Purpose - Although studies on student residential satisfaction abound, yet there are limited studies conducted on students' satisfaction in respect of hostel accommodation facilities undertaken through public-private partnerships (PPPs) in Nigeria. The purpose of this study is to assess the level of students' satisfaction with the provision of university hostel accommodation facility using build-operate-transfer ( BOT) model at University of Lagos (Unilag), Nigeria. Design/methodology/approach - The study adopted literature review and questionnaire survey within the case study of a BOT hostel accommodation facility at Unilag in Nigeria. The students who reside at the case study were the respondents. Hence, 153 self-administered questionnaires were purposively distributed face-to-face to the entire student population that live in the BOT hostel. Thus, a total of 96 completed questionnaires representing 63 per cent were collected and found suitable for the analysis. The data collected were analysed using the mean score and chi-square (X-2) test. Findings - The study revealed a total mean satisfaction level of 3.46 (on a 5-point Likert scale), which indicates that students are "somehow satisfied" with the university hostel accommodation facility undertaken through BOT. The study further established that age and level of students have no significant influence on the overall students' satisfaction with their hostel accommodation facility undertaken through BOT. Practical implications - The study would provide valuable feedback to private investors, university authorities and facility managers of higher education institutions to improve their services in the near future. Originality/value - The identified variables that have tested to be significant in assessing students' level of satisfaction in BOT hostel accommodation facilities could be used to assess users' satisfaction in similar facilities delivered through PPPs in other countries.