A small hotel in a mansion, not a block of rooms
Hotel Argantonio occupies an elegant old-town mansion on Calle Argantonio, which the hotel itself calls a small, charming street in the very heart of Cádiz. The building is described on its own site as being of architectural and cultural interest, and the layout bears that out: the interior double rooms are arranged around the patio, so the quiet side of the house is the one you sleep on. Decor mixes Andalusian and classical styles, according to the city's tourism office, which makes the place feel like a lived-in house rather than a hotel lobby with a theme.
The practical argument for it is location. You can reach the Cádiz Cathedral, the Roman Theatre and the beach at La Caleta on foot, which in Cádiz means you will not need the car you should not have brought anyway.
Rooms, terrace and the fireplace lounge
The range runs from standard doubles to the top categories, which are the Deluxe, the Junior Suite and the Suite. The fireplace is a feature of the Junior Suites and the Suite, and the Suite adds a jacuzzi and a private terrace. Every room has air conditioning, heating, Wi-Fi and an eco minibar.
Common areas are the part that earns the hotel its character. There is a terrace on the fourth floor with views over the city's lookout towers, and in winter the fireplace turns the ground-floor lounge into the main meeting point for guests. That is a better reason to choose this hotel in January than any star rating.
Practical details
The address is Calle Argantonio 3, 11004 Cádiz. Check-in is from 14:00 and check-out is by 12:00. The front desk is staffed 24 hours, and the hotel offers breakfast, a bar, bicycle rental, baggage storage and laundry. For arrivals, it runs a transfer service from Jerez de la Frontera, Seville and Málaga airports; that is for guests only and carries a surcharge. On request it also organises sailing, flamenco and local-cuisine courses, which is worth asking about if you are staying more than two nights.
The hotel does not publish a rate on its own pages, so check dates on its booking page before you commit. Its star rating is not stated by the hotel either, and listings disagree, so judge it on the rooms and the location instead.
Who it suits
Choose Argantonio if you want to be inside the old town with a patio, a terrace and some architecture around you, and you like a hotel small enough that reception knows the street. After a day of sights, the obvious evening plan is pescaito frito in a nearby bar rather than a hotel dinner. Skip it if you want a pool, a gym or a predictable chain floor plan.