Is Merit Residence Hall the best dorm at UW Madison?

Merit has single rooms (small, no private bathroom) & double rooms (spacious, private bathroom), It has about 60 residents total. I lived in a double my sophomore year (2019-20), so my review will be based on this. It's quite close to a lot of classes (<10min walk) and a bus stop (<1min walk). The dining hall is 2min away by walk. The closest gym is in Ogg (<1 min) away. Having lived in lakeshore prior, I was blown away at how convenient living in south-east was. I use the buses a lot, but not depending on a bus to get somewhere was wonderful. The location is great, and knowing that you could get anywhere (gym, the terrace, UHS, Walgreens, Fresh, dining hall, memorial union, union south, etc) quickly was crazy. I chose Merit primarily because it had private bathrooms. I cannot tell you how much of a relief it is to not rush to the communal bathroom, hoping you get a stall (+ one with hot water) every single day. The AC worked fine, maintenance was prompt, facilities were new. The kitchen is spacious. Never had an issue with the laundry, always got a washer/dryer when I needed one. The only con would be the social life. Merit is a quiet dorm. If you're looking for making friends, this may not be the best choice. If this isn’t a problem for you, and/or you spend most of your time outside the dorm, then great! I really enjoyed living in Merit and was quite sad when we were made to move out mid-semester due to COVID-19. I definitely recommend staying in a double in Merit! :)