We are thinking of staying at a hotel located a few blocks west of Borghese Gallery. How inconvienent would that location be for getting to the main attractions? On the map I don't see any metro stations nearby, and I can't tell how far a walk it would be to get to the main attractions.

It's not very convenient and the walk back would be all uphill. Most people prefer somewhere a bit more central. The Borghese area is served by several buses including the electric line that runs through the historic center. Zoom in to 66% on this map.
http://www.atac.roma.it/files/doc.asp?r=9

Here's the metro map.
http://www.atac.roma.it/files/doc.asp?r=4

Your post doesn't make any sense since the Borghese Gallery is in the Villa Borghese, a green park.

Do you mean a few blocks west of the Villa Borghese??

A few blocks west of the park would put you in the Spanish Steps area, which is a good location to stay at in Rome.

Thin

On my map Spanish Steps is SW and mostly south of the B Gallery. All maps have a scale, use it. For Rome plan on being able to walk two to three miles an hour. For the Gallery to the Collosseum is good 2 to 2.5 miles.

The metro is very limited in Rome and we never use it for anything with the city walls. Buses and trams are more convenient. For preferred location is the SW side of Termini for a number of reasons. Easy walking distance from Termini so you don't have to deal with a Rome taxi driver. Close to the transportation hub -- metro, buses, trams. Most sights, except the Vatican, are walkable in less than 30 minutes, nice local restaurants, and the prices are more reasonable than the high tourist areas around the Spanish steps and other similar locations.

What's the hotel, Denisetom??

Sorry, I made a mistake. The hotel in question is The Fiume, and it is located a few blocks east of the Borghese Gallery on Via Brescia.

Will this be a poor location for getting to the major sights?

Denisetom:

While the Borghese is certain worth a visit, I don't think you'll be pleased staying near there if you're interested in taking in the major sights within a restricted time frame. You'd be much better off in a more central location, near Piazza Navona, for instance. Check out Hotel Portoghesi, which is just north of PN. Many other hotels in the vicinity would serve your purposes better than one near the Borghese.

The Hotel Fiume is not within walking distance of any major sights.

Either stay in the historic center - Navona, Campo, Pantheon - or if budget is a concern, on the Repubblica side of Termini.

I agree that the location of your hotel is a little out of the way from the major sites. For your first trip to Rome, I think you would enjoy it more if you were located in the Centro Storico - the historic center (near the Pantheon or Piazza Navona area) and within walking range of teh major sites. I believe that your hotel is between the 105-130 Euro/nt range. In that case, try looking into a B&B - you can find many within your price range in that area. A good site for finding one is www.romeby.com