Name: AKA University City
Address: 2929 Walnut Street, University City, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, US
Price range: US$219–US$820 per night
Rating: 8.95

What guests think

Reviews of AKA University City often praise its apartment-style suites with full kitchens and sweeping city views, plus standout Level 28 amenities—indoor pool, gym, terrace, cinema—and a convenient location near UPenn, Drexel, and 30th Street Station.

Cleanliness and maintenance feedback is mixed, ranging from spotless rooms to reports of dusty floors, worn carpets, and occasional in-room issues. Service experiences vary as well: many guests find staff friendly and accommodating, but others cite slow or unhelpful front desk, delayed check-ins, and limited or no daily housekeeping. Recurrent concerns include malfunctioning elevator/key cards, separate and pricey parking without valet, fees, and bar or lounge closures or limited hours. Expect roomy, view-forward stays with excellent amenities but variable service and upkeep.

Facilities

Cleanliness

Rooms

Service

Location

Dining

Was this helpful?

AI-generated summary based on recent guest reviews

Facilities

Level 28 amenities earn strong praise—indoor pool, gym with views, terrace, cinema, and a golf simulator—creating an apartment-club feel for families and long stays. Recurring drawbacks include malfunctioning elevator/key cards, occasional lounge/gym closures, and separate, pricey parking with no valet.

Related guest reviews

10

JOSEPH

23 Nov 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

We have stayed at many hotels in Philly and this hotel ranks near the top. It’s an oasis of tranquility near everything. The amenities are 28 floors above the hustle and bustle of the city below. Even during peak times, it feels like a private escape with a one-of-its-kind swimming pool, a cinema, and a spacious fitness center with breathtaking views of the city. Love this hotel!

10

Gabriele

13 Aug 2024

·

Stayed 4 nights

Great indoor pool, gym and terrace in the 28th floor with a wonderful view. Close to the university and city center as well. Very good cafe for breakfast close by. Spacious rooms, bath and a kitchen; makes it very convenient for a longer stay. All the staff was very friendly.

6

edwin

20 Sept 2024

·

Stayed 2 nights

The elevator card system they have is horrible. Malfunctions all the time so you get stuck in the elevators with the doors closed.

8

Jeanine

7 Mar 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

The amenities are nice and the views are great. I was disappointed with there being no notice that the lounge is not open on Sundays. Also the key fob did not work on the elevator but was ok getting into the room. We had to get a new one and that one gave us trouble also.

8

Steven

6 Aug 2024

·

Stayed 2 nights

Amazing views, likely best in city. Amenities clustered on 1 floor with nearly 360 degree view of city. Rooms are large and kitchens well equipped. However, service is mediocre and not worthy of the price paid. Spa is a misnomer. There is no one there regularly so you need to arrange service in advance. The immediate area around the hotel has very limited food access and the convenience store closes at 9p, which is inconvenient for large city. There is no hotel store. Overall nice if it suits your location needs (which it did for me as it is right next to Penn athletics) but has significant limitations.

10

Pete

29 May 2023

·

Stayed 2 nights

Fantastic hotel, great amenities with gym, pool, golf simulator, and room was very nice. Only downside was the window didn’t have darkening shades or drapes so it was very bright in the room as soon as the sun came up but didn’t effect our stay too much

8

Christopher

23 Jun 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

Facility was fantastic. Amenities like gym, pool, business centre, cafe onsite were all 5 stars. The reason I didn’t give 5 stars was the key card system was a sh*t show. I had to exchange my cards 4x over 2 days because they stopped working sometimes on the elevator (to get to the floor) and then the room door. Others were having the same issue.

2

Caitlin

5 Aug 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

Terrible service and all amenities closed.

10

Matt

21 Jun 2024

·

Stayed 2 nights

I would have ranked amenities higher but the gym was under construction and unusable. We came to Philly for the New Blance Outdoor Track Championship and this was THE best location as it was a 300m walk down a trail to the warmup field. Super stress free and convenient for anything going on at Franklin Field

8

Tyler

3 Jan 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

Only thing I didnt like was there was no valet parking. Outside of that, everything was great.

Was this helpful?

AI-generated summary based on recent guest reviews

Cleanliness

Feedback is mixed: many describe suites and common areas as very clean or immaculate, but several report dusty floors, stained or worn carpets, and other upkeep issues. Housekeeping is limited (often not daily), which some guests did not expect.

Related guest reviews

4

anthony

24 Mar 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

Took an extra hour to locate hotel, no daily breakfast only cafe serves breakfast next door to hotel. Hotel room has large view of city but very dusty girlfriend and I have asthma and had to clean room properly. Self parking no parking included not even at least validating parking nor discount for staying at hotel.

8

Patrick

22 Jun 2024

·

Stayed 2 nights

Room was not as clean as I would expect.

4

Amy

23 May 2023

·

Stayed 1 night

Almost all the furniture in the hotel room was dusty (decor, sofa and floor). There were no slippers, toothbrush or toothpaste provided in the bathroom. The hair dryer was half broken and the playpen for my toddler was broken and unable to assemble. They did not provide any padding for the playpen so we just had our toddler sleeping with us on the bed. The AC vent was extremely loud in the living room. The reception was not very friendly or attentive upon arrival and departure. We went in/out several times and half the time there wasn't anyone at the reception area. For a $400/night, I was honestly a bit disappointed with our stay. The only part was enjoyed was the view.

2

Young Ju

28 Jul 2025

·

Stayed 4 nights

Aka didn't supply any hotel daily-service. They never cleaned our room during my stay. Theny didn't refill coffee canpsules, and didn't change towels. Door-knobs were so weird, so we couldn't lock the doors of bathrooms. It's very difficult to open and close doors... Floors were sticky. The carpet was dirty and hairs of carpet flew. Why were Aka's amenities and room conditions so different from explnation of Expedia and Aka's home page? I was really disappointed and very uncomfortable during my stay.

2

Ambher

6 Jul 2025

·

Stayed 3 nights

Extremely disappointed in the cleanliness and response to my concerns. The day before check out, i did speak with the Assistant Director of Housekeeping who was sweet and helpful but this was the day before checkout so she couldn’t do much about my issues.

10

Naomi

17 Dec 2022

·

Stayed 19,342 nights

Immaculate. Well equipped kitchen. Amazing view. Comfortable bed. Nice Aveda products. Very nice gym with view. Overall excellent stay.

4

Creede

30 Jun 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Run down apartment/hotel concept. Dirty floors. Dirty furniture. No amenities. Not great.

6

Lili

9 Aug 2024

·

Stayed 5 nights

The location and view are good, but the hotel room is not clean and the facilities are poorly maintained

10

Jia

3 Nov 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

Very clean, new, convenient. Great view. Easy to find.

6

Tamela

3 Jan 2024

·

I love this place every time I stayed this time it wasn’t clean I was hurt. That’s not what I’m. Use too at all . I’m still I shock . The covers where dirty , it was hairs in the bed

Was this helpful?

AI-generated summary based on recent guest reviews

Rooms

Large, apartment-style suites with full kitchens, washer/dryers, and sweeping skyline views are a major draw. Downsides mentioned across reviews include thin walls or exterior noise, lack of blackout shades, occasional Wi‑Fi or in-room equipment omissions, and some uncomfortable beds.

Related guest reviews

10

Heather

6 Mar 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Wow - what a spacious room, basically a two bed, two bath apartment! I wish I stayed longer!

8

Karin

21 Aug 2024

·

Stayed 3 nights

Very nice big rooms very professional friendly staff great gym and nice coffee machine. Only downsides are that beds are very very uncomfortable and there is no maid service and no easy way to ask for towels or more coffee. Despite those things the rest of the place is great.

10

Laura

13 Jul 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

Stayed overnight for a concert at the World Cafe, half a block away. This hotel is lovely - keep in mind that this hotel is also a residence, and has long term stays in mind. I doubt many people stay just overnight. The rooms are a good size, with minimal decor - the real decor is the view from the room. We were located on the 32nd floor and could see for miles and miles. You can see the art museum, boathouse row, the Schuylkill, and some barren industrial areas as well. But its just so cool to look out the window. The couch is super comfy, unlike most hotel furniture. The place is spotless. Immaculately clean. Every amenity you would need for a stay - lots of cabinet and closet space, Nespresso coffee maker, toaster, electric kettle, wine opener, stove AND oven, washer/dryer. The works. It's awesome. For entertainment, head down to the 28th floor. There's an Olympic length pool (with floor to ceiling view of the city), a bar and lounge, a cinema with one to two movies playing each day (Atonement, one of my fave movies, played last night). There's a golf simulator room - see the floor attendant to get set up. There's also a lovely gym and a dedicated work space. It's just a nice place, especially for an extended stay or as a tenant. The staff leaves you alone- this is not the place where you are going to get white glove service so if that's your thing, head to the Ritz. You feel like a resident and get a taste living in an extensive high rise - much more my speed

8

Christopher

12 Jun 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

Very large, clean room, washer/dryer in room, friendly staff, are upsides. Downsides include telephone not installed, wifi not operating in the room, hair dryer omitted, Nespresso machine but no Nespresso, hooks for an ironing board and iron but neither of those. Staff scrambled to fix everything and seemed shocked that these omissions existed. Since the location has been open 6 years now, so am I. It is really too bad, because it is a very nice facility.

10

Yingqiu

11 Jan 2023

·

Stayed 19,366 nights

The apartment was spacious and well appointed, and had all the proper amenities for a business trip. The gym had a fantastic panoramic view of the cityscape, which was a great source of motivation. The hotel is located near busy roads and train tracks, so it was not the quietest of settings. But for all the positive qualities of the space, I still found the stay enjoyable. The staff were helpful and easy to work with on the majority of occassions.

10

Maggie

23 May 2024

·

Stayed 2 nights

Modern interior, close to Penn. I wish the blinds in the room were blackout shades. Sunlight comes into the bedroom directly.

8

Eileen

1 Aug 2024

·

Stayed 3 nights

The room options, amenities (level 28 is awesome esp with kids), and location are what make this hotel stand out! Some improvements — carpet was a little yucky — was clear it had been cleaned which was good but it was bumpy, so annoying and a potential tripping hazard for someone. Also even more importantly we all wished there were blackout shades in the bedroom and main room. Was hard for all of us to sleep and was surprised how much noise we could hear from outside even tho we were on the 33rd floor. We overall enjoyed our stay!

8

Cazembe

2 Jun 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

Check in was 3 pm. We arrived at 4 but they did not check us in until 5pm. The front desk was not friendly or attentive as we waited. Our room was spacious, clean and well decorated. The views were amazing!

10

TERRELL

1 Jun 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

Honestly the best view of the city. breathtaking!

8

Kali

21 Jan 2024

·

The property itself is nice and the staff was excellent. The only drawbacks for me were that the walls are thin and also you can’t charge meals from the attached restaurant (Walnut Street Cafe) to your room. The first night I stayed there I was told by the aka staff that I could charge meals to the room, but when I went to the cafe I was told I could not. So there really was no impetus for me to dine at the cafe. As for the thin walls, I believe the bedroom of my suite shared a wall with the living room of the neighboring suite. The folks there were having a get together the first night I was there and while they weren’t overly loud, I could still hear everything through the walls. The second night was quieter. Overall the property is nice. The views are nice. The staff was pleasant. The 1-bedroom suite I had was aesthetically beautiful and clean. It would have been perfect with better soundproofing and with a “charge it to the room” option at the cafe.

Was this helpful?

AI-generated summary based on recent guest reviews

Service

Service sentiment is inconsistent: many guests highlight warm, helpful staff and quick resolutions, while others cite unfriendly or unresponsive front desk, check‑in delays, and poor communication about amenities or vouchers.

Related guest reviews

10

Stephen

4 Nov 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

Second time staying here. The staff is wonderful! The rooms are huge with everything you might need. I love the view to the south overlooking the city and the Penn campus. This is the best place to stay in Philly.

8

James

15 Nov 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

Stay was great. Love the property and amenities and the room. Rating would have been better had our room been ready by 5pm. Told to go up and it should be ready and housekeeping was still there, couldn't speak english to tell us when it would be ready, waited outside door 15 minutes then left to bar. Blackout blinds would be nice.

10

Karen

29 May 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

I booked an overnight staycation with my family. I’ve been to this University City location before, but it’s been a couple years since I’ve been back. I had an amazing experience, we loved our room, the views from our floor were spectacular, and the staff was so welcoming. I think the front desk ladies were Sophia and Quinn. Wonderful ladies, so pleasant and helpful. I’m already looking forward to coming back again for another staycation.

10

Brittany

28 Jul 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

I have stayed at many places in Philly before but AKA was truly a relaxing and clean hotel , I will be coming back again for sure for another visit! Front desk service was truly excellent!

6

Aminah

15 Nov 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

My initial room was not ready until 3:30. When I got to the room is was not clean properly. I did not get another room until 4:30 and that room had broken lighting.

10

TERRELL

28 Jun 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

Wister ensured my family and I were checked in quickly and thoroughly. His customer service skills should be rewarded and definitely respected!

4

Nick

23 Jan 2023

·

Stayed 1 night

I don’t typically review hotels as rarely do I have an unexpected experience. Hotel itself is impressive. However, staff here is plain terrible. Doorman doesn’t open door and says “what up” upon entering. No umbrellas during rainstorm. Front desk response to questions about the pool is “i don’t know” and then quickly hangs up. Overall, 2/5 considering the price and quality the Aka brand has come to maintain. Likely wouldn’t stay here again and will caution others against it.

8

Marsheila

15 Jun 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

The room was fantastic, but the front desk staff didn't appear very knowledgeable or helpful when asked basic questions Re: room service and the restaurant within the hotel. Also, the room service option was confusing and not very efficient. Would stay there again because of location, but would avoid asking for help beyond checking in if at all possible. I would also avoid the in-house restaurant.

10

Melissa

16 Mar 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

I booked my stay at the last minute with little to no time to research first. I could not be happier with my whole experience, from check in to check out. The room was clean, spacious, and well equipped. As it turned out I decided to stay an exta night and the change was made easily for me by the amazing women at the front desk. The 28th floor was a pleasant, but welcome, surprise. I will be staying in Philly quite a bit and I look forward to visiting again.

4

NICOLAS

9 Jul 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

I arrived to the hotel a little earlier than check in time and needed a place to change for an event and they were not accommodating at all.

Was this helpful?

AI-generated summary based on recent guest reviews

Location

Convenient University City base: walkable to UPenn and Drexel and close to 30th Street Station, with easy access to Center City. Works well for campus visits and events.

Related guest reviews

10

Roslynn

1 Oct 2024

·

Stayed 7 nights

Excellent place to stay near Center City and close to UPenn campus.

8

myla

4 May 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

The property is very clean and well appointed. I appreciate the safety of secure elevators requiring a room key. Parking is expensive and the hotel.should consider validation. We enjoyed our short stay. We would consider this hotel again based on proximity to the university.

10

Thanh Duyen

28 Dec 2024

·

Stayed 5 nights

Location, modern apartment - hotel

10

Brian

13 Jul 2023

·

Stayed 3 nights

Great location - especially for those that need close access to university city. Great views. Front desk made check-in / out easy

10

TOMOKO

11 Aug 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

The rooms are equipped with an microwave oven, refrigerator, washing machine, dryer, detergent, coffee machine, bathrobes, etc. This is the best hotel for long-term stays. The hotel is just 2blocks from the Amtrak station（30th Street Station）. You can take a bus to the City Hall. Walkable to the University City. I was able to spend a comfortable day. Thank you.

8

Sokpheanal

22 Apr 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

The hotel is located in a great neighborhood and close to Drexel/UPenn with shopping and food selection around the area. Pretty walkable and clean. The bathroom can use a venting fan, and another bottle of body wash instead of bar soap. But overall, the suite is great!

10

SCOTT

9 Mar 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

Brand spanking new. Beautiful roof deck, pool, gym and lounge. These are really apartments with full kitchen, laundry etc. Walkable to Penn and Drexel and Amtrak

10

Peter

12 Aug 2025

·

Stayed 1 night

Very nice property. Close to work and amenities

10

Ann

28 Jan 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

Great location for Philly Marathon

8

Mahta

1 Nov 2024

·

Stayed 2 nights

The suite was large and clean. The kitchen and the laundry units a plus. Gym and swimming pool were great. Walking distance from the city and UPenn. The only snag there was no classic hotel lobby or restaurant to relax at.

Was this helpful?

AI-generated summary based on recent guest reviews

Dining

On-site options are limited to a cafe and a lounge/bar with variable hours; breakfast at the cafe draws praise, but room service is confusing or unavailable. Several guests were frustrated by closed lounge hours and not being able to charge the attached restaurant to the room.

Related guest reviews

10

Duncan

19 Jul 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

A very clean and spacious two bedroom apartment with a lovely panoramic view of the city. There’s only maid service if you stay 7 days tho. The breakfast at the cafe was delicious and service was friendly rho.

8

Jeanine

7 Mar 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

The amenities are nice and the views are great. I was disappointed with there being no notice that the lounge is not open on Sundays. Also the key fob did not work on the elevator but was ok getting into the room. We had to get a new one and that one gave us trouble also.

8

Joseph

21 Aug 2023

·

Stayed 1 night

I loved the amenities, but did not have enough time to use them. I didn't like the aloofness of some staff and the lounge, where i was to receive two free drinks, was closed. My family and i ended our night early to get back and take advantage and spend time on the terrace, but we were told the bar was closed. I mentioned this on checkout and the person at the desk could not have been less interested. This was part of my wife's birthday celebration, so that was a bummer. Luckily, everything else on our trip, except for construction traffic, went well.

10

Daisy

2 Apr 2024

·

Stayed 1 night

I loved my room. I liked the reception desk staff. I disliked the Cafe food.

10

yvette

25 Aug 2023

·

Stayed 1 night

I loved the uniqueness of the hotel. Restaurant Cafe food was very good for brunch. Hotel was very clean, view was amazing. Loved the floor with all the amenties. The pool temperature was very comfortable and chairs were comfortable. Good coffee and great hospitality from staff.

8

Steven

6 Aug 2024

·

Stayed 2 nights

Amazing views, likely best in city. Amenities clustered on 1 floor with nearly 360 degree view of city. Rooms are large and kitchens well equipped. However, service is mediocre and not worthy of the price paid. Spa is a misnomer. There is no one there regularly so you need to arrange service in advance. The immediate area around the hotel has very limited food access and the convenience store closes at 9p, which is inconvenient for large city. There is no hotel store. Overall nice if it suits your location needs (which it did for me as it is right next to Penn athletics) but has significant limitations.

8

Marsheila

15 Jun 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

The room was fantastic, but the front desk staff didn't appear very knowledgeable or helpful when asked basic questions Re: room service and the restaurant within the hotel. Also, the room service option was confusing and not very efficient. Would stay there again because of location, but would avoid asking for help beyond checking in if at all possible. I would also avoid the in-house restaurant.

8

Kristina

7 Jun 2025

·

Stayed 2 nights

Loved the size of the one bedroom premium suite. This felt more like a mini apartment than a hotel room. The walk in closet and washer and dryer were so appreciated. I went to the Roots Festival and day one was so muddy and rainy! It was nice to be able to wash and dry the muddy clothes before repacking. It was nice having a full kitchen as well, we didn’t cook but brought snacks and water and having the fridge was great. Parking was at a parking deck right next door. You do pay separately for parking, about $35 a night. The deck is not managed by the hotel. The location was about a 12 min Uber ride from the Mann park where the festival was and although there wasn’t a restaurant on site, there are eateries within walking distance and Door Dashing was easy. (Again, very much an apartment vibe) 4 stars instead of 5 because the floor 28 bar wasn’t open, I feel like that’s one of the amenities that made me choose this hotel. They did give a voucher for a free bottle of wine but when we went to the 28 floor there was no one to claim it. Oh and the views were incredible. You could see so much of the city from our room. Large windows, lots of light. It was only a two night stay but I would definitely stay again. Felt safe and also very relaxing.

8

Mahta

1 Nov 2024

·

Stayed 2 nights

The suite was large and clean. The kitchen and the laundry units a plus. Gym and swimming pool were great. Walking distance from the city and UPenn. The only snag there was no classic hotel lobby or restaurant to relax at.

Was this helpful?

AI-generated summary based on recent guest reviews

Month	Average price
January	US$256
February	US$285
March	US$315
April	US$300
May	US$390
June	US$358
July	US$303
August	US$295
September	US$327
October	US$359
November	US$314
December	US$283

Su	Mo	Tu	We	Th	Fr	Sa
				1 $248	2 $376	3
4	5 $249	6 $258	7 $262	8 $295	9	10 $820
11 $246	12 $248	13 $253	14 $246	15 $283	16	17
18 $243	19 $244	20 $267	21 $279	22 $328	23	24
25 $305	26 $307	27 $276	28 $258	29 $246	30 $281	31 $759

Su	Mo	Tu	We	Th	Fr	Sa
		1	2	3	4	5
6	7	8	9	10	11	12
13	14 $386	15	16 $319	17 $280	18 $274	19
20 $219	21 $249	22 $344	23 $366	24	25	26 $710
27 $219	28	29	30 $322

Select dates to see prices and availability

Monthly average prices

About this property

Location

Room options

Studio

Premium Penthouse, 1 Bedroom

Suite, 1 Bedroom (With Den)

Penthouse (Studio)

Premium Suite, 1 Bedroom

Room, 2 Bedrooms (Sunset)

Penthouse, 2 Bedrooms, Mobility Accessible (Sunset)

Penthouse, 2 Bedrooms (Sunset)

Studio, Mobility Accessible

Suite, 1 Bedroom (With Library)

Room, 2 Bedrooms (Skyline)

Penthouse, 2 Bedrooms (Skyline)

Premium Suite, 1 Bedroom, Mobility Accessible

Premium Penthouse, 1 Bedroom, Mobility Accessible

Penthouse, 1 Bedroom (With Den)

Penthouse, 1 Bedroom (With Library)

Guest reviews

Fabulous

Who stays here?

What guests think

Property policies

Check-in instructions

Good to know

Optional extras

FAQs about AKA University City

Have a question?

Prices for upcoming dates