Hilltop Halls Reviews

University of Connecticut

Reviews Summary

Hilltop Halls, comprising Ellsworth and Hale, offer a mixed bag of experiences for their residents. Ellsworth is known for its stunning views and cozy room options; however, the lack of air conditioning can make the rooms uncomfortably hot, requiring fans for added comfort. The dorm enjoys proximity to the Putnam Refectory, providing a convenient dining option for residents. Notably, the building's maintenance could use improvement, as bathrooms can be particularly unpleasant, with issues such as cleanliness inconsistencies and plumbing mishaps. Meanwhile, Hale offers larger-than-average rooms but is marred by a persistent odor and occasional hot water outages, forcing residents to seek alternative shower facilities. The shared game room is better accessed in nearby Werth. Despite this, the location offers a convenient connection via the Redline and beautiful winter scenery. On the downside, both dorms are situated atop a steep hill, challenging accessibility, particularly in winter conditions. Overall, Hilltop Halls provide decent living space and amenities, but prospective residents should be prepared for an uphill trek and occasional maintenance hiccups.

Cozy Rooms

Inconvenient Location

Communal Bathrooms

When students lived here

Freshman Year

2

Sophomore Year

4

Junior Year

2

Overall rating breakdown

Room

Building

Location

Bathroom

Browse 8 Student Reviews

Reviews with a Verified Student badge were written with a school email.

2 years ago

Lived in Ellsworth last year and honestly it was alright. I was living in a corner double and it was pretty good, I didn't have any complaints until my room was filled with ladybugs during the end of the spring semester. They were all in the window and it was very hard to remove them all since they just kept coming. The building overall was pretty good, especially the elevator (I rarely used the stairs). Only thing I didn't like was how there would be a huge puddle of water in the entrance from the circle every time it rained (there is a back door you could use). The bathrooms are not the greatest, we had a couple incidents during the year of people throwing up in the sinks or not flushing the toilet but I think the worst one was when someo...

Verified Student

Lived in a double

2 years ago

I lived in Ellsworth and to be completely honest with you I loved my room, I even tried to live in there this coming semester but my old room was taken :(

I personally lived in a CSD Single on the 9th floor, my only complaints about the 9th floor this past semester were:
1. The bathrooms were rarely clean and when my parents came to visit they would have to go to the bathrooms on the first floor bc the bathrooms were so gross.
2. One girl pooped in our sink... I don't think that needs more explaining...
3. The cleaning people vacuumed at the most inconveniencing hours even though our RA said that they clean early in the morning... Which never happened, they cleaned around noon but vacuumed at like 6/7 am.
4. The building itself is pretty...

Lived in a single

3 years ago

Hale is a great place for soph/juniors. Location wasn’t the best but the rooms were okay sized. Bathrooms were okay but hot water was out at least once or twice a month.

Lived in a double

4 years ago

Great space. The bathroom was okay. Hot water would be hit or miss some days. The location was sucky and was more efficient to take the Red Line than walk up a hill every day.

Lived in a double

4 years ago

Single was extremely small. However, closet space is amazing and the putnam dining hall was pretty good too next door. THE BATHROOMS AT HALE SUCKED. it smelled like pee everyday on my floor in the communal bathrooms i had to walk to a different floor to shower and brush my teeth. also red line came right to the dorm so that was super nice

Lived in a single

4 years ago

I lived in Hale. If you have friends in the building it will be a fun time. The rooms are slightly larger than other doubles on campus. Combined with a great location, this is probably one the best traditional dorms on campus.

Lived in a double

4 years ago

Half decent internet, the lounges were big enough but underutilized. There's a communal kitchen that was useful when needed. The rooms are MUCH bigger than our alternatives for sophomore year but you need hella credits to be able to get em (got one of the last like 10 bc of my roommates extra credits)

Lived in a double

4 years ago

Dorm is fairly good compared to other on-campus dorms. Top 3 dining hall next door, close to the center of campus but not too close. The biggest downside is the large hill on top it sits on, but the bus line has stops at both the top and bottom of the hill if you don't feel like walking

Lived in a double