Loved it!
Despite our hesitance on prior trips to SF to stay anywhere near Fisherman's Wharf, we decided this time to give the Argonaut a try. We absolutely loved it! We stayed there twice in October.
The service was great, the facilities were spotless, the afternoon wine tasting was delightful, and both the rooms and the common areas were tastefully done. (The nautical theme could have been corny, but the Argonaut pulls it off with style.) Most impressive of all to us, the rooms were perhaps the best lighted rooms we've ever encountered. (Imagine, a hotel understanding that the purpose of lights is to enable the guests to see!)
Our fears about staying near Fisherman's Wharf were largely unfounded. We had the advantage of being close to some of the waterfront features that we were interested in seeing. Yet, we found it easy to escape the mass of humanity around the Wharf merely by walking a couple of blocks away toward North Beach, which has an unending selection of good restaurants, bars and coffee shops.
When we return to SF, we will definitely return to the Argonaut.