Aka University City

United States , Philadelphia - PA
PHILADELPHIA, 2929 Walnut St
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100 reviews shown

10/10

Exceptional

10 Mar 2026

Jennifer

Clean, friendly staff, great accommodations, quiet. My only complaint, no fault of anyone, was the on site restaurant being closed both days/nights of my stay.

10/10

Exceptional

05 Mar 2026

David

Great

10/10

Exceptional

15 Feb 2026

Adrian

Great staff, clean building good amenities

Leisure Partner

4/10

Poor

15 Feb 2026

Aaron

The room was spartan, worn, with cheap furniture, tv remote didn't work, windows opened on the 33rd floor, common areas were dimly lit, there was no restaurant despite what the website said. Overpriced

10/10

Exceptional

26 Jan 2026

Charles

Room was clean , staff was nice

Business

8/10

Excellent

18 Jan 2026

Deniz

Convenient, but expensive for what it is. This was 6th or 7th stay in 4 years. Parking super expensive. Units vary in how run down they are.

Business Family

10/10

Exceptional

18 Jan 2026

Kenneth

The room was clean, staff was excellent. The views from the room, gym and pool are amazing

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

15 Jan 2026

Greg

Yes

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

08 Jan 2026

shante

The AKA is the upscale spot in the city where you need to be. Clean

10/10

Exceptional

08 Jan 2026

Johanna

From the check in with Rihanna to check out, everything was perfect! Room was gorgeous and clean! Amenities were so a plenty! We got lucky because there weren’t many guests at the time so it was very calm and quiet, felt extra luxurious! Can’t wait to stay here again very soon! So happy we found AKA!

Leisure Family

8/10

Excellent

02 Jan 2026

S.M.

We had issues when checked in our room, the staff fixed it quickly with an upgrade. Everything was clean and the amenities were amazing.

Friends_and_family Friends

6/10

Pleasant

10 Dec 2025

David

The staff was great, friendly and courteous and very helpful. The room had an incredible view and I enjoyed watching the city lights at night and the sunset and also the sunrise is very beautiful and calming. There are some minor things with the room that I found very disappointing one of the lamps in the second bedroom did not have an on-off switch. I had to keep unplugging it from the wall and plugging it back in the dimmer on off, which seems to have been removed from it. Also, the dispenser for the soap did not work. The pump was broken. I had to unscrew the top. The other thing that I found most disturbing in the room was the sound of the HVAC unit clicking on and clicking off throughout the night I heard this noise through the vents and it woke me up every time the bed was somewhat uncomfortable, and the pillow is not firming enough for my liking one of the TVs had its cord unplugged from the back of the TV and did not function until I had to plug it in there are a small things like this that presents the hotel in a bad light during a stay. Lack of attention to details the towels and bathrobes were extremely nice the shower, water, pressure and sink water pressure was strong and I enjoyed that a lot.

Leisure Self

8/10

Excellent

29 Nov 2025

Nicole

Great amenities and location

10/10

Exceptional

25 Nov 2025

Whislyn

I will definitely stay here again whenever I’m in Philadelphia. Very convenient walk from the Amtrak train station. Clean rooms. Pleasant staff.

Leisure Self

4/10

Poor

23 Nov 2025

Zhige

10/10

Exceptional

23 Nov 2025

JOSEPH

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!

Friends_and_family Family

10/10

Exceptional

15 Nov 2025

Tarikka

Yes yes

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

01 Nov 2025

Siddhartha

It was a great place, close to a wedding venue. The view of the city was spectacular. We had a great stay. The only thing that would have been helpful is for them to provide information upfront that there’s not really a valet parking option available and there are no bell captains that can help with our luggage.

Business_and_leisure Family

8/10

Excellent

22 Oct 2025

Sara

great views of Philly!

8/10

Excellent

21 Oct 2025

Carletta

The rooms had noticeable small areas of damage to the property already, so I did take my own pictures to note the damages were already there. I also had a slight issue with the AC not seeming to blow out cold, but was fixed.

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

21 Oct 2025

Elizabeth

Loved the suite, with kitchen, washer-dryer and large size. Room was sootless, with a great view.

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

11 Sep 2025

Deniz

Spacious and comfortable room; excellent customer service; easy parking; easy to walk to restaurants; safe.

Business_and_leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

01 Sep 2025

Verified traveler

Aka Great place to stay while in Philadelphia

The rooms at AKA are perfect. The only hotel I’ve stayed in that comes close, in my opinion, is Ocean Casino Resort in Atlantic City — though AKA has a slight edge, thanks to its separate bathroom and kitchen setup.
The television setup takes a bit of getting used to. It’s not the standard system most are familiar with. I even downloaded a $6.99 app called Screen Mirroring in an attempt to watch the shows I normally enjoy, but I wouldn’t recommend it — it didn’t work and felt like a waste of money.
The most memorable part of my stay was the 28th floor, which we started calling the “Paradise Floor.” It features a fantastic pool (though it could use a jacuzzi), a business center, and a ton of amenities — but the real standout for me was the cinema room. You need to contact the person managing the floor to book a time slot. For me, that was Hailey, who went above and beyond — truly a gracious and helpful host. The cinema experience was definitely the highlight of my stay.
Overall, AKA is an excellent choice if you’re looking for a relaxing escape from your usual routine. It offers everything you need to unwind without ever needing to leave the hotel — but without making you feel confined to your room either.

Friends_and_family Family

10/10

Exceptional

12 Aug 2025

Peter

Very nice property. Close to work and amenities

Business Friends

2/10

Poor

28 Jul 2025

Young Ju

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.

Business_and_leisure Family

6/10

Pleasant

28 Jul 2025

Mercedes

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).

Leisure Friends

10/10

Exceptional

16 Jul 2025

Adriana

Great place

4/10

Poor

08 Jul 2025

NICOLAS

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.

Business_and_leisure Self

10/10

Exceptional

07 Jul 2025

Chanel

always a pleasure when i stay at the AKA

Leisure Partner

2/10

Poor

06 Jul 2025

Ambher

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.

Leisure Family_with_children

4/10

Poor

30 Jun 2025

Creede

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

Business

10/10

Exceptional

27 Jun 2025

TERRELL

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

Business_and_leisure Family_with_children

10/10

Exceptional

24 Jun 2025

Matthew

Aka was excellent as always, everything was great.

Leisure Self

8/10

Excellent

22 Jun 2025

Christopher

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.

Friends_and_family Family

8/10

Excellent

15 Jun 2025

Marsheila

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.

Partner

8/10

Excellent

07 Jun 2025

Kristina

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.

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

02 Jun 2025

Edward

Beautiful place would recommend to everyone

Leisure Self

8/10

Excellent

02 Jun 2025

Cazembe

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!

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

01 Jun 2025

TERRELL

Honestly the best view of the city. breathtaking!

Friends_and_family Family

10/10

Exceptional

01 Jun 2025

matthew

Perfect. Entire staff was awesome. Especially those on my arrival and guy at lounge 28.

Self

10/10

Exceptional

29 May 2025

Karen

Wonderful Family Staycation

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.

Friends_and_family Family

8/10

Excellent

27 May 2025

Reena

Front desk could be more friendly. No lotion or wastebasket in the bathroom. These are simple things that would elevate the stay

Friends_and_family Family

10/10

Exceptional

22 May 2025

Chanel

awesome

Leisure Partner

4/10

Poor

16 May 2025

Caitlin

Fufgghufvhh

8/10

Excellent

04 May 2025

myla

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.

10/10

Exceptional

27 Apr 2025

Susan M.

Clean. Safe area.

Friends_and_family Family

10/10

Exceptional

27 Apr 2025

Chanel

always a pleasure

Leisure Partner

8/10

Excellent

21 Apr 2025

Deandrea

Love everything, comes with full kitchen.

10/10

Exceptional

16 Apr 2025

William

The place was spectacular. Views were great. Pool was awesome

Leisure Family_with_children

10/10

Exceptional

13 Apr 2025

Connor

Absolutely loved this propert as well as the staff.

Leisure Partner

6/10

Pleasant

04 Apr 2025

Danielle

Hotel was clean with nice views of the city

Leisure Self

10/10

Exceptional

03 Apr 2025

Jennifer

Fabulous place!

Business_and_leisure Self

10/10

Exceptional

02 Apr 2025

Aleksandra

Charming place with a lot of the same folks staying in short and long term apartment like rooms. Great view of Philadelphia, and comfortable bed and couch. Loved the espresso machine in the room and the fully equipped kitchen. Almost made me wish I could have stayed another night.

Business

8/10

Excellent

01 Apr 2025

Jennifer

Nice views

The kids enjoyed themselves...the property is nice but we asked for towels several times and never got them overall beautiful hotel

Friends_and_family Family

6/10

Pleasant

24 Mar 2025

Kim B

Not what it used to be

We have stayed at AKA UC a few times prior and thought it was great. Now it is looking beat up and tired. The pool is nice and the location is good. Service and Maintenance is a problem. Our room had no tissues, coffee, detergents or extra pillows or blankets. If you are over 4 ft tall, you cant sleep on the pathetic sofa in the den. They gave us an air mattress that required the door to be blocked open or shut. It deflated and my son slept on the floor. The dishwasher was unscrewed from the cabinet, every door has a mark, every countertop a stain. The lights and outlets didn't work in the den-fire hazard! Too many other issues to list. Not a good solution for more than two people who want a kitchen and laundry.

Friends_and_family Family

4/10

Poor

24 Mar 2025

anthony

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.

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

23 Mar 2025

KENNETH

10/10

Exceptional

23 Mar 2025

Esther

nice view!!

Business_and_leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

21 Mar 2025

Chanel

always an amazing stay at the AKA

Leisure Self

10/10

Exceptional

15 Mar 2025

Raeneera

Everyone was pleasant.

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

06 Mar 2025

Heather

Huge, modern space close to Penn.

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

Business

10/10

Exceptional

26 Feb 2025

Michael

Great hotel, clean and nice facilities. Room had amazing view!

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

16 Feb 2025

Katherine

Stayed for the eagles parade/Valentine’s Day. Check in was easy. View was gorgeous. They had a dishwasher in the kitchenette and a latte machine downstairs by the pool that was awesome. The pool was heated. I have no complaints. Will be staying again.

Leisure Friends

10/10

Exceptional

16 Feb 2025

Peter

Loved it, it would be nice if it had a jacuzzi in the pool area.

Leisure Family

8/10

Excellent

16 Feb 2025

Janae

I enjoyed my stay.

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

14 Feb 2025

Chanel

always a pleasure at the AKA

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

11 Feb 2025

James

Very quiet and serine

Business

10/10

Exceptional

05 Feb 2025

Amy

Felt like an apartment coming home after work on a business trip. Was able to make dinner and relax.

Business Self

10/10

Exceptional

01 Feb 2025

Yannick

Yes

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

28 Jan 2025

Ann

Great location for Philly Marathon

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

27 Jan 2025

stephanie

Great property! We will be back!

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

25 Jan 2025

Aliyah

Love it here

10/10

Exceptional

24 Jan 2025

Aaron

Nice place

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

20 Jan 2025

Esther

The area was extremely large and spacious, very comfortable. The first floor has a cafe with great breakfast and environment. The hotel was clean and well kept.

Business_and_leisure Family_with_children

6/10

Pleasant

18 Jan 2025

Verified traveler

Upon entering room decor was fair at best. Cheap somewhat worn furniture extremely low to the ground. Felt like was sleeping on floor as bed was on platform as were couches and chairs. Would be very difficult for elderly person or a person w bad knees to get in and out of chairs, couch, bed. Also felt like there was a bit of a skeletal crew which made the property a little unnerving as there was no onsite parking and there appeared to be a level of unknown as to who was entering the property. As a woman alone I did not feel entirely comfortable but if you were with a group or not alone the impression may be different. All and all in my opinion this was a fair at best experience mostly do to very uncomfortable furniture and empty feel to property.

Business

10/10

Exceptional

17 Jan 2025

margaret

LIke that it is basically an efficiency apartment. Very convenient for business travel.

Business Self

10/10

Exceptional

14 Jan 2025

Kevin W

Overall it was convenient with a roof top bar and a pool for the family.

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

06 Jan 2025

Arianna

It was great, the view was everything.

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

06 Jan 2025

Joanne

Beautiful space and wonderful views of the city.

Leisure Pet

10/10

Exceptional

28 Dec 2024

Thanh Duyen

Location, modern apartment - hotel

Leisure Family

6/10

Pleasant

26 Dec 2024

JACQUELINE

Okay

Leisure Family

2/10

Poor

24 Dec 2024

Verified traveler

Terrible

They thought I checked out early, took all if my stuff from the room without asking me and didn’t call or email about what happened

10/10

Exceptional

20 Dec 2024

Raoul

Amazing

This will be my olace to stay every visit

Friends_and_family Family

10/10

Exceptional

15 Dec 2024

Andrew

It had an indoor pool and also a movie theater

8/10

Excellent

11 Dec 2024

Ibriana

The property was beautiful and well kept. Staff was super friendly and helpful. The rooms were very clean

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

08 Dec 2024

Susan

Excellent room and accommodations

Friends_and_family Friends

6/10

Pleasant

08 Dec 2024

chad

Watch out for bogus fees

Amazing hotel. However, our bill was loaded up with bogus fees that were charged after we left. Destination fee of $25? Unacceptable. I will take my business to other hotels in Philly.

Friends_and_family Family

10/10

Exceptional

07 Dec 2024

Jennifer

Everything is Amazing

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

06 Dec 2024

Doreen

The property is beautiful. Nice friendly staff, beautiful views. Room was very clean. I have no complaints!

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

06 Dec 2024

nydia

Vey nice property

Family

8/10

Excellent

27 Nov 2024

Zayd

I will always love the AKA University City however the quality of the property has diminished in many areas. The rooms boast a scenic view and a lot of amenities however they need to be kept and maintained better. I've stayed at this property since 2020 (some extended stays and some quick visits) and the drastic change from 2020 to now is very noticeable. I believe that this property has a ton of potential to regain its 5 star stay but the management and staff need to work lockstep in order to bring this property back up to par. There's no reason the elevator should smell like dog urine or trash. Or the carpets in the units to be lifting and showing signs of extreme wear.

Business_and_leisure Family_with_children

10/10

Exceptional

25 Nov 2024

Stefanie

The room was perfect, built in kitchen, living room, bedroom and bath. It gave a nice place to stay for the marathon weekend.

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

18 Nov 2024

Shenika

Best place to stay downtown Philly

Business Partner

6/10

Pleasant

15 Nov 2024

Aminah

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.

Business Self

8/10

Excellent

15 Nov 2024

James

Great room and amenities

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.

Partner

6/10

Pleasant

12 Nov 2024

Kelli

The hotel was nice. My room was not ready on time so they gave me a voucher for the bar to be used on that particular date. When I went to use my voucher the bar was “closed for an event”. I was awakened to what sounded like a fire alarm at 01:22 am that told us not yo use the fire escape or the elevators. The alarm and the message rang continuously for over 45 minutes.

Self

10/10

Exceptional

11 Nov 2024

Johnny

Excellent Property, Staff, and Location!

Business_and_leisure Self

10/10

Exceptional

08 Nov 2024

Garry

Excellent

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

03 Nov 2024

Stephen

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.

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

03 Nov 2024

Jia

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