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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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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We understand that COVID-19 has been, and still is, a worrying and uncertain time for everyone. That’s why we’re committed to doing whatever it takes to protect our students and staff and minimise the risk of coronavirus at our accommodation.

We’ve been working hard to adapt our accommodation and our service to ensure that our students are kept safe; but can still have the best possible living experience whilst at university or college.

In recent months we’ve introduced a number of measures and additions to Host’s procedures to ensure an even higher standard of cleanliness and safety at our accommodation. Changes include social distancing measures, protective screens at receptions, hand sanitising stations and enhanced cleaning protocols.

Following an in-depth review by the British Safety Council (BSC) we have achieved the BSC COVID-19 Assurance Accreditation. This means our organisational policies, procedures and arrangements in response to the control of COVID-19 within our accommodations meet the current UK government guidelines.

As the situation surrounding COVID-19 changes, our arrangements and policies are continually monitored and adapted to ensure their effectiveness.

Here is our British Safety Council COVID-19 Assurance Certificate.

For more information about our response to COVID-19 and FAQs, please visit our Coronavirus Guidance page. You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter for the latest news and updates.

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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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As a result of their hard work, several members of the Host team have been recognised for their outstanding contributions at this year’s Student Housing Leadership Awards (SHLA).

Hibba Nazish, Simon Mansell and Dan King were respectively shortlisted as finalists at the SHLA. They’ve been shortlisted for the following categories: ‘Site Staff Member of the Year’, ‘Operational Support Member of the Year’ and ‘Unsung Hero of the Year’.

What are the SHLAs?

The SHLA’s puts a spotlight on the incredible contributions that operational staff make to the purpose-built student accommodation sector. They also recognise the top talent across a vibrant industry. This year’s awards recognised the achievements of individuals and teams during the 2017-2018 academic year. All nominations were judged by an independent panel of judges.

An awards ceremony took place in London last night (30^th January 2019). We’re delighted and proud to announce that both Simon and Dan were named as winners of their categories.

Our winners

Simon Mansell won the ‘Operational Support Member of the Year’ award; an award for those who have provided much needed support to site based teams from a head/central office. Championing company values with an innovative and forward-thinking approach to raising the organisations’ standards.

One of the judges commented, “Obtaining ISO accreditations and developing the appropriate support systems is a demanding undertaking. To combine this successfully with the management of existing buildings and mobilisation of two sites is outstanding.”

Dan King won the ‘Unsung Hero of the Year’ award; an award for those who have exceeded expectations without seeking recognition. An individual whose contribution differs from others within the same job and has made a significant improvement to the student experience, sales, customer service and more.

“It is apparent Dan has gone above and beyond the call of duty on many occasions and stands out with his innovative ideas to make freshmans feel more comfortable,” said the judging panel, “Dan seems like a classic unsung hero…committed, hardworking and innovative…a worthy winner.”

Congratulations

A huge congratulations to both Simon and Dan on their wins. And also to Hibba on being shortlisted as a finalist out of 70 nominees in her category; it’s fantastic recognition for the hard work and achievements of all three staff members. We’d also like to say well done to all other winners and finalists of this year’s SHLA’s.

Our Host teams are continuing to work hard to deliver the exceptional standards and service provided to our students.

Visit the Host website to find out more about our student accommodation or contact us directly and we’ll be happy to help.

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But that’s not all. Thanks to our international students, we have also been awarded the ‘International Accommodation Quality Mark’; an award given to providers that achieve higher than 90% satisfaction from overseas students.

Each year students from across the UK are asked to complete the National Student Housing Survey (NSHS) which measures satisfaction levels in all types of accommodation. This year’s survey attracted more than a whopping 30,000 responses from students from universities and colleges across the UK.

Wow. That’s a lot of people! But that just emphasises the scale of achievement for us. Our students hold us in the highest regard for our exceptional quality student accommodation.

Thank you from Host

Since Host – the student facing brand for Victoria Hall Management Ltd., launched on 1^st October 2016, our management team and staff have continued to build on and maintain the reputation they’ve earned over the past 20 years. And for us, winning the Best Private Halls Provider award reflects what Host is all about; to provide students with hassle-free accommodation and a welcoming, happy, reassuring and stress-free experience while at university or college.

Receiving these awards makes us proud and delighted. It reflects the excellent standards of accommodation we offer, and the customer service provided by our accommodation staff. And do you know what makes these awards even more special to us? It’s the fact the recognition is a direct result of feedback from our students. So, we would like to say a massive thank you to all of the students for their feedback.

We’re currently getting ready to open our doors and welcome students for the 2018/19 academic year. We will continue to work hard and strive to exceed the exceptional quality student accommodation for the coming year.

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

About the National Student Housing Awards:

The annual National Student Housing Awards are based exclusively on direct feedback from over 32,000 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, an independent market research and business intelligence agency with a specialist focus on youth marketing, student accommodation and higher education.

The next opportunity to take part in the NSHS is on the 1st of October 2018. Registration is now open.

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ISO is an organisation responsible for the publication of all international standards.

We have now successfully achieved external certification with Exova BM TRADA, an international certification body accredited by UKAS (United Kingdom Accreditation Service), which in turn is a government recognised independent accreditation and certification body.

Accreditation will demonstrate to our customers that the quality of our service is of a consistently high standard. It also allows us to add the highly regarded UKAS symbol to all our documentation bringing both national and international recognition to our business.

We have decided to adopt ISO in order for us to stay competitive.

It will allow us to:

• Acknowledge the increasingly complex environments in which we operate
• Provide a more accurate assessment of the needs of our employees, customers and other stakeholders
• Improve quality across our organisation and increase our customer satisfaction rate

Quality has always been at the heart of our business (as evidenced by being shortlisted for the 2017 National Private Hall Provider in the National Student Housing Awards), and this has a direct bearing on customer satisfaction, improves efficiency and allows us to provide excellent products and services. It has always been a building block to our success.

Managing our impact on the environment is also a key business driver. Complying with regulations, reducing waste and defects and protecting the world’s resources for future generations is now a key priority.

Health & Safety (H&S) is also an important factor in looking after our employees, students, suppliers and contractors.

What are the benefits of ISO?

• To build on quality, environmental awareness and H&S
  Our New Management Systems will be integrated and aligned with our business strategies which in turn will improve performance and drive real value.

• To focus on risk and opportunity management and help to identify and manage risk more effectively resulting in opportunities that contribute to bottom line improvements.

• To improve environmental performance
  This new holistic approach will help to identify further performance savings resources and costs.

• To provide leadership
  Continued involvement by our leadership team will ensure that all staff will be motivated towards the organisation’s goals and objectives.

To find out more about the introduction of ISO standards in our business please contact us on info@host-students.com. 

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Mr B & Friends have worked with us to develop a brand which captures what we’re all about: providing students with a welcoming, reassuring and hassle-free experience. And our new look and feel reflects this. It’s down to earth and approachable. Modern and smart. It shows we understand the challenges students face and work hard to solve them. So they’re free to focus on studying, meeting people and having fun.

And this week, as we celebrate our first month as Host – since launching on 1st October 2016, we couldn’t be more excited and proud to be notified that Mr B & Friends have won an award for their work. They’ve been awarded an ‘Honorable Mention’ from Awwwards for their efforts in the creation of the Host website. Awwwards are website awards. They recognise and promote the talent and effort of the best developers, designers and web agencies in the world!

Congratulations to Mr B & Friends for their hard work, and for bringing us Host!

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