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Argonaut Hotel, San Francisco

495 Jefferson St, San Francisco, CA 94109, USA (show on map)

The Argonaut Hotel is a nautical-inspired gem nestled in the heart of San Francisco’s Fisherman’s Wharf. It is housed in the historic Haslett Warehouse, a stunning 1907 brick-and-timber building that once served as a fruit and vegetable cannery. The hotel beautifully preserves this industrial past, featuring exposed red-brick walls and massive, original Douglas Fir beams that give the space a warm, rugged character.

The design, led by Dawson Design Associates, leans heavily into maritime history, with décor that mimics the feel of a luxury steamer ship. Portholes, steering wheels, and sail-themed accents are scattered throughout, making guests feel like they’ve stepped back into the era of the Gold Rush and the Barbary Coast. One of its most unique features is that it actually houses the San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park Visitor Center within its walls, complete with interactive exhibits on the waterfront’s history.

Located steps from the bay, the hotel offers incredible views of Alcatraz and the Golden Gate Bridge. It is an ideal starting point for exploring the area; you are just a short walk from the famous Ghirardelli Square, the historic ships at Hyde Street Pier, and the iconic cable car turnarounds.

Whether you’re grabbing award-winning chowder at the on-site Blue Mermaid restaurant or heading out to watch the sea lions at Pier 39, the Argonaut provides a perfectly grounded home base. It manages to feel like a quiet, cozy retreat even while being in the center of one of the city’s most bustling tourist hubs.

Expert reviews

Fodors review:

“The Argonaut’s spacious guest rooms have exposed-brick walls, wood-beam ceilings, and best of all, windows that open to the sea air and the sounds of the waterfront; many rooms enjoy Alcatraz and Golden Gate Bridge views.”

Featured as Fodor’s Choice in San Francisco.

Lonely Planet review:

“Fisherman’s Wharf’s top hotel was built as a cannery in 1908 and has century-old wooden beams and exposed-brick walls. Rooms sport an over-the-top nautical theme, with porthole-shaped mirrors and plush, deep-blue carpets.”

Frommers review:

“If you want to stay in a beautiful, historic building and walk right out your door into the heart Fisherman’s Wharf action—and are willing to pay for the privilege—this nautical-themed hotel is perfect for you.”

Featured as Frommer’s Exceptional Choice in San Francisco.

Telegraph review:

“In a prime waterfront location, Argonaut offers stylish, spacious accommodations with bay views inside a century-old historic building near Fisherman’s Wharf. Convenient to cable cars, streetcars and ferries, the hotel affords easy access to popular attractions, especially for families and fitness-minded guests.”

Guest rating

4.4 out of 5.0

Ranked 4th in San Francisco


This an aggregated guest review rating of Argonaut Hotel, San Francisco. We have taken customer review ratings from hotel booking sites, search engines, the official hotel website and other travel platforms. This is the average of all those ratings. We only list places that have a guest review rating of at least 4.0 out of 5.0


What guests liked


Value for Money

87.61 %

Ranked 7th in San Francisco


We use a smart algorithm to determine the value for money each hotel offers. The score is based on a combination of aggregated guest review ratings and the average nightly rate. The higher the percentage, the better the overall value you receive for the price you pay.


Location

Recent guest reviews

5.0
Jennifer

19 March 2026

Very lovely

Location

4.5
Tracey

19 March 2026

Fabulous

Very comfortable bed

5.0
Kristy

17 March 2026

First rate hotel!

Argonaut went above and beyond for our recent birthday stay. The room, location, staff, amenities, restaurant, etc. were first class! Always on our list for return visits.

N/A

4.5
Kylee

13 March 2026

Good hotel for first-time SF visitors. Location is fabulous, and staff is friendly.

The Argonaut Hotel is in a wonderful location, right on Fisherman’s Wharf. The staff were incredibly kind and welcoming. Bed and pillows were super comfortable, and despite being in a busy area, it was a quiet and peaceful experience.

The restaurant hotel, The Blue Mermaid, left a lot to be desired. While it’s convenient for early morning grub, it’s overpriced for the quality of food you receive. You do get a $15 daily credit during your stay, which is helpful, and the service is decent. But there are better food options nearby for less (the Buena Vista, for example). My only other critique has to do with the general “perfume” of the hotel. I was surprised at the distinct smell emanating from the lobby and hallways on each floor. It wasn’t an unpleasant smell, but it was really strong on certain days. As someone who’s sensitive to perfumes, this was a drawback for me. While I appreciate an environment that smells good, I prefer to not have distinct scents super prevalent in the hotel I’m staying. This is just personal preference, however, and may not be a negative to everyone.

5.0
Chris

10 March 2026

Exceptional

Pillows were a bit soft.

5.0
Caroline

9 March 2026

Great place to stay

Location

Nothing

4.5
Carmen

22 February 2026

Fabulous

Beautiful, historic, and great location

4.0
Michael

19 February 2026

Nice place for San Francisco visit

Very convenient with lovely adjacent restaurant , friendly staff and big rooms

No tea/coffee making facilities in room

5.0
Minerva

17 February 2026

Exceptional

It’s a bit loud

5.0
Rosa

14 February 2026

Exceptional

It was clean, nice, great!!

4.5
Allison

8 February 2026

Good

Perfect location. Staff was incredibly helpful and friendly. Room was clean and amenities were well kept up.

Hotel doesn't meet the "luxury" prices, but I guess you're paying more for the location

4.5
Kathleen

6 February 2026

Excellent!

Great location! The staff were very friendly and helpful. Rooms were clean and well decorated. We will be back.

The bathrooms could use a remodel.

5.0
Janet

28 January 2026

Fabulous location and an awesome experience

Loved the location. Restored canning factory transformed into a luxury hotel. The bartender Jeff is so friendly and gave us superb advice about what to see and what places were t worth the trouble. We were so glad we followed his advice to visit the San Francisco Science Academy. Amazing experience. The rooms are comfortable and clean. Housekeeping came every day. Loved it.

What’s not to like?

4.5
Kathleen

28 January 2026

Fabulous

Pleasant and helpful front desk staff

5.0
David

25 January 2026

Quaint hotel in brilliant location

Location, cleanliness, size of rooms & modern interior style room was fantastic. Concierge was exceptional & breakfast/restaurant terrific. Definitely stay here again & will definitely recommend to others. Just brilliant.

5.0
Carmen

10 January 2026

A beautiful piece of history near the Pier

We loved the location on Fisherman’s Wharf. 5 minutes from Pier 39 and 5 minutes from the station for the cable car. We were offered a free upgrade for the room: highly appreciated. The staff were friendly. I loved chatting with the lady at the concierge desk. Elegant hotel, very nice gym and interesting historical details to discover in the huge building that was once a can factory.

4.5
Caroline

4 January 2026

Great place to stay in Fisherman’s Wharf

Great location, comfortable beds, interconnecting rooms

4.5
David

4 January 2026

Comfortable and met expectations

Good location, beds were very comfortable, towels were thick and good.

Price quoted for parking overnight, horrendously expensive. Regular TV channels were limited

4.0
Alina

23 December 2025

Very good

Nice hotel great location for tourists.

Authentic, very charming,

5.0
Catherine

15 December 2025

AWESOME!!!

GREAT LOCATION!!! AWESOME STAFF!!!!

4.5
Koen

11 December 2025

Superb location

Perfect location and friendly staff

Nothing

5.0
David

3 December 2025

It was the perfect value for a quick trip to the city

The rooms were clean and the bed was comfortable.

Everything was great but I sure would love coffee by the fireplace for early risers.

5.0
Leighton

2 December 2025

A wonderful hotel

A fantastic hotel with superb friendly staff. Stayed for my Wife's birthday and we were treated amazingly!

4.0
James

27 November 2025

Very good

Location great for Fisherman's Wharf, nice bar/restaurant connected.

Only down side the walls of the room are thin and you can hear next door. The coffee machine was rubbish!

4.0
Claudia

25 November 2025

Pleasant stay close to all attractions

Great location at Fisherman’s Wharf and great to walk and even for swimming in the ocean. Spacious room. Very competent and organized “lost and found department “.

Bathroom a bit small. Overnight parking is crazy expensive, feels like a ripp off.

4.0
Zollman

24 November 2025

Good hotel and location

Location

Value for money

4.5
Gerhard

24 November 2025

Enjoyfull

Friendly Staff, nice room

Coffee machine inside the room

5.0
Tracy

10 November 2025

Exceptional

Excellent staff, cleanliness and location

No complimentary water

4.0
Michael

5 November 2025

Clean, convenient and comfortable

Location is great near the water. Nice bar and restaurant

4.5
Robert

5 November 2025

Great location and access to city and attractions

Great location and fun hotel. Liked having restaurant on site

Our room could have used a new bed. A bit lumpy with divots

4.5
Helen

2 November 2025

Loved the Argonaut Hotel would recommend and would stay again

Great location, big beds, lovely good size room, lovely big mirrors and great magnifying mirror . Good to have hairdryer in room but the heat setting was a bit too hot for me. Loved the pumpkin contest for Halloween and the decorations. Loved that we could store luggage - all staff above and beyond excellent found all to be really helpful, friendly, knowledgeable and polite. Blue mermaid excellent again great staff, food was outstanding and really complemented the red wine.

Stayed in 3 different rooms and the last was the best and couldn’t fault. The previous 2 rooms both had noisy fridges - motor keeps firing up and did disturb my sleep. Hairdryer temp too hot. Would have been nice to have a little pack of biscuits with the tea/coffee machine and hot chocolate sachets - found the light lamps a bit difficult to turn on/off but did love the lighting in the rooms

5.0
Kelly

28 October 2025

Worth the money for a special time

Amazing location and view! Our room was excellent with several nice touches including the toiletries.

4.0
Robert

27 October 2025

Very good

fun location. i like the nautical motif

getting a little tired. needs updating in area. our mattress needs to be replaced

5.0
Marsha

26 October 2025

If you want to be near the wharf, stay here!

Everything! The staff, the room, the lobby, all fantastic!

Didn’t know you could self park until after we checked in. Valet was $75 for one night.

5.0
Karen

21 October 2025

Classic chic

Beautifully appointed room. Great ambience in the lobby

5.0
Anna

21 October 2025

Cracking hotel. BEST location

Position

Nothing

4.0
Philip

17 October 2025

A very solid and well run hotel that is perfect for the solo business traveller!

A very solid hotel, and obviously well run, and with helpful and engaging staff. Stayed for two nights after switching from another hotel that was underwhelming (Hotel Enso on Sutter Street). Quiet rooms, good restaurant - both breakfast and dinner were absolutely fine for the solo business traveller. Shout out to Angel on the Front Desk and Tony the General Manager, who helped to sort a couple of issues with room availability and modifying my booking, and which generated a lot of goodwill.

Not much to be honest - rooms are short of sockets if you need to plug in anything away from the multi connector they provide. Shower flow is a little on the shy side, but did not detract from the room experience.

4.0
Diane

9 October 2025

Lovely location, quiet room and very characterful throughout

Breakfast was very average food not very hot and not the big American breakfasts that we'd heard about and quite expensive therefore only taken once because of this

Shower could have been more powerful. Coffee wasn't good

4.5
Andrea

8 October 2025

Great location with friendly staff

Proximity to the swim park

Wait for a room and the bathroom wasn’t the cleanest

4.0
Alicja

6 October 2025

Great!

Location!!!!!

5.0
Michael

6 October 2025

It exceeded our expectation….location and facilities were excellent

Location, location, location…….

We wish we could have stayed longer

5.0
Tom

5 October 2025

I will come back for my next trip to the Bay Area!

Beautiful brick building, but all renovated indoors. I had the bay view room. Excellent location to run to GG bridge, take the trolley or walk to the hill, ferry building etc. Staff super nice and helpful.

Nothing.

4.5
Thomas

3 October 2025

Amazing hotel, definitely a good place to stay

Lovely hotel, highly recommend. Rooms are a bit of a funny shape but they work well

We were woken by an alarm in the room next door that continued for about half an hour at 6:00am. Not the hotels fault but realised that the walls were thinner than we thought.

4.5
Gary

27 September 2025

Excellent trip and lodging at the Argonaut Hotel.

Location was exceptional.

Having more time to spend in SF.

4.5
Vincent

22 September 2025

Fabulous

There was an event that cause noise and parking issues

4.5
John

21 September 2025

Fabulous

Friendly staff, lovely hotel overall. Upgraded on arrival for no additional cost to Spacious room overlooking park and golden gate bridge. Great position near wharf area and also near cable trams which was great for us. Plenty of restaurants nearby.

4.5
Philip

19 September 2025

excellent

location, room with a great view, comfortable bed and a wonderful front desk staff (especially Isaac--very helpful) very good dinner in the Blue Mermaid restaurant

lower rates and taxes

4.5
Tezza

16 September 2025

We paid a little extra for a room upgrade and it was definitely worth it. Great area and facilities

Location. Room size

5.0
Paul

15 September 2025

Amazing hotel friendly staff and the perfect location

Stunning hotel in the perfect location

Nothing

5.0
Gasztych

12 September 2025

Exceptional

inability to open windows

Hotel facilities

Food & Drink

  • - Restaurant
  • - Bar
  • - Breakfast in the room
  • - Special diet menus (on request)
  • - Wine/champagne (additional charge)

General

  • - Room service
  • - Non-smoking rooms
  • - Facilities for disabled guests
  • - Family rooms
  • - Lift
  • - Safety deposit box
  • - Heating
  • - Non-smoking throughout
  • - Air conditioning
  • - Pet bowls

Business facilities

  • - Meeting/banquet facilities (additional charge)
  • - Business centre (additional charge)
  • - Fax/photocopying (additional charge)

Reception services

  • - 24-hour front desk
  • - Express check-in/check-out
  • - Tour desk
  • - Luggage storage
  • - Concierge service
  • - Invoice provided

Activities

  • - Fitness centre
  • - Massage (additional charge)
  • - Back massage
  • - Neck massage
  • - Foot massage
  • - Couples massage
  • - Head massage
  • - Full body massage
  • - Happy hour (additional charge)
  • - Bicycle rental (additional charge)

Cleaning services

  • - Laundry (additional charge)
  • - Dry cleaning (additional charge)
  • - Ironing service (additional charge)
  • - Daily housekeeping

Entertainment & family services

  • - Board games/puzzles

Parking

  • - Parking garage
  • - Accessible parking

Outdoors

  • - Outdoor furniture
  • - Picnic area
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