The Hotel Arcata anchors the southwest corner of the Plaza — a four-story brick building from 1915 that has been in continuous operation ever since. It's a National Historic Place and the most prominent piece of early twentieth-century architecture in the city center. The ground floor houses a restaurant and bar that open onto the Plaza, and the upper floors remain a working hotel.
Even if you're not staying here, the building is worth a look. The lobby retains period details, and the corner location gives it a presence that newer buildings on the Plaza lack. It's the kind of small-town hotel that existed everywhere before chain motels arrived, and one of the few that has survived intact.