristol, Edinburgh and Birmingham.

Together, Partners Group and Host intend to expand the JV through further developments in the PBSA and co-living sectors, creating a large and market leading portfolio of £1bn GDV. The JV will look to bring the firms’ combined expertise, experience and financial strength to bear on other UK PBSA and co-living schemes, aimed at meeting the strong and growing demand in the living sector for high quality, sustainable, amenity-rich and professionally managed accommodation with best-in-class service.

Rahul Ghai, Managing Director, Co-Head Private Real Estate Europe, Partners Group, said:

“A return to normality and strong demand fundamentals are making the post-COVID student accommodation sector in the UK an attractive investment opportunity. The sector is a key thematic focus for us and benefits from long-term tailwinds, such as favourable population growth trends and rising enrolment rates, as well as the continued strength of the UK’s higher education offering globally. The JV has a robust pipeline, and we look forward to hosting students across some of the most dynamic cities in the country.”

Peter Holden, Managing Director, Co-Head Real Estate Asset Management, Partners Group, added:

“We look forward to working with Host in this Joint Venture to continue to provide safe, energy-efficient assets to meet the increasing need for good value housing in key undersupplied university cities throughout the UK.”

John Nesbitt, managing director at Host, said:

“Host is excited to be working in joint venture with Partners Group. We have a shared ambition to build a new portfolio of top quality PBSA and Co-Living projects in the ‘Living’ sector, which offers strong sector fundamentals and growth.”

Michael O’ Flynn, Chairman and CEO of the O’ Flynn Group, said

“Our experience over 25 years in providing student accommodation in Ireland, the UK and across Europe will clearly benefit the joint venture. This is a unique opportunity, through Host, to collaborate with Partners Group in the development of PBSA and Co-Living projects. The scale of the joint venture will quickly position the JV as a leading player in a sector with significant growth potential.”

JLL Corporate finance has advised Host on the Joint Venture with Partners Group.

NOTES TO EDITORS:

About Partners Group:

Partners Group is a leading global private markets firm. Since 1996, the firm has invested over USD 170 billion in private equity, private real estate, private debt and private infrastructure on behalf of its clients globally. Partners Group seeks to generate superior returns through capitalizing on thematic growth trends and transforming attractive businesses and assets into market leaders. The firm is a committed, responsible investor and aims to create sustainable returns with lasting, positive impact for all its stakeholders. With over USD 127 billion in assets under management as of 31 December 2021, Partners Group provides an innovative range of bespoke client solutions to institutional investors, sovereign wealth funds, family offices and private individuals globally. The firm employs more than 1,600 diverse professionals across 20 offices worldwide and has regional headquarters in Baar-Zug, Switzerland; Denver, USA; and Singapore. It has been listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange since 2006 (symbol: PGHN). For more information, please visit www.partnersgroup.com or follow us on LinkedIn or Twitter.

About Host:

Host (formerly Victoria Hall Management Limited) in conjunction with Tiger Developments, part of the O’ Flynn Group of companies which has extensive interests in the property sector in Ireland, has more than 25 years’ experience providing student accommodation with nationwide coverage and strong university relationships in most cities. It has developed and acquired more than 10,000 beds and currently operates circa 8,000 student beds across 28 sites in UK, Ireland and Europe, undertaking the day-to-day management of the properties, as well as the marketing of accommodation and recruitment of students from the UK and abroad.

About O’ Flynn Group:

The O’ Flynn Group has been in operation since 1978. It is a leading builder of new homes across Ireland and manages a wide portfolio of commercial properties in Ireland and the UK. O’Flynn Group identifies, masterplans, develops, builds and manages high quality properties in Ireland and the UK. Developments include residential, commercial, retail, industrial and student accommodation.

About JLL:

JLL (NYSE: JLL) is a leading professional services firm that specializes in real estate and investment management. JLL shapes the future of real estate for a better world by using the most advanced technology to create rewarding opportunities, amazing spaces and sustainable real estate solutions for our clients, our people and our communities. JLL is a Fortune 500 company with annual revenue of $19.4 billion, operations in over 80 countries and a global workforce of more than 100,000 as of March 31, 2022. JLL is the brand name, and a registered trademark, of Jones Lang LaSalle Incorporated. For further information, visit jll.com.

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The Locations.

The seven new locations expand our existing accommodation options in Birmingham, Coventry and Exeter and also marks a welcome return of Host to Wolverhampton.

• Birmingham – Queen’s Hospital Close.
• Coventry – Sky Blue Point and Gosford Gate.
• Exeter – Northernhay House, The Northfield and Trust House.
• Wolverhampton – Heantun Point.

A fresh new look.

As well as welcoming the new locations to the Host family. We’re delighted to announce that Aventicum have instructed us to complete a refurbishment programme across these locations. And with much of this refurbishment work scheduled to be completed in time for the 2021/22 academic year, students moving into (or returning to) these locations in September can expect a completely new look.
We recognise that student accommodation is much more than just a bedroom and a place to sleep, it’s your home and should feel like one. The refurbishment programme will provide students living at these locations with a more comfortable, stylish, and social place to live than ever before. While also benefiting from Host’s Hassle-free, all-inclusive approach to student living.
We’ll be sharing more details of the refurbishment project on the Host blog and social media accounts in the coming weeks.

Commenting on the portfolio acquisition Christophe Tanghe, Managing Director for Aventicum Real Estate said:

“We are very excited to enter the student housing sector in the UK, home to some of the world’s best higher education institutions, that will benefit from favourable university-age demographics and rising university participation rates.
While Covid-19 has disrupted campus life for many students, the proven operating resilience of student housing through economic cycles continues to attract more institutional investment capital to the sector. The properties that we have acquired provide for many asset management opportunities that we look forward to pursuing with our partner Host.”

John Nesbitt, Managing Director of Host added:

“Host is committed to providing the best student housing and services in the country. We’re looking forward to working closely with Aventicum, with this appointment strengthening our geographical reach, taking our Host brand into new cities. And providing more students the opportunity to live in, study and enjoy our hassle-free, all-inclusive offer. We will be modernising the acquired assets and their facilities, giving students the same comfortable, stylish and safe places to live as our other award-winning accommodation.”

Host a private student accommodation provider, is the student facing brand for Host Student Housing Limited, offering all-inclusive student accommodation in the UK and Europe. Host currently has over 12,000 beds across 23 cities for the 2021/22 academic year.  Visit www.host-students.com for more information. 

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Gold accreditation means that we’ve got the policies in place but more than that, it means everyone – from CEO to apprentice takes ownership for making them come to life.

We want to thank everyone at Host for their contribution and dedication because this is an amazing achievement for all of us. Only 17% of organisations achieve gold and at the crux of it, it means that every single person is involved in supporting each other and is doing their best to make work better.

Paul Devoy, CEO of Investors in People, said: “We’d like to congratulate Host. Gold accreditation on We Invest in People is a fantastic effort for any organisation, and places Host in fine company with an array of organisations that understand the value of people.”

Neil Hawthorne, who in addition to his role as National Health & Safety Manager at Host, oversees the Investors in People accreditation, commented “Our We Invest in People assessment was a great opportunity for us to hear from our people and we’ve learnt a lot from what they told us. We’ve got recommendations and an action plan so that we can keep making changes, keep improving and keep moving forward.”

At Host, we believe that the success of our organisation begins and ends with people. If we make work better for everyone, they will be stronger, healthier and happier; and so will our organisation.

Learn more about the Investors in People accreditation.

For the latest company news, updates and job openings, follow us on LinkedIn and check out our Careers page.

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For the 2019/20 academic year, these charities were: BulliesOut, Planet Patrol and World Land Trust. And as we prepare to launch the 2020/21 campaign, we’re delighted to announce we will be donating £20,000 to these amazing charities.

Earlier in the year, our staff and students voted to support one of the three chosen charities named above; meaning the amount of money that each charity receives will be proportionate to the percentage they received in the vote.

Commenting on the donation, John Ripley, National Operations Director at Host said: “We are pleased to make this donation to three great causes. 2020 has been a challenging year for us all, especially for the charity sector who have seen numerous fundraising events and activities cancelled. We hope that this donation will help make a difference in supporting the wonderful work that each of these charities do within communities through the UK and around the world.”

On being informed of the donations, this is what our nominated charities had to say…

“We are incredibly grateful to Host for supporting BulliesOut through their fantastic Environmental Pledge campaign. This wonderful donation will enable us to support and empower more young people who have been affected by bullying, providing mentoring, skills-based activities and training; all of which will positively impact on their well-being and mental health. On behalf of BulliesOut, thank you very much!”

Host Marketing Team with Linda James, CEO of BulliesOut

“The generous donation from Host will have an extraordinary environmental impact. Not only will it allow 1,400 trees to be planted in the ground, it will also cover the cost of seedling nurseries, plot preparation and tree maintenance so each and every sapling can thrive. We would like to thank Host for supporting our mission to restore depleted habitats in Brazil, Kenya, Malaysian Borneo and beyond through our Plant a Tree scheme.” 

Photo credits: NCE and ©Fundación Pro-Bosque

“We are incredibly grateful that Host chose to support Planet Patrol through their brilliant Environmental Pledge campaign. Planet Patrol is all about using people power to drive change, so we are so thankful to all the students and to Host who support our movement. The donation will allow us to grow our clean up network and gather vital data on litter that pollutes the environment, so we help shape evidence-based solutions.”

A litter clean-up on the water way organised by Planet Patrol.

Stay up to date with the latest information about the 2020/21 #HostEnvironmentalPledge and our nominated charities via our news page and our social media pages –Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

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All of these measures have been put in place to aid with containing the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19); and to help reduce the strain on our National Health Service (NHS).

From doctors to nurses, pharmacists to cleaners – health workers have been under immense pressure dealing with the outbreak of coronavirus. And they’re working hard to look after those people who are unwell.

But it’s not just our NHS who are working tirelessly. Other key workers are helping to continue to provide essential services during these unprecedented times.

From supermarket workers and lorry drivers keeping shelves stocked with food, to council workers emptying our bins and workers keeping our utilities running, and from teachers and postmen to public transport workers. There are so many people helping to keep the UK running.

To show how much the country appreciates what all of these NHS staff and key workers are doing, people have been coming together in many ways.

The most noticeable way is at 8pm every Thursday, thousands of people stand in their gardens, open their windows and go out onto their balconies for a massive round of applause for everyone working in the NHS.

People have also been drawing, painting and decorating ‘thank you’ rainbows and putting them in windows and outside houses to show support for their community and to help keep people smiling.

Thank you from Host:

And so, with all this in mind, we at Host, wanted to show our appreciation too. From all of our accommodations, here’s a great big THANK YOU to all NHS staff and key workers; you’re doing an amazing job!

To help support the health and wellbeing of our students still living with us whilst in lockdown, we’ve launched the #AtHomeWithHost campaign. Keep an eye out on our news page and social media channels (Facebook, Instagram and Twitter) for more information, tips and advice for coping during these uncertain times.

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We’re always looking to help provide international students who are considering studying in the UK with more information about our accommodation options and how we can help make their move even easier.

One of the largest nationalities of international students living with us at Host being Chinese students. Therefore made our annual trip to China to attend the China Education Expo (CEE).

China Education Expo 2019

The CEE is an exhibition tour hosted by China Education Association for International Exchange (CEAIE). It takes place every Autumn in several cities including Beijing and Shanghai.

This year, we made the trip to China to attend the first leg of the CEE in Beijing, on Saturday 19^th and Sunday 20^th October.

The venue was organised into national pavilions including Australia, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Ireland, Japan, New Zealand, Spain and USA. Each pavilion housed stands from a variety of establishments from those countries. Therefore, we took our place within the UK pavilion.

Over the two days, we met and spoke to hundreds of students, parents and universities/schools from China. It was a fantastic opportunity to meet people in person and learn more about their needs and interests, and to let them know about what Host offers.

Apart from visitors being able to collect relevant information from Host and other participating institutions, study abroad presentations were also staged where students could find out more about study opportunities and scholarship programmes.

Exploring China

Not only did we attend the CEE, but we also made the most of the little spare time we had to explore the country and experience the Chinese culture first-hand.

First of all, upon landing in Beijing on Thursday lunch time, we shook off the jet lag and jumped straight in a taxi to Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City to learn more about the country’s history.

Constructed in 1420, during the early Ming Dynasty, The Forbidden City it is China’s best-preserved imperial palace. It’s also the largest ancient palatial structure in the world.

It covers an area of about 180 acres with a total floor space of approximately 150,000 square meters. It consists of more than 90 palaces and courtyards, 980 buildings and over 8,728 rooms.

After spending Friday morning setting up for the weekend’s event, we had a few hours to kill in the afternoon; before the event’s opening ceremony that evening.

And we certainly thought no trip to China would be complete without a trip to the Great Wall. So, we jumped in a taxi and headed out of Beijing city.

We visited the Mutianyu section of the Great Wall; one of the best preserved and best-known Great Wall sections. There were breath-taking views of the natural surrounding scenery, where woods cover ninety-six percent of the total scenic area.

We took the steps for the trek up to the wall. We made it up to the No. 6 Watchtower (Zhengguan Terrace) and walked a stretch of the wall to take in the views. It’s safe to say we got our fair share of steps in that day.

With not much time to spare (and very tired bodies), rather than walking back down, we thought we’d take the quick route back to the bottom via a toboggan; it was certainly a lot easier than all those steps back down!

After a long day at the CEE on Saturday, it was time to refuel with some traditional Chinese cuisine; whilst mastering the use of chopsticks. On the way back to the hotel for some much-needed rest, ready for another busy day on the Host stand, we strolled through the city admiring the magnificent buildings and skyscrapers. Furthermore we managed a quick pit stop at the notorious Silk Street aka the Silk Market for shopping.

All in all, even with the lack of sleep, we had a fantastic trip to China. Finally, thank you to everyone who we met and who made us feel very welcome in Beijing; and to everyone who took the time to speak to us at the CEE.

If you weren’t able to make it to the event, you can contact us directly to find out more about our student accommodation and living with Host in the UK.

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Before the ride Alex gave her reason for doing this challenge:

“Last year, my friend’s dad was diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer’s at the age of 64 and as you can imagine, it has come as a big shock to the family. I have known Chris for over 27 years. He has always been a bubbly and active man with lots of friends and a huge passion for golf. They all received this heart-breaking news in March 2018. But Chris was certain he was not going to let the diagnosis get him down.

16 months on he is finding day to day activities are becoming more challenging and like every illness or disease. He has his good days and his bad days. ut despite having these challenges it has not stopped him from playing his beloved sport. Although sometimes not as well as he’d like. Chris has huge support from his wife and family. Together they are tackling the daily challenges that Alzheimer’s throws their way. But one thing is for sure, he is not letting this cruel disease define him.”

Completed it.

After successfully completing the 150km Alex said:

“My brother in law and I set off from Tenby at 7am, beating the beautiful sunrise (after a very unsettled sleep due to the wind and weather conditions). We knew it was going to be tough due to the headwind. It was a constant battle to keep peddling. I hit a few walls and needed to re fuel but got there in the end.

My brother in law kept me motivated throughout . We arrived in Bridgend at 7pm, this was our arrival time to Cardiff. So we had to push on and dig deep. We finally rolled into Cardiff (at the pub where around 40 of my friends and family were) at 9pm. 98 miles later, I was so exhausted I could barely drink my cider, which never happens ha! – I have never pushed my body that hard before, but completely worth it and feeling super proud .”

So far Alex has raised over £1300 and the sponsorship is still coming in, with all the money raised going to support the society in research, facilities and more.

You can find out more about The Alzheimer’s Society here.

Well done to Alex for completing her epic journey!

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To be crowned winner for two years running is an outstanding achievement and we certainly couldn’t be happier.

In addition to winning Best Private Halls Provider, we have also been awarded the ‘International Accommodation Quality Mark’; an award given to providers who achieve higher than 90% satisfaction among international students.

The National Student Housing Survey (NSHS) measures satisfaction levels in all types of accommodation; and only recognises accommodation based on real student experiences. This year there was over a whopping 33,000 students from accommodations across the UK and also Ireland who took part.

Thank you from Host

The people voting are the ones who live with us. So, we’d like to thank all of our students for taking the time to share their feedback; it means a great deal to us all at Host.

We always strive to build on and exceed the exceptional quality student accommodation and service we provide. For this reason, our staff work tirelessly to deliver the best possible experience for our students.

By winning these awards it highlights that we continue to be held in the highest regard by our students across the country. We receive them both with pride and thanks. We will continue to work hard and ensure our students have an enjoyable and stress-free experience whilst at university.

So, if you would like to find out more about our student accommodation and living at Host, take a look at our locations. You can also contact us for more information and we’ll be happy to help.

About the NSHA

The annual National Student Housing Awards are based exclusively on direct feedback from over 33,000 students across 200 universities and colleges.

The National Student Housing Awards are uniquely credible and highly prized; with no written nominations and no ‘expert’ judges. Data for the awards are collected through the National Student Housing Survey (UK) and the National Student Housing Survey (Ireland) which is managed by Red Brick Research. They are an independent market research and business intelligence agency with a specialist focus on youth marketing, student accommodation and higher education.

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