AKA University City

4.0 star property

Photo gallery for AKA University City

Exterior
Premium bedding, in-room safe, iron/ironing board, free WiFi
Indoor pool
Restaurant
Flat-screen TV

Reviews

9.2 out of 10
Wonderful

Popular amenities

  • Pet-friendly
  • Parking available
  • Bar
  • Kitchen

Explore the area

View map
2929 Walnut St, Philadelphia, PA, 19104
  • Place, University of Pennsylvania
    ‪2 min walk‬
  • Place, Drexel University
    ‪3 min walk‬
  • Place, Rittenhouse Square
    ‪11 min walk‬
  • Airport, Philadelphia, PA (PHL-Philadelphia Intl.)
    ‪13 min drive‬

Room options

Premium Suite, 1 Bedroom

10.0 out of 10
Exceptional
(3 reviews)
  • 66 sq m
  • 1 bedroom
  • Sleeps 2
  • 1 King Bed

Suite, 1 Bedroom (with Den)

7.0 out of 10
Good
(2 reviews)
  • 78 sq m
  • 1 bedroom
  • Sleeps 3
  • 1 King Bed

Penthouse, 1 Bedroom (with Den)

  • 78 sq m
  • 1 bedroom
  • Sleeps 3
  • 1 King Bed

Penthouse, 1 Bedroom (with Library)

  • 89 sq m
  • 1 bedroom
  • Sleeps 3
  • 1 King Bed

Suite, 1 Bedroom (with Library)

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

Premium Penthouse, 1 Bedroom

10.0 out of 10
Exceptional
(1 review)
  • 66 sq m
  • 1 bedroom
  • Sleeps 3
  • 1 King Bed

Penthouse (Studio)

10.0 out of 10
Exceptional
(2 reviews)
  • 48 sq m
  • Sleeps 2
  • 1 King Bed

Studio

9.4 out of 10
Exceptional
(12 reviews)
  • 48 sq m
  • Sleeps 2
  • 1 King Bed

Penthouse, 2 Bedrooms (Skyline)

  • 95 sq m
  • 2 bedrooms
  • Sleeps 4
  • 2 King Beds

Penthouse, 2 Bedrooms (Sunset)

  • 95 sq m
  • 2 bedrooms
  • Sleeps 4
  • 2 King Beds

Room, 2 Bedrooms (Skyline)

  • 95 sq m
  • 2 bedrooms
  • Sleeps 4
  • 2 King Beds

Room, 2 Bedrooms (Sunset)

10.0 out of 10
Exceptional
(1 review)
  • 95 sq m
  • 2 bedrooms
  • Sleeps 4
  • 2 King Beds

Studio, Accessible

  • 48 sq m
  • Sleeps 2
  • 1 King Bed

Premium Penthouse, 1 Bedroom, Accessible

  • 66 sq m
  • Sleeps 2
  • 1 King Bed

Premium Suite, 1 Bedroom, Accessible

10.0 out of 10
Exceptional
(1 review)
  • Sleeps 2
  • 1 King Bed

Penthouse, 2 Bedrooms, Accessible (Sunset)

  • Sleeps 4
  • 2 King Beds

Similar properties

About the area

Philadelphia

With a stay at AKA University City in Philadelphia (University City), you'll be steps from University of Pennsylvania and 11 minutes by foot from Rittenhouse Square. .This hotel is 0.2 mi (0.3 km) from Drexel University and 0.7 mi (1.2 km) from Children's Hospital of Philadelphia.

What's nearby

  • University of Pennsylvania - 2 min walk - 0.2 km
  • Drexel University - 3 min walk - 0.3 km
  • Rittenhouse Square - 11 min walk - 1.0 km
  • Philadelphia Museum of Art - 2 min drive - 2.1 km
  • Pennsylvania Convention Center - 3 min drive - 2.5 km

Getting around

  • 30th St. Station - 6 min walk
  • 30th St Station - 7 min walk
  • Philadelphia Intl. Airport (PHL) - 14 min drive

Restaurants

  • ‪World Cafe Live - ‬2 min walk
  • ‪The Post - ‬2 min walk
  • ‪Rosy's Taco Bar - ‬7 min walk
  • ‪Walnut Street Cafe - ‬1 min walk
  • ‪Maison Sweet - ‬2 min walk

About this property

AKA University City

Hotel with an indoor pool, steps from University of Pennsylvania
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.

Make yourself at home in one of the 133 air-conditioned rooms featuring kitchens with refrigerators and ovens. Wired and wireless internet access is complimentary, and flat-screen televisions with cable programming provide entertainment. Conveniences include phones, as well as safes and microwaves.
Enjoy recreational amenities such as a health club and an indoor pool. This hotel also features complimentary wireless internet access, concierge services, and bike parking.
Enjoy a meal at the restaurant or snacks in the hotel's coffee shop/cafe. Quench your thirst with your favorite drink at the bar/lounge.
Featured amenities include complimentary wired internet access, a business center, and dry cleaning/laundry services. Self parking (subject to charges) is available onsite.
AKA University City has a restaurant on site.

Property amenities

Internet

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

Parking and transport

  • Electric car charging station on site
  • Parking on site (USD 35 per day)

Food and drink

  • A bar/lounge
  • A coffee shop/cafe
  • A restaurant

Things to do

  • Fitness classes
  • Games
  • Health club
  • Indoor pool
  • Yoga classes

Family friendly

  • In-room kitchen
  • In-room microwave
  • In-room refrigerator
  • In-room washing machine/dryer
  • Indoor pool
  • Laundry facilities

Conveniences

  • 24-hour front desk
  • Laundry facilities
  • Water dispenser

Guest services

  • Concierge services
  • Dry cleaning/laundry service
  • Housekeeping (on request)

Business services

  • Business centre

Outdoors

  • Firepit
  • Garden
  • Outdoor furniture
  • Terrace

Accessibility

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

More

  • 1 building
  • At least 80% lighting from LEDs
  • Built in 2017
  • Double-glazed windows
  • Eco-friendly cleaning products used
  • Rooftop garden
  • Smoke-free property

Room amenities

Bedroom

  • Premium bedding

Bathroom

  • Free toiletries
  • Hair dryer
  • Private bathroom
  • Shampoo
  • Shower
  • Soap
  • Toilet paper
  • Towels provided

Entertainment

  • Flat-screen TV with premium cable channels

Food and drink

  • Coffee/tea maker
  • Cookware, dishware, and utensils
  • Dishwasher
  • Electric kettle
  • Freezer
  • Hob
  • Kitchen
  • Microwave
  • Oven
  • Refrigerator
  • Toaster

More

  • Air conditioning
  • Cleaning products are eco-friendly
  • Eco-friendly toiletries
  • Energy-saving switches in guestrooms
  • Heating
  • Iron/ironing board
  • Laundry detergent
  • LED lighting
  • Phone
  • Safe
  • Washer/dryer
  • Water-efficient showers
  • Water-efficient toilets

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 at the property

Access methods

Staffed front desk

Pets

Pets allowed for an extra charge of USD 200 per accommodation (varies based on length of stay)
Service animals are welcome, and are exempt from fees
Welcoming dogs and cats only

Children and extra beds

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

Payment types

Important information

Fees

You'll be asked to pay the following charges at the property. Fees may include applicable taxes:

  • Destination fee: USD 29.09 per accommodation, per night

We have included all charges provided to us by the property.

Optional extras

  • 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

The above list may not be comprehensive. Fees and deposits may not include tax and are subject to change.

You need to know

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 carbon monoxide detector, a fire extinguisher, a smoke detector, a security system, a first aid kit, and window guards
Property Registration Number 864141

We should mention

A car is not required for transportation to and from this property

Property is also known as

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

Reviews

AKA University City Reviews

9.2

Wonderful

9.6/10

Cleanliness

9.2/10

Staff & service

9.4/10

Amenities

9.6/10

Property conditions & facilities

9.2/10

Eco-friendliness
Rating 10 - Excellent. 539 out of 696 reviews
Rating 8 - Good. 87 out of 696 reviews
Rating 6 - Okay. 30 out of 696 reviews
Rating 4 - Poor. 17 out of 696 reviews
Rating 2 - Terrible. 23 out of 696 reviews

Reviews

2/10 Terrible

Young Ju

Travelled with family
Disliked: Cleanliness, amenities, property conditions & facilities
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.
Stayed 4 nights in Jul 2025

6/10 Okay

Mercedes, elmont

Travelled with group
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
I think the property is great in many ways but dropped the ball in a few ways like the key cards taking forever to open a door or the door to my apartment taking forever to close and lock (safety wise it’s a problem).
Stayed 1 night in Jul 2025

10/10 Excellent

Mark

Stayed 2 nights in Jul 2025

8/10 Good

HONG

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Stayed 2 nights in Jul 2025

10/10 Excellent

Camille

Stayed 1 night in Jun 2025

10/10 Excellent

Chanel

Stayed 3 nights in Jul 2025

10/10 Excellent

Adriana

Great place
Stayed 1 night in Jul 2025

8/10 Good

Shawn

Liked: Property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 1 night in Jul 2025

10/10 Excellent

Terrell

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 1 night in Jun 2025

4/10 Poor

NICOLAS

Liked: Property conditions & facilities
Disliked: Staff & service
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.
Stayed 1 night in Jun 2025

10/10 Excellent

Chanel

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
always a pleasure when i stay at the AKA
Stayed 2 nights in Jun 2025

2/10 Terrible

Ambher

Travelled with family and small children
Liked: Staff & service, amenities
Disliked: Cleanliness
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.
Stayed 3 nights in Jul 2025

8/10 Good

Gyasi

Stayed 4 nights in Jun 2025

8/10 Good

Timothy

Liked: Cleanliness, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Stayed 1 night in Jun 2025

10/10 Excellent

Bonique

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 1 night in Jun 2025

4/10 Poor

Creede

Business traveller
Disliked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Run down apartment/hotel concept. Dirty floors. Dirty furniture. No amenities. Not great.
Stayed 1 night in Jun 2025

10/10 Excellent

TERRELL

Travelled with family, Travelled with family and small children, Travelled with pets
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Wister ensured my family and I were checked in quickly and thoroughly. His customer service skills should be rewarded and definitely respected!
Stayed 2 nights in Jun 2025

10/10 Excellent

Matthew

Liked: Cleanliness, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Aka was excellent as always, everything was great.
Stayed 3 nights in Jun 2025

10/10 Excellent

Junace

Liked: Cleanliness, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Stayed 1 night in Jun 2025

2/10 Terrible

Nelson

Stayed 1 night in Jun 2025

8/10 Good

Christopher

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
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.
Stayed 2 nights in Jun 2025

2/10 Terrible

Saleena

Stayed 4 nights in Jun 2025

10/10 Excellent

William

Stayed 1 night in May 2025

8/10 Good

Marsheila

Liked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
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.
Stayed 2 nights in May 2025

10/10 Excellent

Chanel

Stayed 2 nights in May 2025