I've stayed here several times and always loved it.

Keep in mind, the Hotel Arcata is not "high end", but is cozy and very authentic to old-style Arcata.

They've kep the victorian feel, and as a result the rooms are a bit small. If you're in town for an event at the university, the location can't be beat. Even if you're just passing through, looking out on the square is really entertaining and you're close to all of the great shops and restaurants.

Really what passes for quaint or "Authentic" in a free spirited kind of way is actually just nasty and dingy. The beds are forever old and creak like hell. The heating had to be asked for and the staff are not friendly at all - infact I noticed that's more of just an Arcata thing. Seems like all peace, granola and yogurt except no peace - just very stand-offish people.
We wont be back here again.

We have stayed at this hotel many times because we have a daughter attending HSU. The hotel gives an HSU discount, and, since we travel with our dog, a big plus is we can have our dog in the room for $5 extra per night. We have had several nights above the noisy bars and we bring along ear plugs and eye masks and sleep through it o.k. What we like is the convenient location right on the fun Arcata Plaza with lots of shops and restaurants, the quaint lobby, friendly staff and the fantastic Tomo Japanese restaurant in the hotel. The rooms we have had are always big enough, with those big, clawfoot bathtubs that are pretty fun unless you have some mobility issues. We also like the gift shop in the lobby and have purchased many gifts there to bring home to friends. We would rather stay in a place with character, even with the 'characters' in the bars below, than in a motel chain if we have the choice.

Location, location, location. The hotel is right on the plaza in "downtown" Arcata, where you can walk around on 2nd Fridays (with all of the shops open late, serving appetizers and hot cider), walk to several restaurants and several bars. The plaza is cute and hasn't changed much since the 1920s, and now boasts a nice farmer's market on Saturday mornings.

My wife and I stayed in a queen-bed room for $95/night ($75/government rate). The room was clean, with old quaint old hotel amenities like a clawfoot tub (and good water pressure), and the windows open. Old black and white photographs of the town and area from a century ago grace the hallways, adding character. Free wifi is available in the rooms. The nights outside were cool, but the temperature in the room was comfortable.

The downsides: the bed was only moderately comfortable, the room lighting was dim, the bars and plaza attracted drunk HSU students to make noise until midnight and the walls are somewhat thin. A free "continental breakfast" consists of a little bar by the check-in desk with a basket of muffins, bananas & apples, and coffee. If you need things like hair dryers, ironing boards or are a light sleeper, look elsewhere.

In summary, it's got some flaws, but I would recommend it just because of it's great location and it's nice to see a hotel with local character as alternative to the chains. Most other hotels (esp. the chains) are out on the highway, outside of the main town.