Tramworks Unite

I’m staying here right now, and it’s a huge disappointment. Apart from the absence of flexible dates for short-term stays during these crazy Covid times (I will be charged a whole unused month, which is a lot for this accommodation) and the card key system which turns off electricity in your room, there is black mould in the shower, the emergency number never picks up, no one at reception during the weekend and the unbearable noise after 11 pm from the undergraduates residing at the next property.

I stayed there for a year. If it wasn't for the really nice staff, the place would be completely unbearable. Basically, the trash outside is always overflowed, we had a spider and flies infestation, and the keycard system is a mess. Also, the room space is minimal, above all considering the price you are paying for. When I arrived, at night and clueless about the city, no one would open from reception for quite a considerable time... All in all, I wouldn't recommend it.

I have lived in Tramworks for 3 years. The staff (Jody, Laura, etc) at reception has always been nice to me and available whenever I needed help. The room was big enough for me (it one of the very few accommodations that offer a bedroom with private bathroom) and the kitchen was equipped with everything one expects. They also offer a private parking as well as a launderette (with both washing machines and dryers) and a study room. The place is a10 minute-walk from the GU, so it's a perfect solution for those studying there.

I completely agree with some of the other reviews here which detailed some issues with this place. I am currently living here and wanted to try and write this review so that those looking for places can be aware of them. Unfortunately I can't say I would recommend Tramworks over other alternatives. The staff are nice, the building is nice (reception area, gym, studyrooms, etc..) and the building is only a 10 minute walk from Glasgow uni. However, due to a number of big issues I would advise others reconsider the options available. My biggest issue with this place is the keycard system - I found this to be extremely un-transparent on behalf of Unite students, who failed to mention anywhere in the process of booking that the electricity in the room will only stay on while the key is in the holder... This means every time you have to leave the flat, even for a moment, all your electrical devices will have to restart upon returning to your room. This is EXTREMELY annoying as I have a desktop and monitor and these both have to restart even if I'm only going to the laundry room for 2/3 minutes or bringing my rubbish out to the bins. Another BIG issue is the wifi speed in the building. Without fail, I've had to reconnect to the wifi after a period of minutes on end without connection. This usually occurs multiple times a day, and has done so EVERY SINGLE DAY I've lived here. This is ridiculous for a halls being advertised as having 'High Speed Internet'. I've taken multiple speed readings on different months and have found on many occasions the speeds are EXTREMELY slow, like having to watch youtube videos on 360p slow. Without trying to sound bigoted, I think it's also worth taking into consideration that it seems the majority of residents here are Chinese students. I really don't want to be misinterpreted as racist because I'm genuinely not, but just hear me out. Most of my own flatmates are Chinese and they are all very friendly and we all get along. But...Chinese students definitely have a tendency to stick to their own. Even though I'm more than happy to be friends with anyone regardless of where they come from, I've found, from experience, it can be really quite difficult to form real friendships with Chinese students. This is probably due to the big differences in cultures as well as the language barrier. For UK/western students this can be quite disappointing and frustrating especially if most of your flatmates are Chinese. So I would consider that also when deciding whether you want to live here. Moving into halls can be a bit of a lottery, in terms of who you live with and ideally you want to maximise the possibility you'll be living with people who you could become good friends with and possibly live with in following years. If I were to go back and make the decision on where to live now, I definitely would have tried to go to the university's halls next door instead or else use Roomshare and find a room in a student flat.