First year - Private or Halls?

Are university halls better for first year students rather than private third parties i.e Unilife, Host?

I'll hopefully be attending University of Southampton this september. My plan was to choose an ensuite room with a double bed (I'm very tall) and so my options were very limited to 2 university halls, as all others either lacked the room type or have been fully booked/applied for. Both these halls are far from the city centre and still very expensive considering how dated they seem. I would prefer to be in the city centre and be where everything is happenning. After looking online at Unilife, Host and other private accommodation in Southampton, it seems almost crazy to choose anything else because they're so much cheaper,modern and value for money. My concern though is that I won't make many friends who have also just started University if I am to choose private accomodation and I would hate to isolate myself during my first year.

Has anyone had experience with private halls like this during their first year or in general? Struggling to weigh up the pros/cons :/