Fisherman's Wharf boutique hotel
My friend and I were going to San Francisco for the weekend and wanted to stay in a nice little boutique hotel that was easy walking distance to sight seeing and restaurants. The Argonaut is a very friendly hotel...the staff were great and the wine hour was a nice touch. It's a little on the pricier side, but for the location it is not unreasonable. We booked a room with 2 queen beds and it was spacious and very comfortable. The bathroom is a touch on the tiny side, but a big bathroom isn't really a priority for me. The only issue I had was with noise. Our room looked out over the courtyard which has a Mexican Restaurant and Jack's Cannery (a bar, I think). On the Saturday night it was quite noisy until quite late with people who were obviously enjoying a few too many beverages (lots of yelling and woo-hooing). The building is an old brick building, so I think there may be limited options for soundproofing and retaining the charming brick look both outside and within the room (the outside wall in our room was original brick). However, I could also here conversation and TV noise from the room beside us, so I suspect sound proofing is generally a bit of an issue. Next time I would request a room that does not have an outside window as quiet is more important to me than a view. The windows are small, and paying for an upgrade to have a view would not seem like money well spent to me. I also typically don't spend a lot of time in my room and would rather be outside enjoying the views. The location is fantastic, just a couple of blocks from Ghirardhelli Square and about 5 - 10 minute walk to Pier 39. I would stay here again, even given the sound issues, but would make sure I request a very quiet area of the hotel.