iQ Hayes Wharf, Lincoln

Staying here with friends this year and the staff have been incredible. The events are also great!

Living here currently!! It’s so wonderful and I adore the staff. Everyone’s so welcoming and caring

I have lived here for 2 years and it has been wonderful. All the staff here are wonderful and very helpful. The accommodation is near the uni which makes it even better. It is also a short walk from the town centre.

Hayes Wharf is one of the nearest accommodation sites to Lincoln University, with the exception of the University-run sites and possibly The Junxion (Mezzino). Located on Carholme Road, marginally within the West End region of Lincoln, its surroundings bear less of the urban intensity as that of other sites, but essential facilities are conveniently accessible (including a small Sainsbury's and the West End Tap, a micropub located one street to the North). A particularly attractive local feature is the immediately accessible Fossdyke footpath, running along the Roman canal and towards the cycle route 64. Being in its 14th year of existence, I was expecting the building to be riddled with battle scars inflicted by the carefree habitation of rowdy students. However, it is remarkably well-maintained and the interior was largely refurbished in 2018, providing a new kitchen and re-decorated bedrooms. Whilst the site's design and execution lacks some of the elegance and simplicity as at Cygnet Wharf (my 1st year accommodation), its appearance actually looks quite respectable today... something which cannot be said for the related Pavilions site of the same age: a severe collection of monolithic, steel-framed blocks, snaking ominously across the South of Lincoln. The site is very secure, requiring an electric key fob to enter the site, and again to enter your own block, and then a key for the flat and bedroom. The bedrooms wildly vary in size and layout, depending on the specification chosen and the part of the site it happens to be. My room (Silver en-suite) is exceptionally spacious and has a view of upper Lincoln and the Cathedral (don't get too excited, some rooms will have a view of a wall). In the room, there is actually too much storage to completely fill, which is only a good thing, and the sliding storage crates under the bed are particularly useful. The desk chair provided is not an adjustable office chair, but is just about comfortable enough, despite using hard plastic. The deskspace is very generous, 60cm deep and extending the full width of the room (2.7m in my case). A large slot has been cut out of part of the desk, under which is the electric radiator, to stop the desk surface from overheating and being destroyed. The radiator operates on a maximum 2 hour timer, and seems quite capable for the room size. A major rearrangement of the bed and surrounding furniture was required to make the bedside light switches actually be beside the bed. There is also an additional LED spotlight above the bed which is useful for reading, although the light is very bright and cold white in tone (made suitable for night use by taping an orange Quality Street wrapper over it). The bathroom is the usual arrangement, but the shaving light and power source above the mirror is a useful addition. Once the inevitable teething troubles of blocked shower drains are addressed, you will find that the showers work well enough. The electric shower unit is quite underpowered, but should be adequate for those who have not been spoiled with mixer showers like myself. The kitchen works quite well for five people, each person has two large cupboards, one drawer, and a shelf in the fridge and freezer. This leaves one remainder cupboard, an under-sink cupboard and an excessively sized cleaning cupboard that is larger than the fridge: the exclusive home of a mop. In addition to the single ***INDUCTION*** cooker/oven and sink, is a kettle, a microwave oven, and two rubbish bins. There is no toaster included, nor a vacuum cleaner. The lounge features a modern television, with 'smart' features. Inevitably, there will be problems which need fixing by the maintenance team, and so far they have been extremely helpful and efficient. The staff overall have been excellent - incredibly friendly and keen to make personal conversation. My first month here has proven that Hayes Wharf is a very comfortable place to live, and that its non-University ownership has no negative effect on quality.