Hi! I'm also in Dalton Ellis, StartingTheParty has said it all really. I recently transferred to Dalton Ellis from Owens Park (god knows why I applied there!) and Dalton Ellis is much nicer. I'm in the Fiddes Block, we have 3 toilets, 3 showers and a bath between us, but you never have to wait. They're regularly cleaned (there's even a rota for the cleaners on the door so you know when it's last been done). They're all cubicles, except the bath which is its own separate room within the bathroom.
People are friendly, although because I moved in mid-way through the term, I had to seek people out. Living here has been great (especially compared to the owens park tower) so far, the room size is good, enough room to have at least 2 people sleeping on the floor (yeah I know, it's a weird way to measure a room!).
The shops you mentioned are only a 5ish minute walk away (and it's really well lit between DE and the shops so it's safe at night if you're concerned about that sort of thing). Also, it's only about 15 minutes to walk to the universityalong upper brook street.
I don't know too much about the others, Hulme is just along Oxford Place from us. I’ve been there once to see a friend and it’s similar ,the complex itself is a bit bigger but rooms are a similar size. Hulme has a‘sister’ hall in Burkhardt house, which shares some facilities with it (like library), but Burkhardt is self-catered. Woolton is on Fallowfield so it’s going to be a bit more lively (you may like that kind of thing, you may not). I do remember from when I went to look round the kitchens are rather poky, compared to the Dalton Ellis ones, which are big and even contain cookers! Most kitchens in the catered halls just have a microwave and kettle (and bare in mind you still have to provide your own weekend meals), so that’s another tickfor Dalton Ellis.
Right I know I’ve rambled a bit but feel free to shoot me any questions!