AKA University City

4.0 star property
VIP Access

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your current months are December, 2024 and January, 2025.
December 2024
January 2025

Photo gallery for AKA University City

Exterior
Premium bedding, in-room safe, iron/ironing board, free WiFi
Lobby
Rooftop terrace
Spa

Reviews

9.4 out of 10

Exceptional

Popular amenities

  • Bar
    Bar
  • Pet-friendly
    Pet-friendly
  • Parking available
    Parking available
  • Pool
    Pool
  • 24/7 front desk
    24/7 front desk
  • Kitchen
    Kitchen

Explore the area

Map
2929 Walnut St, Philadelphia, PA, 19104
  • University of Pennsylvania
    1 min walk
  • Drexel University
    4 min walk
  • Rittenhouse Square
    11 min walk
  • Philadelphia, PA (PHL-Philadelphia Intl.)
    14 min drive
VIP Access
Curated for quality and service, VIP Access stays consistently receive our highest guest ratings.
  • Expect exceptional service
  • Extra savings and perks for BONUS+ members

Room options

Penthouse, 2 Bedrooms (Skyline)

  • 95 sq m
  • Sleeps 4
  • 2 King Beds

Penthouse, 1 Bedroom (with Library)

  • 89 sq m
  • Sleeps 3
  • 1 King Bed

Penthouse, 2 Bedrooms (Sunset)

  • 95 sq m
  • Sleeps 4
  • 2 King Beds

Room, 2 Bedrooms (Skyline)

  • 95 sq m
  • Sleeps 4
  • 2 King Beds

Suite, 1 Bedroom (with Library)

  • 89 sq m
  • Sleeps 3
  • 1 King Bed and 1 Double Sofa Bed

Room, 2 Bedrooms (Sunset)

  • 95 sq m
  • Sleeps 4
  • 2 King Beds

Premium Penthouse, 1 Bedroom

  • 66 sq m
  • Sleeps 3
  • 1 King Bed

Penthouse (Studio)

  • 48 sq m
  • Sleeps 2
  • 1 King Bed

Premium Suite, 1 Bedroom

  • 66 sq m
  • Sleeps 2
  • 1 King Bed

Suite, 1 Bedroom (with Den)

  • 78 sq m
  • Sleeps 3
  • 1 King Bed

Penthouse, 1 Bedroom (with Den)

  • 78 sq m
  • Sleeps 3
  • 1 King Bed

Studio

  • 48 sq m
  • Sleeps 2
  • 1 King Bed

Premium Suite, 1 Bedroom, Accessible

  • Sleeps 2
  • 1 King Bed

Premium Penthouse, 1 Bedroom, Accessible

  • 66 sq m
  • Sleeps 2
  • 1 King Bed

Studio, Accessible

  • 48 sq m
  • Sleeps 2
  • 1 King Bed

Penthouse, 2 Bedrooms, Accessible (Sunset)

  • Sleeps 4
  • 2 King Beds

Similar properties

About this property

AKA University City

Hotel with a health club, steps from University of Pennsylvania
An indoor pool, a restaurant, and a health club are available at this smoke-free hotel. WiFi in public areas is free. Other amenities include a bar/lounge, a coffee shop/cafe, and self parking. Weekly housekeeping is available.
AKA University City offers 133 air-conditioned accommodations with washers/dryers and safes. Beds feature premium bedding. Accommodations at this 4-star hotel have kitchens with refrigerators, stovetops, microwaves, and cookware/dishes/utensils. Bathrooms include showers, complimentary toiletries, and hair dryers.

This Philadelphia hotel provides complimentary wired and wireless Internet access. Flat-screen televisions come with premium cable channels. Additionally, rooms include coffee/tea makers and irons/ironing boards. Housekeeping is provided weekly.

Recreational amenities at the hotel include an indoor pool and a health club.

The recreational activities listed below are available either on site or nearby; fees may apply.

Our customers tell us they can't get enough of the helpful staff at AKA University City. During your stay, you're just a quick walk from University of Pennsylvania. You'll find features like free WiFi in public areas, plus an indoor pool and a restaurant.
  • Free WiFi and wired Internet
  • Drinking and dining options include a coffee shop, a restaurant, and a bar/lounge
  • Self parking available for a fee
  • Take a swim in the indoor pool
  • Amenities include a business center, laundry facilities, and a car charging station
  • Onsite recreation includes a gym, fitness classes, and yoga classes
  • Steps from University of Pennsylvania and 11 minutes by foot from Rittenhouse Square
  • Cats and dogs welcome for a fee
AKA University City offers its guests an indoor pool and a health club. There's a restaurant on site, as well as a coffee shop/cafe. You can enjoy a drink at the bar/lounge. WiFi and wired Internet are free in public spaces.

There's an onsite business center. AKA University City also features a terrace, a garden, and concierge services. For a fee, parking is available.

This 4-star Philadelphia hotel is smoke free.

AKA University City has a restaurant on site.

Languages

English, Spanish

Property amenities

Internet

  • Available in all rooms: Free WiFi and wired Internet
  • Available in some public areas: Free WiFi and wired Internet

Parking and public transport

  • Self parking on site (USD 35.00 per day)
  • Electric car charging station on site

Food and drink

  • 1 restaurant and 1 coffee shop/cafe
  • 1 bar

Things to do

  • Fitness classes
  • Bike parking
  • Fitness centre
  • Indoor pool
  • Yoga classes

Family friendly

  • Indoor pool
  • Kitchen
  • Laundry facilities
  • Microwave
  • Fridge
  • Washer/dryer

Conveniences

  • Lift
  • Water dispenser

Guest services

  • 24-hour front desk
  • Concierge services
  • Dry-cleaning service
  • Housekeeping (weekly)
  • Laundry facilities

Business services

  • Business centre

Outdoors

  • Firepit
  • Garden
  • Outdoor furniture
  • Terrace

Accessibility

  • If you have any requests for specific accessibility needs, please contact the property using the information on the reservation confirmation received after booking.
  • Lift
  • Lift door width (centimetres): 107
  • Step-free path to entrance
  • Well-lit path to entrance
  • Wheelchair-accessible business centre
  • Wheelchair-accessible concierge desk
  • Wheelchair-accessible lounge
  • Wheelchair-accessible path of travel
  • Wheelchair-accessible path to lift

More

  • At least 80% of lighting from LEDs
  • Double-glazed windows
  • Games
  • Rooftop garden
  • Smoke-free property

Room amenities

Bedroom

  • Air conditioning
  • Bed sheets
  • Heating
  • Premium bedding

Bathroom

  • Eco-friendly toiletries
  • Hairdryer
  • Private bathroom
  • Shampoo
  • Shower
  • Soap
  • Toilet paper
  • Towels

Entertainment

  • TV channels
  • Flat-screen TV
  • Premium channels

Food and drink

  • Coffee/tea maker
  • Cookware/dishes/utensils
  • Dishwasher
  • Electric kettle
  • Freezer
  • Kitchen
  • Microwave
  • Oven
  • Fridge
  • Stovetop
  • Toaster

More

  • Eco-friendly cleaning products provided
  • Energy-saving switches
  • Iron/ironing board
  • Laundry detergent
  • LED light bulbs
  • Phone
  • Safe
  • Washer and dryer
  • Water-efficient showers only
  • Water-efficient toilets only

Policies

Check-in

Check-in time starts at 3 PM
Late check-in subject to availability
Minimum check-in age: 21

Check-out

Check-out before 11 AM
Contactless check-out available

Special check-in instructions

Front desk staff will greet guests on arrival

Access methods

Staffed front desk

Pets

  • Pets: USD 200 per accommodation (varies based on length of stay)
  • Only dogs and cats are allowed
  • Service animals are exempt from fees

Children and extra beds

  • Children are welcome.
  • Rollaway/extra beds are available for USD 25.0 per day.

Payment types at the property

Important information

Fees

Guests will be asked to pay the following charges at the property:

  • Destination fee: USD 29.09 per accommodation, per night

We've listed all charges provided to us by the property.

Optional extras

The fees and deposits listed below will be charged at the time of service, check-in, or check-out.

  • Self parking fee: USD 35.00 per day
  • Pet fee: USD 200 per accommodation (varies based on length of stay)
  • Service animals are exempt from fees
  • Rollaway bed fee: USD 25.0 per day

This may not be a comprehensive list. Fees and deposits are subject to change and might not include tax.

You need to know

This property is managed by a professional host. The provision of housing is linked to their trade, business, or profession.
Extra-person charges may apply and vary depending on property policy
Government-issued photo identification and a credit card may be required at check-in for incidental charges
Special requests are subject to availability upon check-in and may incur additional charges; special requests cannot be guaranteed
This property accepts credit cards; cash is not accepted
Cashless transactions are available
Long-term renters welcome
This property uses eco-friendly cleaning products
Safety features at this property include a fire extinguisher, a security system, a first aid kit, and window guards
Front desk staff will greet guests on arrival.
Property Registration Number 864141

Property is also known as

AKA University City Hotel
AKA Hotel
AKA University City Hotel
AKA University City Philadelphia
AKA University City Hotel Philadelphia

AKA University City Reviews

Reviews

9.4

Exceptional

Rating 10 - Excellent. 434 out of 548 reviews" "
Rating 8 - Good. 66 out of 548 reviews" "
Rating 6 - Okay. 21 out of 548 reviews" "
Rating 4 - Poor. 13 out of 548 reviews" "
Rating 2 - Terrible. 14 out of 548 reviews" "

9.6/10

Cleanliness

9.4/10

Staff & service

9.4/10

Amenities

9.6/10

Property conditions & facilities

9.2/10

Eco-friendliness

Reviews

8/10 Good

Karin

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service
Disliked: Amenities
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.
Stayed 3 nights in Aug 2024

10/10 Excellent

Afshin, jax

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Compare to five star hotels, aka deserves seven. Location, staff, environment, lounge, room, everything is at a premium level. Thank You!
Stayed 4 nights in Aug 2024

10/10 Excellent

Gabriele

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
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.
Stayed 4 nights in Aug 2024

10/10 Excellent

Zayd

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
My Family and I always choose the Aka for our stays when in Philadelphia. Safe, clean and the suites have a kitchen which is perfect when traveling with children
Stayed 3 nights in May 2024

10/10 Excellent

Adira

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Loved All the amenities room was spacious and very clean… loved the outside space and the pool as well .
Stayed 1 night in Aug 2024

8/10 Good

Steven

Liked: Cleanliness, amenities, property conditions & facilities
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.
Stayed 2 nights in Jul 2024

2/10 Terrible

Caitlin

Disliked: Amenities, property conditions & facilities
Terrible service and all amenities closed.
Stayed 1 night in Aug 2024

8/10 Good

Eileen

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
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!
Stayed 3 nights in Jul 2024

8/10 Good

Joel

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service
Stayed 2 nights in Jul 2024

10/10 Excellent

Brittany

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
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!
Stayed 1 night in Jul 2024

10/10 Excellent

Theresa

Stayed 2 nights in Jul 2024

10/10 Excellent

Reza

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 2 nights in Jul 2024

10/10 Excellent

Anahi

Stayed 2 nights in Mar 2024

10/10 Excellent

yong

Business traveller
Friendly Staff, very clean room, nice gym with great view. Would stay again!
Stayed 1 night in Jul 2024

10/10 Excellent

Laura

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Felt like a Resident, not a Hotel Guest
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
Stayed 1 night in Jul 2024

10/10 Excellent

Joe

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 3 nights in Jul 2024

10/10 Excellent

Kyung, Houston

Stayed 3 nights in Jun 2024

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 1 night in Jun 2024

10/10 Excellent

Cecilia

Stayed 1 night in Jul 2024

10/10 Excellent

Manar, Los Gatos

Stayed 3 nights in Jun 2024

10/10 Excellent

Ann

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
We had an amazing time at this high end hotel. They have an awesome outdoor areas to wind down and relax with a drink from their bar. And the pool, gym, and movie theater are all beautiful. We had a King Studio and it was very luxurious and clean. We only booked it for 2 nights and wished we would’ve been able to stay longer.
Stayed 2 nights in Jun 2024

10/10 Excellent

C

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
I love staying here, this was my wife and I 5th year anniversary. They put chocolate covered pretzels in the room with a bottle of Pino, nice touch. The views are great the poll is greateverything was great, until next time
Stayed 2 nights in Jun 2024

10/10 Excellent

Melissa

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 4 nights in Apr 2024

8/10 Good

Patrick

Business traveller
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Room was not as clean as I would expect.
Stayed 2 nights in Jun 2024

4/10 Poor

Patrick, Philadelphia

Business traveller
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
They forced me to buy a drink ticket on check in. I don’t even drink alcohol. Ridiculous. Also there’s a $250 deposit for possible incidental issues. I did get it back, but that’s a bit much.
Stayed 1 night in Jun 2024