This is a beautiful, old/historical hotel, CONVENIENTLY located on the Plaza, right in the heart of Arcata. For all of you 'snooty types', who simply can't make the sacrifice of staying in anything with less than a 5 star rating, then this joint ain't da place for you. In fact, keep on driving north/south on Hi. 101, because this fabulous, charming lil' college-town probably isn't for you either. Other than that, if what you're looking for is a comfortable, friendly, older/charming place to stay... well then, this is the place for you. In my opinion, this place is perfectly suited to this fabulously-funky, charming as all get out, friendly, beautiful, groovy, coastal NorCal town. Walking distance to ALL of the businesses in town and to the university. If you're lucky enough to be up here during the 4th of July, you get to be right in the middle of all of this wonderful town's patriotic celebrations (Arcata/Humboldt County style). Nothing like wandering around the Plaza, checking out all the various craft stands, sampling the tasty food, and strolling down to the ballpark to watch a Crab's doubleheader! What a wonderful hotel... town... area/region. ENJOY! read more

Like the place, have stayed twice. If you don't like noise, you don't want to stay but we like New York and San Francisco etc. so no problem. Why not higher rate? Rude staff this time. That usually doesn't matter but really not very nice front desk. At all. If that doesn't matter, you'll like the place. read more

First off, I love the history behind this building and the hotel has an old time classic feel. It's still has it's kinks like any aged hotel would but for the most part the atmosphere was inviting. The guy that checked us in was filled with local information informing us of parking as he handed us the keys. They even allowed us to view the room before checking it out! While staying there we were able to order room service through Tomo's restaurant and the food and stay were amazing. I felt that the space was not only clean while we stayed there but it was very comfortable and being off the plaza added a community feel that made the experience much more inviting. We had a king sized bed covered tightly with a gold king sized comforter making the bed look plush and inviting. The furniture complimented the curtains and bed. The room had a great view of the Arcata plaza. In the bathroom it had a claw foot bathtub with a clean look and plenty of towels. Only if the Suits came with refrigerators and microwaves these rooms would be a bit more elevated. The wi-fi worked great for us. Mostly the stay was pretty comfortable and relaxing. Finally, the continental breakfast was already out in the lobby as soon as we woke up in the morning. The service was great! I'd definitely stay there again! read more

Best place to stay in Arcata. A tradition.

Had a great time in our suite with the family! Nice old hotel a touch noisy but that's expected downtown! Will definitely come back

The best (and only) place to stay in Arcata. Quirky, old, full of character, and full of claw-footed tubs. Fun town, fun hotel -- keep an open mind and your sense of humor, and you'll get good night's sleep. I love this place! read more

Hotel Arcata has ton's of charm! Perfect location! Awesome views! Cozy bed! Clean room! Love it!!!!!

Stayed at the hotel for a total of 3 nights. After getting in the room heard loud constant thumping... Thumping was the music from the bar next door. Asked if we could change rooms since it was a Thursday and was told to ask the manager in the morning then we were offered ear plugs. (Room change never happened) Toilet got stopped up the first morning... housekeeping handed me a plunger, then came back and asked for it back if I was done. Housekeeping also left a bag of garbage in our room for two days (they put it on the top shelf by the extra pillows, we didn't realize what it was until we were checking out) Never received replenished cups or ice bags used for the bucket for the whole stay. If you like sushi you'll love this place, the whole second floor smells like it. Found out the hotel was pet friendly so my daughter and her dog came for a visit. We were charged 25 dollars for him at check out even though he never slept there. I thought it was going to be a pleasant stay... but the noise problem was upsetting.. until 2am every night. read more

This hotel is lovely and feels historic. I'm not sure if it is, as I was just in and out in one night, but it does have a great old world feel. I love the big staircase, the clawfoot tubs and the neighborhood. The rooms were a great deal, I think we paid about $80 for the night. It's a unique place. read more

This hotel was nice in the lobby, but the room we went to smelled like urine. We upgraded to a suite. Upon entering the room, the couch was covered with stains. Our bed had a soiled blanket that should IOC been thrown away and replaced. I know it is a historical hotel. But keep in mind the rooms are not nice. I compare it to a days inn. And the breakfast was even worse. Stale bread and muffins. I can't believe that some folks rated this higher. Not a picky person, but the whole experience was creepy. Informed the front desk, but no response was given. I will never stay ther again. It is not worth $150 for a sweet. But it was either that or a urine smelling room. Don't let the lobby fool you. It is nice. Original tubs and fixtures. Bad lighting. Could not get out of there fast enough. Fair warning to all. Beware. read more

If you read my reviews then you'll notice I prefer old classic hotels. This old hotel is housed in a beautiful 103 year old building located on Arcata's historic downtown plaza. Great location with several bars and restaurants within easy walking distance. The lobby is small with an old style checkin window. It has an elevator but I only used the grand staircase to access my 3rd floor room. The room was small and dated but functional - everything worked. It did have a musky smell but the windows open. The "queen bed" is more like a full size. Lots of antique furniture. They offer a adequate continental breakfast. Attached is Japanese restaurant. The staff we encountered were friendly and polite. The hotel does not have parking, that's available at a nearby city lot (requires hotel parking pass) or on the nearby streets. My only gripe was the trash truck collecting the beer bottles at 5am Monday morning. This will be my first choice for my next visit. read more

I stayed here while visiting and had a pretty good stay. The employees were great, polite and professional. The evening desk clerk even found tea bags and a plastic spoon for me! I loved the claw-foot tub and the antique building. It's right on the Plaza, so it's easy to walk to a lot of places. Now for the reason for only three stars. While the bathroom was spotless, which I very much appreciate, the carpet in the bedroom area was nasty and had a faint dog smell. The bedspread was pretty scary, also. If they would deep wet clean the carpets (not just sprinkle deodorizer around) and launder the bedspreads, I would give the place the full five stars. I'd stay there again but would bring my own comforter. read more

Whenerver I come to Arcata this hotel is my pick. I really like the old feeling of it and is so nice be able to walk 1 minute to everything. This Labor day weekend I stayed here again and I find the staff so very helpful and genuinely nice. The shower is my favorite I look foward to it it's a claw tub with very powerful water pressure,the beds are nice and clean. Yet off course some renovation would be nice but overall it's worth the money. I recomend you try it out. read more

I love this place. Old building, right downtown, not haunted, quaint and exquisite. Definitely the place to stay if you're looking for the historic vibe. Walking distance to everything downtown. Reasonably priced. read more

My son and I stayed here for one night recently while visiting Humboldt State. For the price you can't ask for more! The campus is less than a ten minute walk from the hotel and there is quite a few restaurants within walking distance. We walked at all different hours during our stay and felt very safe. The hotel is old but I think it's charming. Our room was spacious with two beds and a closet. The room and bathroom were very clean. If I had to point out a negative it would have to be the tub. Yes, very nice to see an antique tub but not so nice stepping in and out of it. My son had no difficulty but I was not blessed with long legs. Again, considering the price and location I could overlook the tub. We will definitely stay here again! read more

Pay the cleaning staff more and the front desk staff less? I'm afraid the Hotel Arcata may be on its last legs. It has a certain charm for locals, like me, who stay there several times a year. Maybe if they charged $20 more a night they could pay their cleaning staff properly. You can see the problem from the outside. Still, it's a beautiful building that may tug at your heartstrings. The cleaning staff seems incredibly overworked. It is not their fault that the rooms are reminiscent of the way dorm rooms were "clean" at college. I left the hotel for a couple of hours at noon, asking that my room be cleaned. When I returned, it wasn't. The cleaning woman said that she had "ASAP" jobs from the front desk that took priority. Cleaning the room of a guest who is waiting to return to her room is not a priority. The poor young woman's walkie-talkie barked orders (from the front desk?) as I persuaded her to "please clean my room" so I could take a nap. Her more mature colleague was very sweet and kind about the delay. The proper cleaning supplies were not on hand, and searched for, so the cleaning took some time. About my check-in, oddly, I think a personal item, my meditation cushion, disappeared from the front lobby as I tried to register. I must double-check on that. (Good to know everyone is into mindfulness these days.) This, despite the over-eager, desk staff who demanded too much of the help. I wanted rest & privacy, that's all. The street noise is cool, like white noise, to me. If you like cool, shabby-chic, old lived-in places, and do not relish privacy, give it a try? I wish the Hotel would consider some sort of program for guests who return several times a year-- a quick check in, "Hi there, you! Don't feel like chatting today? I get it. Here is your key." Offer us a discount (1/2 price) when the cherished Plaza view rooms are open, still, later in the evening on any given Sunday , Monday, or Tuesday night? Not sure when or if I'll return. Maybe I should call the nice woman (I've met her at the front desk in the past) who took my reservation, and welcomed me, like a returning guest. She wasn't there this weekend. read more

Fantastic is all I can say. A long time since I've been catered to as a smoker. Duh this is Humboldt County, how could they stop "smoking" in the rooms. As a regular nicotine addict it feels good to not have to go outside for once. Yours Robert Hewitt read more

Would give this place a ZERO if I could. Stayed here last year when I was in the area. The hotel itself is charming simply because of the age and its history, but the rooms are nothing to write home about. Just stopped in to book a room yesterday (10/1/18 5:00 PM), and was told by the bellhop at the desk (with delight on his face mind you), that I was banned from renting a room there because of excessive partying with another guest in another room during my last stay. I asked if he was joking because my last stay entirely consisted of getting slices of pizza a block away and watched TV with my partner all night. He then stated that on the computer it said that I also had an altercation with an employee the following morning. I told him that there had to be a mistake and that none of this ever happened. My partner was told that he was banned as well in the computer, but his name was never taken during the time of the stay. I again denied what he was saying happened and asked if he was joking because of the smirk on his face, at which point he became very rudely accusatory saying "well you obviously did this" and started literally laughing at me and my partner. I stated that I would be calling the manager in the morning and asked for his name. As the words were coming out of my mouth and I was walking over to look at his name tag, he took his name tag off and hid it in his shirt. I have never been treated so rudely in my life. I DO NOT recommend this as a place to stay if you want anything even close to a pleasant experience, or want to be treated with even simple common courtesy and or experience anything that resembles customer service. read more

Have stayed here a few times. Never again. The hotel is pet friendly but farm friendly is a bit too much for me. Dogs running through our room and saw bunnies in cages. read more

This was my second stay at Hotel Arcata (1st being a couple of years ago). It is a charming, old building in a great location (easy walking to shopping and great little restaurants) but our experience was not ideal. 1st - the bedding was old, threadbare and dirty. I reserved two rooms and one of the beds had gum on the bedspread that my friend promptly sat on - yuck. the blankets were stained and had holes in them. 2nd - this is one of the noisiest hotels I have ever stayed in. There are a number of bars next door to the hotel on the plaza and around 1 am all bets are off. I heard fights, loud yelling and there were no police around to break things up for quite a while. This happened both Friday and Saturday nite. not a pleasant sleeping experience. 3rd - there was a major leak in the claw foot tub which they came and fixed but the tub bottom looked like whatever had stained it had been just painted over instead of refurbished so it appears as though they put absolutely no money into maintaining this hotel. The front desk staff were very pleasant and did their best to provide good customer service but when I complained about the bedding, housekeeping just replaced the dirty blanket with another stained blanket. won't be staying here again. read more

Its location on the Plaza and the historic nature of the hotel is what makes it nice. However, the traffic and street noise carries up into your room, even with windows closed, and prevented me from sleeping. Since the old radiators are not controlled individually, you need to open the windows because it gets really stuffy. Take your choice. If it weren't for this aspect I would have given 4 stars. Arcata has a cast of characters loitering about all night, and trucks go by too. read more

Super friendly staff in this historic hotel. Walking distance to all the fun stuff. It's old and charming, so if you're looking for modern updates, this might not be for you. Love this place, 2nd time here. Will come back every year. read more

Get ready for a noisy and overpriced experience. The building is a historic building and located right on the most beautiful Arcata town square and the Japanese restaurant in the hotel Tomo is delicious and has excellent service and many vegetarian options too and that unfortunately is where the good experience ends. The hotel is historic and on the National Register and it has that going for it to be sure and there are NO other hotels in downtown Arcata and none of the hotels in the larger area are particularly good so your options are incredibly limited and none of them are great either. The rooms are musty and smallish and are not very soundproofed, the patrons at the hotel can be very loud and if you get a room on the lovely plaza you will be kept awake by the very noisy bar patrons next door (not from the restaurant) and woken up early by the sometimes noisy early morning plaza people The hotel like many hotels has a most unfortunate habit of grouping all the people staying there right next to each other, even if the hotel is basically empty (i guess it makes it easier for the cleaning staff but seems very un-service oriented to me). If you are a heavy sleeper or one of the loud and late people than you'll likely be fine, otherwise-caveat emptor! read more

Hotel with NO hospitality! I stay in hotels more than I like to. So I know that most hotels do NOT call the room at 11:30 because I haven't checked out at 11:00. And then extends my check out until 12:00 when I asked for a late check out. Come on now. They said if I stayed past 12:00 they would charge me for another night. And I've already stated two nights! We'll never again. The walls are so paper thin so you can hear all your neighbors and cars from the road. The beds were hard with really old blankets. All around fail. I just wish there were more options downtown Arcata. read more

My reservation was for 2 beds. When I had arrived there was 1 bed and a pull out couch. When I stressed my concerns to the front desk the women lied directly in front of her manager who was standing right next to her and said I was mistaken and she believed her employee gave me the correct description.Arcata itself is a beautiful town..unfortunately the staff @ hotel arcada is extremely unprofessional and smells worse then your grandmothers attic, read more

Reading the reviews already written, I was tempted to take a safer, more boring option. I'm glad I didn't. Supporting a locally owned, town center business is half the reason to stay here, the character & personality of the place is the other half. Yes, the plumbing makes a noise but there's plenty of hot water, the bed is fine & perfectly clean, and the desk clerk service is hard to beat.- he advised against taking a room adjoining the bar next door & I chose a "smoking" room instead. I'm no fan of smoking rooms but this was fine. With tax, cost was $100, hence only 4 stars. If you want to play it safe then stay at Hotel Generic, otherwise live a little. read more

We love Hotel Arcata , very unique and historic. They give HSU parents a discounted rate. Being close to town square is great, and the people that go to those bars, do not bother any one - You can put up with a little laughing and talking - It is a great little city / town... Very organic - Love it ! read more

Older hotel but nice if you like that sort of thing. Friendly, helpful staff. Wi-fi problems but staff was attentive to them. Control of the heat leaves a little to be desired. Get a room on the back as the plaza can be very noisy at night. read more

This is by far the worst hotel I have ever stayed at. Its hard to even think of where to start. First, you get slapped with an overwhelming smell of sushi from the restaurant in the lobby, then our room smelled so strongly of citronella spray. The smell was so overwhelming that even with the windows open and the fan on, it still smelled the next morning like it was just sprayed in the room. Second, they have no microwaves, air conditioning, and no frig. Our room was so hot that we could not even sleep, and you have to leave the windows open inviting bugs into the room (no screens). I left with bites all over my body. The hotel is above two bars, so all night we were kept up with noise from the bar. Like all that is not enough, I go to get ice and notice the ice bucket has dirt and hair in it. When I go down the front desk, they have no bucket bags, and the guy Ben was extremely rude. Talk about bad customer service! I have never had someone roll there eyes at me, and put there finger in my face when I am talking. Another things is someone's dog was barking all night long.There was just nothing positive about this hotel from our experience, and we will never go back. If it was a cheap hotel, I wouldn't even complain, but after spending 130$ on a room it would be nice to at least have a clean ice bucket and some nice customer service. The only good thing I can think of was the claw bath tub but big whoop. Seriously, don't waste your money unless you want to be miserable. read more

I agree with elizabeth... The customer service is the worst!!! I come here quiet often when I come to town. I have given them a decent amount of money so far throughout the years. This most recent time my friend made a reservation for two rooms and when we showed up they said that the had no room reservations under our name. They didn't apologize or anything! Then they gave us two rooms they had and they gave us someone else's room!!! We opened the door to someone in the room they just checked into! The front staff (an older woman with a southern type accent) was so rude! She still didn't apologize and wouldn't even let us finish when we were talking to her. Then she told us that the reservations had been made for the day before but it was obviously their mistake! They still didn't apologize and told us they weren't sure if they were going to refund our money! We spoke with the manager the next morning who proceeded to argue with us and told us we messed up and that just in case she was wrong she was going to "split the cancellation fee!" Are you joking?! We had just spent 250 dollars for our rooms and come to this hotel numerous times throughout the year. I told her that was not what businesses do who want to keep customers and have good customer service. After telling her I was going to have my credit card company fight the false charge and tell them the business was uncooperative with returning money on wrongful charges, she told me she was giving me a "one time only refund." The only reason I would ever go here again is the location. The customer service and simple kindness of the staff is severely lacking! I personally don't want to pay to be treated like crap. Look elsewhere in arcata! read more

There aren't a lot of lodging options in Arcata. We were travelling down the coast, found ourselves here and didn't want to do more driving after dinner to try to find a place in Eureka. I'm frugal and typically stay in Motel 6, but am glad we spent another $30 or so to stay here. It was charming, comfortable and super convenient. Plus, we stayed on the 3rd floor and were able to open the nice double-hung windows at night to have fresh air. I find most hotel/motel rooms very stuffy, and often don't sleep well as a result. But at the Hotel Arcata both the good mattress and fresh air gave me a great night's sleep. It's true that you can hear noise from the street, and we did hear a bit. But it wasn't obtrusive, and IMO was par for the course for a motel in an urban center (not that Arcata is all that urban, but still). I loved the historical photos in the corridors and lobby, the original woodwork and clawfoot tub. Very charming. And we didn't have any problems getting the wi-fi connection to work. I'd definitely stay here again. read more