Opened in the late 1960s, Marcella Royal Hotel was named after its owner, Marcella Angelini. Some of the rooms were renovated in 2013, and plans for further updating are in the works. The lobby is a blend of glossy floors and archways, which add up to an elegant style, with classical Italian paintings, damask couches, Oriental rugs, and ornate clocks, light fixtures, and lamps. The couches, however, have started to sag, and the maroon carpeting in the hallways is worn and dated. The most attractive feature of the hotel is the rooftop garden terrace, which overflows with lush, green potted plants, flowers, and trees, and has a covered wooden bar and charming green tables and yellow chairs. Many of the hotel’s guests -- mostly couples -- gather here in the evening.

Marcella Royal Hotel is centrally located on a stone-paved street, within a 10-minute walk of the Piazza della Repubblica and Via Nazionale. It’s a 13-minute walk to Via Veneto, known for its expensive stores. The Spanish Steps, Trevi Fountain, and the Colosseum are 15 to 16 minutes away on public transportation, There's a bus stop within a minute's walk of the hotel that goes to Vatican City, about a 42-minute trip. The Termini rail and metro station is a 10-minute walk from the hotel, though there are other metros stations, such as Castro Pretorio, nearby too. Leonardo da Vinci International Airport is a 42-minute drive from the hotel.

There’s a mix of styles among the Marcella Royal Hotel's 94 rooms. Some have been renovated, and are modern and contemporary, while others are more classically elegant but dated, and show serious signs of wear and tear, and some are quite small. Decor in the renovated rooms varies -- all they share are the carpeted floors and a clean style. Older style rooms often follow a tan or golden color scheme, damask wallpaper, floral artwork, and blond-wood furniture. Guests tend to prefer the more modern rooms over those more classically styled. Smoking rooms are available too.

All rooms include flat-screen TVs, minibars, free Wi-Fi, and air-conditioning. There are no in-room coffee- or tea-making facilities. Some rooms have terraces or views of the dome of St. Peter’s Basilica. Like the rooms, the state of the bathrooms varies. Some were renovated along with the rooms, and others were not. All bathrooms come with toiletries, hairdryers, and bidets, and have shower/tub combos or just shower stalls.

The Marcella Royal Hotel is missing several features expected for an upper-middle-range property. It has no full restaurant, fitness center, or business facilities. But breakfast is included in the rates, and it's served in a rooftop panoramic room or delivered to guest rooms. There’s also a gorgeous rooftop garden with a few loungers and tables and chairs that’s serviced by a bar. Wi-Fi is free, and guests can make use of a public computer and printer. Valet parking is available for a fee as well.