Couldn't agree more. As I've posted upthread, this hotel was the place to see and be seen in Rome in the 1950s, '60s and '70s. It's become quite rundown over the years since then, and is a mere shadow of its former self. Caked, visible dirt in the corners of hallways, even in the lobby, chandeliers missing several lightbulbs, threadbare furniture and the like. Like an ever increasing number of hotels around the world, this is owned by an investment arm of the Qatari royal family. This could easily be an LC property if the appropriate (and admittedly non-trivial) investment were to be made, similar to the Savoy in London (which was closed for three years for a complete refurbishment, 2007-2010). The plans for this hotel became obvious when Katara Hospitality purchased it in 2015 and flagged it a Westin, rather than an LC. Maybe they don't want it to compete with the StR Grand, which is owned by a different investment arm of the Qatari royal family. Having stayed at both in the past few years, the Excelsior has the potential to far surpass StR Grand on the building and location alone. But it would require a huge investment.