Xior Student Housing

The Xior student housing is one of the many options for housing in the Netherlands. I stumbled across this private accommodation in the beginning of my third year when looking for a studio apartment to stay in. Xior offers students modern student rooms in three locations in the Hague: Lutherse Burgwal, Eisenhowerlaan and Waldorpstraat.

Photograph by Jordan Dittmar

The Lutherse Burgwal building is located in the lively centre of The Hague. It is 50m from Grote Markt (the drinking square of the Hague) that has a variety of shops and restaurants, an Albert Heijn supermarket is just around the corner and a Jumbo is 150m away down the main shopping street. It is within walking distance of Central Station and the Leiden University Campus. Additionally, the building has a cute courtyard and roof terrace for days in the sun as well as a communal room.

Located in the Statenkwartier of The Hague, the Eisenhowerlaan building consists of three towers, two of which contain furnished independent student studios, and the third tower with furnished, with shared student rooms. Behind the towers is a large  courtyard with ample parking space and a bicycle shed inside and outside. Throughout the building there are TV rooms and study areas for students to enjoy. The Eisenhowerlaan building is just a 13 minute bike ride away from the Leiden University Campus.

Photograph from http://www.xior.nl

In the Schildersbuurt, located in the centre of The Hague, on Waldorpstraat, there are 72 studios with balconies in the Xior building. It is located next to the Haagsche Hogeschool and only a few minutes’ walk from The Hague Hollandspoor train station from where you can quickly travel to Leiden, Delft, Amsterdam and Rotterdam by train or take a tram towards the centre. It is approximately a 10 minute bike ride to the Leiden University campus.

Photograph from http://www.xior.nl

I live in the Lutherse Burgwal Xior building, in a little independent studio apartment. I have my own kitchenette and bathroom with a shower and toilet. My room came fully furnished with a desk, bed and closet as well as a cute little welcome goodie bag. Since moving in, I have thoroughly enjoyed my time in my studio apartment. Yet, with any accommodation there come their pros and cons.

The cons of Xior housing is the lack of building staff present. It would be a great help to residents if there were always a staff member on duty in the front office. In doing this students can come to them with any questions or problems they may have with their rooms, rather than having to email the head office. Another con is the misleading nature of the website. There are several other costs that are not included in the advertised rental cost such as service costs, energy costs, internet costs and furniture costs. As well as registration and administration costs. Do not forget to include these prices in the monthly cost of the room as it changes the price significantly.

However, the pros outweigh these cons. The buildings are full of students which makes it a comfortable and easy environment for new students to make friends. These student are also largely international students which has allowed me, as an international student to feel at home in the building. There are many places to have social gatherings that are largely accepted by the building staff as long as there are no noise complaints… The rooms are spacious and receive a large amount of natural light. And once the additional costs are included in the rental cost, the flat rate means that there is no extra admin fees regarding external energy and water companies.

Photograph from Jordan Dittmar

Overall, I have thoroughly enjoyed my stay in Xior. I have my own little place, yet I need just to step out my door and find myself in the company of others. For more information about Xior Student Housing and available rooms visit their website www.xior-booking.com.