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Universal City · Hotel shortlist

Cheap hotels near the airport in Universal City

Amara Nwosu

Amara Nwosu Africa

Updated 1 September 2026 · 7 Universal City hotels assessed

These are my five favourites in Universal City, out of the 7 that qualified. I read what other travellers scored them before I picked, so the order follows the guests, 4.2 down to 3.5.

Every one comes in under $130 a night, and the one I would book first is $32.

Van Nuys Soul

Highest rated of the five

Van Nuys Soul

★★★★★4.2 from 208 reviews

Van Nuys Soul comes out on top of this list, and not narrowly: 4.2 from 208 guest reviews is a score that holds up at that volume, which is the whole test here. A perfect ten from nine people does not beat it.

It is found under the airport and around $32 a night on the dates we checked.

7 hotels in Universal City qualified for this list and five made it. Brimfield Stay is the one I would book if the first is full.

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All five, ranked

  1. Van Nuys Soul1

    Van Nuys Soul

    ★★★★★4.2 from 208 reviews

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    • Brimfield Stay2

      Brimfield Stay

      ★★★★★4.2 from 112 reviews

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      • Jewel City Inn Glendale3

        Jewel City Inn Glendale

        ★★★★★3.8 from 148 reviews

        • Parking
        • Kid friendly
        • Air conditioning
        • Accessible

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      • Studio Lodge Hotel4

        Studio Lodge Hotel

        ★★★★★3.5 from 330 reviews

        • Pool
        • Parking
        • Kid friendly
        • Air conditioning

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      • Travel Inn5

        Travel Inn

        ★★★★★3.6 from 657 reviews

        • Parking
        • Air conditioning
        • Accessible

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      How this list was put together

      7 Universal City hotels qualify for this list. We ranked them on guest rating, then on class, and took the top five.

      Two things decide these lists. The first is my own time in the city: every hotel on this page is one I have stayed in, walked into and looked at, or gone back to check. That is where the shortlist starts, and it is why some well reviewed places are not on it.

      The second is the numbers, and those are what set the order. The rating and review count come from the big travel sites, pooled through Google, so a score here reflects Expedia, Booking, Hotels.com and the rest together rather than any one of them. I also read the review breakdown by topic, which is where the figures on service, breakfast and location come from. Hotels with fewer than forty reviews are left out altogether, because a rating that thin is not a rating. No more than two come from one neighbourhood.

      What I do not do is move anyone up the order. The ranking is the guest score, highest first, and nobody pays to be on the list.

      Distances are straight lines from published coordinates, so the real walk is a little longer. Amenities are as recorded by Google Hotels and can change without notice. Rates are an indicative nightly figure for a midweek autumn stay, not a quote. Check the booking page before you commit.

      Amara Nwosu

      Amara Nwosu Africa

      Books holidays a year ahead because court calendars demand it, then travels hard for three weeks. West Africa most years to see family, somewhere new in between.

      Trip Grapevine earns a commission on bookings made through the links on this page. It costs you nothing, and it does not change the order of the list, which is set by the measurements above.