A friend, as well as several travel books including Frommer's, indicated that Locarno was a great "artsy" choice for staying in Roma.
I was concerned about the bad reviews here (as I was correct to be), but wanted to trust my friend and the books, and was excited about the art deco decor. So, I decided to book an expensive room (junior suite) at the hotel, thinking this would alleviate some of the issues. On arrival, we were upgraded to the "Presidential Suite" room 603. This is admittedly a huge room, with truly traditional (and by traditional, I mean likely original) decor and furniture.
So what was the problem? Well, there were many.
The bed may actually be 100+ years old. It is flat, hard but bad springs at the same time; and EXTREMELY uncomfortable. Its like a box spring.
The lovely bathroom reeks of sewage smell, and we had to open windows (it was cold outside; I imagine this problem is even worse when it is hot) in order to alleviate the scent (so, we froze in the bathroom and after showers).
The room literally does not have enough light, management must think the little sconces are romantic, but in a huge room, they basically provide no lighting. We couldn't read at night. We could hear our neighbors very clearly in the next room.
I was miserable, still suffering jet lag three nights into our vacation, and had to request six pillows to sleep on to put on top of the "bed". My husband was embarrassed to also do so, but I think would have done well after all of our sightseeing and the ridiculously bad bed. You know the worst bed you have slept on, like your uncle's pull out couch bed from the 70's? This one is worse.
Also, the key to the room is nearly impossible to use. The employee who brought us to the room had trouble with it; and my husband (an engineer) struggled with it throughout our stay. Again, managers may think this is quaint, as it is an "old" original skeleton key, but like the other relics of the room, it is one that should be revised.

All of that said, the location is lovely, and the breakfast is generous and well-done. There is a nice roof deck, although it was too cold in November to enjoy. The bar and common areas are very nice. And, the art deco decor is truly amazing. Overall, the service was decent, but our other Italy stays (in Milan and Venice) were so truly superior, that I just can't give this one a good review. I have to believe that there are much better places to stay in Rome.
If Locarno decides to make some appropriate investments in: plumbing, lighting, bedding and mattresses, as well as superior service actions, and I read about those here, I would consider another stay. But, at this point, I definitely cannot recommend it.