The hotel was opened in the 1970s and many of the common areas have maintained the look of the times. Today, they feature little besides a small card and game table, heavy wood and leather chairs, and a small breakfast room. However, the lounge off the lobby received much-need renovations after our visit, including new tiling, breezy curtains, and a fresh coat of paint (no more white popcorn walls). The rooftop terrace does offer impressive views of Rome for all guests -- but even if the terrace isn't much to look at.

The Hotel Colosseum is ideally located for tourists. It’s about a 15- to 20-minute walk to major sights such as the Colosseum, Forum, Piazza Venezia, Santa Maria Maggiore, Oppian, Domus Aurea, and St. Peter in Chains, and about a 10-minute walk from Termini Train Station. There are plenty of trattorias, restaurants, cafes, and shops in the immediate area.

The rooms at the Hotel Colosseum saw an update in 2012, but guests would probably never notice it: They feature barebones, bland decor. There are framed illustrations of Roman sights adorning the walls, but besides that, guests will find dinged furniture, drab green or yellow bedspreads, cheap drapes, and bathrooms with cramped shower stalls and chintzy marble. Standard Triple rooms have more space and decent-sized terraces with views, but they still feature the same dated decor, including AstroTurf on the balcony. The rooms at the Hotel Caprice are less dreary and around the same price.

The hotel offers a simple (free!) breakfast spread for guests in a room that looks like it was decorated during the Carter administration, and offers free Wi-Fi throughout the hotel. The rooftop terrace is far from swanky with its mismatched furniture and AstroTurf, but it has excellent views of the city.