First of all, if you are planning your holiday in Rome from Serbia, don't ever do it through Kontiki travel agency: they will put you in the hotel you didn't choose, which you are told at the airport (when there is nothing you can do about it :-(.
I agree with the most horrible comments I read on this Trip advisor about California Hotel: the only good thing is the hotel locatin, but within the same area there are many more possible better hotels, so you do not have to choose this particualr one (if you have a choice, of course, which we didn't have).
The room was dark with old dark blue wallpapers, old furniture, but the worse were: central aircondition which you cannot control (so it was either cold or extremely hot) and the most stupid shower I ever seen (fixed on the top of so-called "shower-cabin" with an awful plastic curtains, so that showering was a kind of a nightmare specially if you are a women).. The breakfast was poor and he breakfast room, which was in the basement, was very cold, so where ever you go from the reception desk to your "room" or to breakfast, you must put your coat on!
One more thing: I read the official website of the hotel California and I HAVE TO SAY THAT NOTHING IS TRUE THERE, ESPECIALLY THE PHOTOS!!!!!!!!!!

We arrived late and the walk from station dodgy (esp for females). The night watchman does not speak any English and was of no help.

He also took our passports off us, which I was very uncomfortable with.

The rooms were VERY down at heel, with the lamps being broken, the shower broken and the blanket was simply gross. The bed was hard as nails. Also (quite amusingly at times) the walls are thin as paper. We could hear the guy next door taking a dump, oh and people throwing up in the stairwell - lovely.

We paid Eu140 a night and have since found out there are lots of (much) better value for money hotels elsewhere.

I am a regular traveller and this is the worst hotel I've stayed at for YEARS.

My boyfriend and I went to Rome for a romantic weekend, Rome didn't let us down, but the hotel sure did. Don't go there.....

Good location for train station. But rooms were really old and the service at breakfast (which stops at 9.30!) was a little bit rude. Also, our door had been forced to be opened (before we arrived), it is not a safe place in the city.

Hotel California is located near Termini Station, but far enough to be away from some of the "traffic" - about 5 - 10 minutes walk. Their website was helpful BUT I found making the booking a little confusing - I ended up calling to confirm the rate & dates of stay as I could not believe how informal they were when I contacted them by e-mail. Antonio, desk clerk/manager, was very helpful and when we checked in, greeted me like an old friend. The lift was something out of the norm for me, but once you accept that old style European accomodations are different than what we are accustomed to in the USA, it is no problem - just part of the adventure! The hotel shares the building with another hotel, so certain floors were theirs and others were not. The room was clean and comfortable with large shuttered windows which could be opened to view the street below. The furnishings were a little worn but everything was spotless. I will never forget our first night, standing in the open window, listening to the sounds of a violin playing Italian love songs for the diners in the sidewalk cafes. Directly across the street was a little mom & pop cafe where we enjoyed dinner with a personal touch. The location worked well for us as we had arrived by train from the airport and were leaving from Termini to take the overnight train to Paris. Additionally, the tour company we used to for our Rome at night tour and our tour to Pompeii was located only 1 block away. We stayed 3 nights for about the same price as it would have cost to spend 1 night in some of the other hotels. The breakfast buffet was good and served in a pleasant environment. I felt safe enough to walk the streets around the hotel unaccompanied, even at night - but as always, use common sense when out alone - Rome, like all big cities, has it's share of pickpockets and street kids. Overall, we enjoyed our stay and I would recommend this hotel. Additionally, it is located on the right side of Termini, was very convenient to public transportation and could even be considered within walking distance to some of the popular sites, such as the Coloseum, Republic Square, Santa Susanna.
On our last day in Rome, we were able to leave our luggage in the lobby under the watch of the day clerk until that evening when we picked it up and walked back to Termini to continue on our European adventure...