I visited Rome with my husband and my two little children (3,5 & 7 years old).We had made the reservation from Greece. We had asked for two connecting rooms.
When we got there, they could not give us connecting rooms in the category we had paid for. They finally found rooms, luckally on the same floor, but away one from the other.
In the rooms, the fabrics were very dirty. The curtains, the sofa and the armchair, too. The bathroom was quite clean. The wall to wall carpet was extremely dirty! The location was fine. It was near to everything we were interested. BUT,
that was NOT a 5 star hotel (for sure!)!!!

Before visiting in Aug/09 I was concerned by the previous negative reviews and contacted the Grand Plaza about my apprehensions.
I am happy to report that the hotel took very good care of us. All of the staff we came in contact with were amiable & helpful.
Our two bedroom suite with balcony was very nice, although our outdoor furniture needed re-upholstering. Large portions of the hotel were undergoing renovation but that didn't interfere with our stay. Although a more complete refurbishment would be ideal by my standards, I must say that the Grand Plaza has a charming patina that is entirely in keeping with the rest of Rome.
The location is absolutely superb.

My husband bought me a weekend in Rome for Christmas, and I was really looking forward to staying in what was described in the brochure as a 5 star superior hotel. We checked in with unfriendly staff who couldn't find our booking. When they finally got it together we were given our room key and had to get on with it - no being shown to our room or having our bags taken up as you'd expect with a 5 star hotel. The lounge is huge and amazing, with gigantic chandeliers and painted ceilings. However our room was small, although we think this is part of the charm of an older hotel! There was no air conditioning - it's only turned on in the summer . There was no shower curtain or panel so it was impossible to shower in the traditional way without flooding the entire bathroom, and there was no movie channel as it was broken. We had to request a second bathrobe as only one was provided. On the upside, it was very quiet; our room looked on to the inner courtyard. We wandered around the hotel like ghosts, being ignored by staff, it was one of the strangest hotel experiences we've ever had! The barman was the only staff member who was friendly. The continental breakfast was adequate but there was no bread, ham or fresh fruit and it relied heavily on sweet pastries. The coffee, thank goodness, was fantastic. Hot food was very expensive. This hotel is big on faded grandeur and clearly gets away with a huge amount because of its location; it's ideally situated in the centre of the best shopping, near to the Trevi Fountain and the Spanish Steps. You can't fault the location but we'll look for a different hotel for our next stay in Rome because this place is ridiculously overpriced. We went to two excellent restaurants near the Trevi Fountain; Il Chianti and another just around the corner - the food was heavenly.

I decided to write in view of some of the indifferent reviews I read about the hotel before I travelled. I booked two conjoined rooms on the top floor which looked inwards over the courtyard. The checking in process was easy and both rooms were very clean and newly decorated. The beds comfortable and we all slept well. Both rooms were very quiet especially for Rome. I suspect the rooms overlooking the street may have been noisier but the largely pedestrian street was surprisingly quiet after midnight.

The location could not be bettered as it was central to all the major attractions which could easily be reached on foot. There were three taxi ranks within a few metres of the hotel if needed. The buffet breakfasts were ample and a cooked breakfast was available at (a significant) extra charge. surprisingly there was no a restaurant in the hotel although there were plenty within walking distance. We did find the dining experience in the Rome restaurants disappointing but we do have high expectations.The hotel is a little faded and the command of the English language of the staff was imperfect. I suspect if you require a concierge service (as one expects in five star hotels) you may be disappointed and the rooms may get very hot in the summer. There is supposed to be air conditioning in the rooms but this was not in use when we went in March (not needed ? turned off) and there are only three fan speeds (one of which failed to work). I suspect on hot days the cooling may be inadequate.

Overall, I would recommend the hotel with the above provisos. I booked via the internet and obtained a good discount by paying in advance and booking relatively late and booking at a less popular time of year. Who wants to visit Rome by choice in the high summer anyway?