I am doing a bike/barge cycling tour late August that is leaving from this port, and most likely I will arrive 2 days before boarding. It's been a while since I have been to Paris, so will need to familiarize traveling from CDG. I prefer hotels that are not a chain, but have some character or charm, but open to any suggestions. Ideally the hotel would be in walking distance to where we embark, but in a safe and interesting area. Any suggestions would be appreciated. Although I'm celebrating 80, lol, it doesn't need to be a luxury hotel, just a place for a good night's sleep, pleasant, and good restaurants nearby. Thanks!
You could stay on the Ile Saint Louis. There are a few good hotels there (Hotel des Deux-Iles, for example) It's extremely charming and about 20 min walk from the Arsenal area (depending on where the boat actually is).
If that is too long of a walk, there are a few hotels between rue Saint Paul and Boulevard Henri IV, also a cute area.
The triangular area between Boulevard Henri IV, the Seine, and boulevard Bourdon is quite charmless and devoid of restaurants and shops. I would not stay there. I'm not even sure there are any hotels there anyway.
On the eastern side of Bassin de l'Arsenal, you have a cluster of hotels near Gare de Lyon that could also fit the bill, but the location is less good for sightseeing.
You may want to take a look at the Hotel Bastille Speria. It is not a chain hotel but it is part of the Terlia group, which manages a several hotels in Paris. It is about a 10-minute walk to the Bassin de l'Arsenal. It is a 5-minute walk to Place des Vosges and less than that to the Bastille metro station. The area is safe but bustling with Rue Saint Antoine just a few steps past the front door. I have been staying nearby since 2016 and while I have never stayed in the hotel, I have visited and walked through and it is a clean, well maintained spot. If you want a really short walk to the Bassin, take a look at Goralska Residences which is on Blvd Bourdon. It is more expensive and more of a suite/apartment property. It is, as Balso suggests, not in the most happening part of town but it is very convenient to the Bassin and there are a couple of decent to very good restaurants close by.
Going east from where JHK and balso mentioned, you could look at any street between the Arsenal to rue de Lyon and from Gare de Lyon to Bastille. We often stay in this area to be close to the station that serves our region.