Hotel Roma Aurelia Antica

Built in 2000, the Hotel Roma Aurelia Antica had a partial renovation in 2012, but it's still fairly dated looking throughout, though 30 of its guest rooms are due for 2017 renovations. It's a large property with outdoor parking, an indoor garage, and connected buildings housing a conference center as well as 280 guest rooms spread over six floors served by seven elevators. The large lobby has stone-tiled floors, with a curved wooden reception desk and several lounge areas with a mix of old leather or upholstered couches around darkened corners and on the carpeted mezzanine. Guests tend to be a mix business travelers, airline crews, and families. 

The hotel is in a largely residential area on the west side of Rome, just inside the Great Ring Junction road. A bus stop in front of the hotel goes to the nearest metro, and the Roma Aurelia train station is within a 15-minute walk. The hotel is not convenient to the city center, and it can take an hour via public transportation to get to the Trevi Fountain. The Vatican is closer, taking only 20 minutes by car, or over 30 minutes on public transportation. It’s about a 20-minute ride from Fiumicino airport and just under 20 minutes from the Fiera di Roma exhibition center. 

The 280 guest rooms have sober, dated decor, with cream walls, wood furnishings, and gold curtains. Some have faded (even stained) blue carpeting, while others have wood veneer flooring. They're on the large side, starting at 193 square feet on the low end, with most other rooms ranging from 270 to 400 square feet. Standard Rooms have either queen beds or two twin beds, desks, and seating areas with blue armchairs. Upgraded rooms have larger seating areas with loveseats; some also have furnished outdoor terraces. All units have minibars, electric kettles, and small flat-screen TVs, but Wi-Fi costs extra. The stone- and marble-tiled bathrooms have bidets and shower/tub combos. Junior Suites have separate living rooms with sofa beds and add second bathrooms. There's also a Grand Suite, the only thoroughly modern option, with a gas fireplace, Nespresso machine, an in-room whirlpool tub, and a large rainfall shower. 

The seasonal outdoor pool has a sunbathing lawn with loungers facing a pretty wooded landscape, but using it costs extra. There's no fee to use the fairly well-equipped fitness center, which has a treadmill, cardio bike, weight training machine, free weights, and an adjacent outdoor sundeck. For dining, La Sughereta Restaurant serves regional cuisine in two different spaces and with views of the pool and the Mediterranean landscape from its covered terrace. The buffet restaurant, Mallorca, is only open for breakfast (fee), with a spread of international dishes and options for celiacs, vegetarians, and vegans. There's also a cocktail bar and a poolside bar that serves snacks. The conference center consists of 16 different banquet and meeting rooms with maximum capacity for up to 700 people, and there's a business corner with several computers and printers (for a fee). There's also a game room with two pool tables and a foosball table, along with a play area for younger children that seems like an afterthought with just some child-size tables and bean bag chairs. There's a fee for parking in the secured garage, but free parking outside is also available. Wi-Fi throughout also costs extra.