My husband and I recently had cause to stay at The Argent Hotel in San Francisco. It was another business trip for my husband; this one just happened to be to our last known Stateside locale. We spent five nights at the Argent and were very pleased with our stay overall. Once again I had reason to be grateful that we weren't paying out of pocket for our lodging. Nice as our room was, it didn't come cheap.


Appearance

The Argent is a large high-rise hotel in downtown San Francisco, just south of Market Street and quite close to the more recognizable "jukebox" Marriott Hotel. In fact, the view of this hotel and other parts of San Francisco made up part of our enjoyment of our room. One enters the Argent from a large taxi bay and through a spacious, attractive lobby. The dark wood, dim lighting and revolving doors create a marked transition from the cement and city traffic urban exterior. I felt soothed every time I stepped into the lobby, especially in the evening, when they lit candles around the room. A few couches, chairs and tables with large flower arrangements on them were provided for guests' comfort. There were also a few semi-secluded smaller rooms just off the lobby, where guests could relax quietly or arrange to meet friends.


Our Room

We were given a room on the 28th floor, at the far end of the hall. This ensured a fairly quiet stay, though even so high up we could still hear street noises. The room was remarkably attractive and didn't look exactly like every other hotel room I've stayed in. It had an irregular, somewhat triangular shape and very nice furniture in it, with a pale yellow and stained wood color scheme. Our king-sized bed was made up with plenty of pillows, including a long bolster pillow. I slept very well here.

The room was furnished with other nice pieces including a large upholstered arm chair, a tall elegant floor lamp, a desk, two nice bedside tables with a drawer and a table lamp on each, plus a clock radio on one, two other chairs and a small coffee table. There was a combination entertainment cabinet/wardrobe with an exorbitant mini-bar and television above and several drawers below for our clothes. A small built-in closet by the door held nice hangars, an iron and an ironing board. We also had our own thermostat to regulate the temperature and air circulation.


The Bath

Our bathroom contained a tub and shower, a toilet and a long marble counter with a sunken sink. A hairdryer and coffee pot were also provided. The toiletries were quite nice, by Gilchrist and Soames. I especially liked the soap and moisturizer. The shower provided plenty of hot water with good water pressure, even at peak shower times. The only thing I disliked about the bathroom was that the fan ran constantly, with no control to turn it off or on. It wasn't very loud, but I would have preferred the option of turning it off sometimes.


Breakfast

On the morning after we checked in, I decided to have breakfast at the hotel's restaurant, called Jester's. This was a mistake. Not only was the food expensive, the quality was very mediocre. I ordered scrambled eggs with a side of fruit and potatoes. The eggs were overcooked and bland, while the fruit was underripe, hard and bland. The potatoes were simply bland. The tea at least was served in a teapot, though I had to put the teabag in the water myself, so that the water was a bit too cool by the time they brought it to me to brew properly. For this I had the honor of paying $14.75

We had an even more disappointing experience the one time we tried out the room service. All we asked for was tea for two. Since I'd been served tea in a teapot at the restaurant, I expected them to provide one for room service as well. I was mistaken. Two cups and saucers arrived with two teaspoons, a selection of teabags and a large carafe of hot water. We were expected to brew our tea in our cups. The horror! To make matters worse, the carafe had obviously been used countless times to hold hot coffee and the water in it tasted noticeably of coffee, which I detest. The charge was $13. Needless to say, I would pass if I had it to do over again.

It's a simple matter to find cheap alternatives to breakfast at the hotel. Just walk the half block to the corner of Market and Third. There's a cafe there with decent tea and a good selection of baked goods suitable for breakfast.


Amenities

The Argent provides a small weight room with a few exercise machines for guest use. Each of the nearby locker rooms also have a sauna. I went down to use the sauna one morning when I had nothing in particular to do. The locker room was tiny, and there was really no place to undress without being right where an arriving guest would walk right into you. The sauna was quite small as well. It wasn't on when I arrived, so I had to wait while it came up to temperature. Inside, the benches were arranged on the smallest of the irregular walls and were far too short to stretch out on. It wasn't terribly comfortable, so I didn't stay long.

There's also a business center in the hotel, which was in use by the conference my husband was attending. There guests can access the internet and use other common office machines.

I think I can fairly list the location of the hotel as a perq. It sits just off Market Street, the main corridor through downtown San Francisco. This location is convenient for shopping at Union Square and for access to Moscone Center, the Metreon, as well as Muni, BART and other forms of public transportation.


Staff

All our interactions with the staff at the Argent were pleasant and professional. We were allowed to leave our bags with the concierge after we checked out on our last day there. Questions about public transportation were answered accurately, and other small requests were met courteously. Our room was cleaned and tidied very nicely each day when we returned in the afternoon.

The night before we checked out, a preview bill was slipped under our door. Among the list of charges we found two items charged from the mini-bar, yet neither of us had taken anything. These charges were quickly and cheerfully removed when we reported the error. The clerk explained that the mini-bar was automated and that we were probably charged because we jostled the contents of the fridge when placing our leftovers from dinner in there.


Cost

We were given a room rate of $168 (including tax), which represents a very small discount given for the conference my husband attended. Miser that I am, I think this rate should have included some kind of breakfast. But since my husband's employer will cover the tab, I can't complain too much.


Final Thoughts

This was a nice place to stay. I'm glad we weren't paying for it. Only the disappointing food in the restaurant and from room service keeps me from giving the Argent five stars. If this hotel is within your budget, or if you're traveling on someone else's dime, I'd recommend it.



Dining on expense account while you're in SF? I recommend:
• Boulevard - hands down, the best restaurant in San Francisco
• Woodward's Garden, which is almost as good as Boulevard
• Betelnut - pan-Asian, highly recommended for a fun night with a group

Or, if you're picking up the tab yourself, try:
• Helmand - low profile, excellent Afghan place in the North Beach neighborhood, great value
• Suppenkuche - for great German bierhaus charm and excellent hearty fare



Recommended: Yes