San Francisco’s Fisherman’s Wharf may actually be the tackiest place in America. But the Argonaut Hotel is a gem among the retail barrage of two-for-$12 tee shirts, overly sweet chocolates, electronic gadgetry and Golden Gate themed trinkets. By the way, to be fair, Fisherman’s Wharf really isn’t a bad base for exploring San Francisco at all, especially if you’re traveling with children. And besides, the Argonaut rests at the relatively quiet western end of the wharf, adjacent to Ghirardelli Square and the S.F. Maritime Museum, a bit removed from the street artists and jewelry peddlers.
The building once housed the Del Monte canning company as evidenced by its warehouse like external brick façade. But don’t let the functional industrial exterior fool you. Inside its doors, the hotel is brilliantly decorated in a nautical motif that is both elegant and whimsical at the same time.
The nautical theme continues from the lobby and extends into the rooms as well. Our third floor room, a standard two-queen unit, was as spacious as it was colorful, with all the amenities one would expect from a luxury boutique hotel and a few extras, like a DVD deck, reliable high speed internet and, yes a funky leopard skin robe (which we took to be a tongue-in-cheek kind of accoutrement – cool!). Our third floor room had a surprisingly good view of the Golden Gate Bridge beyond the Powell & Hyde cable car turnaround and the maritime museum in the immediate foreground. We stayed for three nights (two adults and two young children) and were completely comfortable throughout.
You’ll probably take note of the exceptional service, as we did, from the street side valet to the cleaning staff. The staff here is genuinely friendly and they went out of their way to bring smiles to our boys at every opportunity. The treasure chest, as mentioned by several other reviewers, is a testament to the kid-friendly nature of the place, which, by the way, doesn’t undermine the property’s very grown-up elegance in any way.
If the Argonaut has a flaw, it’s a minor one: we found the food, service and surroundings of the Blue Mermaid, the hotel’s restaurant, to be a shade under par. It wasn’t bad; its quality just seemed to pale in relation to the overall excellence of the hotel.
It’s a well known fact that lodging doesn’t come cheap in San Francisco, and the Argonaut’s prices are hardly in the budget range. We felt, however, that for the property’s rich amenities, excellent service and unique décor and charm, that this might actually be one of the city’s better values. Did I mention that Fisherman’s Wharf, despite its kitsch, is actually a pretty good base for exploring this great city?
Highly recommended. A true gem.
hotel reviews