Highest-rated hotels in University City, Philadelphia

University City is the neighborhood west of the Schuylkill River built around the University of Pennsylvania, Drexel University and Penn Medicine. Most people staying here are visiting a campus, a hospital or a conference, and all five hotels below are within half a mile of the neighborhood's center. They range from full-service hotels on campus to suites and apartments with kitchens for longer stays.

University City hotels for campus and hospital visits

University City draws a particular kind of traveler: researchers visiting Penn or Drexel, patients and families at Penn Medicine, and people in town for university conferences. These hotels are all within half a mile of the neighborhood's center, so most guests can walk where they're going.

• Homewood Suites University City Philadelphia on Walnut Street has full kitchens, which suits longer medical or academic stays. It's also LEED Silver certified, the only certified hotel of the five.

• The Inn at Penn, A Hilton Hotel is on Sansom Street, right on the Penn campus, with a guest score of 9.0.

• The Study at University City on South 33rd Street scores 8.9 and is a design-minded independent, a 3-minute walk from 34th St on the L.

• Sheraton Philadelphia University City Hotel on Chestnut Street is a familiar 3-star brand with a guest score of 8.6.

• Kasa The Niche University City Philadelphia on Chestnut Street has apartment-style rooms with kitchens and a guest score of 7.6, for travelers who want more space.

University City hotels compared

Hotel tax, parking and arriving by train

Philadelphia adds a 15.5% hotel tax to every room booking, including all five hotels here. If you drive, budget for the city's 22.5% parking tax on top of any garage rate. Arriving by train, you'll come into William H. Gray III 30th Street Station on the eastern edge of University City, where Amtrak and SEPTA Regional Rail stop and the L is next door at Drexel Station at 30th St.

The hotels

Homewood Suites University City Philadelphia 4109 Walnut St 8.2620 reviews 7 min walk to 40th St (L, Market-Frankford Line)LEED Silver certified suites with full kitchens on Walnut Street, a 7-minute walk from 40th St on the L. View hotel → The Inn at Penn, A Hilton Hotel 3600 Sansom St 9.0491 reviews 7 min walk to 34th St (L, Market-Frankford Line)A 4-star Hilton on Sansom Street with a guest score of 9.0, the best of the five, 0.15 miles from the center of University City. View hotel → The Study at University City 20 S 33rd Street 8.91,633 reviews 3 min walk to 34th St (L, Market-Frankford Line)A 4-star independent on South 33rd Street with an 8.9 guest score, a 3-minute walk from 34th St on the L. View hotel → Kasa The Niche University City Philadelphia 4003 Chestnut St 7.667 reviews 2 min walk to 40th St (L, Market-Frankford Line)Apartment-style rooms with kitchens on Chestnut Street, a 2-minute walk from 40th St, for longer academic or medical stays. View hotel → Sheraton Philadelphia University City Hotel 3549 Chestnut St. 8.6649 reviews 4 min walk to 34th St (L, Market-Frankford Line)A 3-star Sheraton on Chestnut Street with meeting space and an 8.6 guest score, handy for conferences at Penn or Drexel. View hotel →