The building that houses the hotel dates back to the 1800s, when it was used as an officers’ quarters for the nearby Castro Praetorian barracks. It has a surprising historical ambiance for this price point, a comfortable lobby with marble floors, a fireplace, wide arched entrances and painted ceilings. The hotel lobby bar has reasonable prices, and guests can take advantage of the ample lobby seating. But most of the surrounding neighborhood is less than charming.

The hotel’s proximity to the Stazione Termini train station is both a blessing and a curse. Of course, the area is well-serviced by public transportation and relatively central for Rome, within easy subway and tram access to all the city’s popular tourist sights. But the area is mostly made up of offices, hospitals, and university buildings, so the shopping and dining options nearby are far from the greatest. It gets desolate and a little seedy once the sun goes down.

The rooms at the Hotel Canada aren’t the chicest in the world, but they’re functional and spacious by Rome standards (especially Superior Rooms). They have charming historical style (brocade fabrics, gently arched ceilings), but some of the furniture is dinged and there are wall-mounted CD players instead of iPod docks (not unexpected for a value hotel). Still, they’re clean, comfortable, and receive plenty of natural light. Some have balconies and face an interior courtyard.

Features-wise, there’s not much about the Hotel Canada that makes it stand out. There’s free Wi-Fi throughout the hotel, a small, well-priced bar, and a breakfast room for guests, which is about what one should expect from this price point. The free breakfast buffet includes both hot and cold items.