Homestay accommodation

Why stay with a host

Staying with a local host is a great part of the experience at inlingua Cheltenham, and for most students it is where the English actually arrives. Class gives you the grammar. An evening at somebody's kitchen table, following a conversation about the weather and what happened at work, is where it turns into something you can use.

Many of our hosts have welcomed students into their homes for years. They are experienced, and they understand exactly how you feel in the first day or two — tired, slightly overwhelmed, and not catching every word. A good number of students and hosts become genuine friends and stay in touch long after the course finishes.

The most beautiful school with nice and very professional teachers. I felt well here during my stay in August. Rebecca, adult student

How we check every home

We do not subcontract this. Our own accommodation officers find, visit and inspect every home on our books, which is a slower way to work and a much better one.

More detail is on our safeguarding page, including our named Designated Safeguarding Lead and the 24-hour emergency number issued to every student.

Homestay prices

Four options, all with a private bedroom and laundry included. Prices are per week and cover seven nights, Sunday arrival to Sunday departure.

Standard and executive homestay are half board — breakfast and dinner every day. Students on those options buy their own lunch, or take a packed lunch if the host offers one.

Add-ons

Includes

A private bedroom, the meals shown above, laundry, and a host who has been checked, referenced and inspected by our own staff

Excludes

The £40 accommodation arrangement fee, local bus travel, lunches on half board options, and anything listed as an add-on

Telling us what you need

You can ask for specific things — no pets, for instance, or a particular diet — and we will do our best. What we cannot do is promise everything, because the number of homes available at any one time is limited and we place students on a first-come, first-served basis. Whoever books first gets the placement.

That is the honest position, and it has a practical consequence: the earlier you book, the better your match is likely to be. If you have a requirement that really matters to you, tell us as early as you can rather than hoping it can be sorted out later.

Whatever happens, our team will work hard to find you the best local host available.

Getting to school

inlingua Cheltenham is at Rodney Lodge, 9 Rodney Road, right in the town centre — which means the shops, cafés and parks are on your doorstep after class, and every local bus route passes close by.

Most hosts are within thirty minutes of the school, on foot or by bus. Some students live close enough to walk the whole way. For everyone else, buying a weekly bus pass is the cheapest way to travel, and you can buy one on any Stagecoach bus. Your host will show you how to get in on your first morning.

Open in Google Maps for directions →

Arriving

Courses run Sunday to Sunday. If you have booked an airport transfer we will bring you straight to your host. Please try to avoid arriving in Cheltenham after 22:00 or before 07:00. If your flight times make that unavoidable, book a hotel for the first night and come to your host the next day.

What your week looks like

On standard and executive homestay, breakfast and dinner are provided every day; on full board, lunch as well. Most hosts eat with their students at least some evenings, which is the part students tend to remember.

Beyond that, a homestay is somebody's home rather than a hotel. Households have their own rhythms, and settling into one is part of what you came for.

Longer stays, holidays and changes

Taking a holiday during a long course

If you have booked twelve weeks or more, you can normally take one week of holiday for every twelve weeks at the school, requested when you book and confirmed in writing four weeks in advance. To keep your room while you are away there is a retainer of £50 per week to your host. Alternatively, store your luggage securely at the school for £50 per week — though in that case you may not return to the same host.

Christmas

The school closes from 19 December to 2 January. Students who want to stay with their host over Christmas can, at £75 per week on top of the usual rate.

Changing host

Changes are possible where there is a valid reason. We hold a standard agreement with every host requiring four weeks' notice if a student is going to leave or move, though in exceptional circumstances — where a host has not provided what was agreed, for instance — we may waive that.

A £40 accommodation arrangement fee applies each time accommodation is arranged, including a change of host. The exception is where the host is deemed unsuitable for you, in which case you do not pay it again.

If you would rather not stay with a host

Some students prefer their own space, and that is a perfectly reasonable choice.

Hotels

There are several hotels within walking distance of the school at a range of budgets. Email info@inlingua-cheltenham.co.uk and we will suggest some options.

Short-term rentals

You can also find short-term rentals in Cheltenham through sites like Airbnb.

Junior students and groups

Students under 18 stay on full board or half board depending on the programme, and the same checks apply to every home: DBS checks on all adults over 18 in the household, references, and inspection by our accommodation officers.

For school groups we place two or three students from the same group with each host, and hosts provide breakfast, a packed lunch where required, and dinner.

Common questions