University City

AKA University City

★★★★★

AKA University City is the most dramatic place to stay in Philadelphia and, for a family or a longer trip, one of the most practical. It occupies the upper floors of a glassy tower designed by Pelli Clarke Pelli at 2929 Walnut Street, at the edge of University City across the Schuylkill River from Center City, and it operates as a hybrid of hotel and luxury apartment: suites with fully equipped kitchens and living areas, including two-bedroom suites of more than a thousand square feet, with daily or nightly stays, monthly rates for stays of thirty nights or more, and housekeeping, laundry and a round-the-clock resident services team. The heart of the place is Level28, the amenity floor, which holds a glass-enclosed swimming pool with sweeping views over the river and skyline, an elegant cocktail bar and lounge, a Technogym fitness center, a 3D golf simulator and a private cinema; the building also has a one-acre elevated urban park. The interiors, by Lissoni Associati, are calm and modern, and the views, billed as the highest residential views in the city, are breathtaking at sunset. The location puts you next to 30th Street Station for Amtrak and regional rail, a few minutes from the Penn Museum and the campuses of Penn and Drexel, and a pleasant walk across the river to Rittenhouse Square or along the Schuylkill River Trail. There is no full restaurant, but University City's dining scene is close. Prices are upscale, but with full kitchens and two-bedroom layouts, families and groups can find it competitive with booking multiple hotel rooms.

Why it is special: few hotels anywhere put a pool, bar and lounge on a high floor with views like these, and having a kitchen and real living space makes a multi-day stay feel like borrowing a stylish apartment in the sky. Families can cook breakfast, swim before dinner and still have room to spread out; couples get a cocktail bar with a skyline view upstairs and a quiet suite downstairs. The Pelli Clarke Pelli tower and its sky park are architecture lovers' destinations in their own right.

Stay craft: book a higher-floor suite on the side facing Center City for the skyline at night. Check pool hours and any age rules for children before planning around a swim. For stays longer than a month, the monthly rates bring significant savings; very long stays are handled through a separate apartment-leasing arm. University City is lively during the academic year and quieter in summer and over the holidays, which can affect rates. Getting around is easy: walk to 30th Street Station, take the Market-Frankford Line from 30th Street into Center City, or walk across the Walnut Street Bridge to Rittenhouse in about twenty minutes.

Who it suits: families and groups who want space and a year-round pool, longer-stay travelers, medical and university visitors, design lovers and couples who want a memorable view. Travelers who want to be steps from Independence Hall should stay in Old City instead. For a stylish, spacious, pool-equipped base with the best views in Philadelphia, AKA University City is in a class of its own.