The students are multiplying. There are, some might argue, far too many of them. Loads of major uni cities in the country don’t actually have the capacity to take on all of the students that they accept without sending them to far away lands like ‘Newport’ and ‘Dundee’.
Southampton is tackling this issue head on by turning the Grade II listed Dolphin Hotel in the city centre into 99 new rooms for students. The 500 year old building was allegedly where Jane Austen had her 18th birthday. It’s likely that the freshly-18-year-old who will inhabit it now will celebrate their youth in a slightly different way than Austen did, but who are we to say. Maybe she indulged in a night at the equivalent of Jesters once in a while too.
The council has assured that the development won’t change any of the important parts of the structure, and that it will retain all of the elements that make it of historical significance. Not everyone is happy about adding nearly 100 new student residents to the street, but a representative of the hotel said that ‘this is the only option we found to generate enough money to invest in the property’.
Planning permission has just been granted, so work could begin anytime now. There’s no planned opening date yet, so unfortunately for any prospective Southampton freshers you won’t be sharing a room with Jane Austen’s ghost just yet. Maybe next time, eh?
Where to stay in the UK
The Dolphin Hotel may be closed, but there are still loads of cool places around the country you can stay in. Here’s our favourite family friendly holiday digs, and some tree houses you can rent out for something a little different. We’ve also got guides to the country's cosiest cabins, and the coolest castles you can stay overnight in.
Did you see that these are the UK’s five most beautiful national parks, according to the BBC?
This is the UK’s most relaxing accent.
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