The Novotel had decent beds , adequate rooms, and very basic, small bathrooms. On the plus side, it had a lovely bar with decent cocktails. On the negative side, food was very limited at this hotel and staff was very hard to communicate with.

The buffet restaurant was passable but rarely seemed to be open when we needed food. Their coffee shop was one a one-time thing... I would not eat there again. Both food options were extremely expensive considering the mediocre food, and room service was non-existent.

My least favorite part about staying here was how difficult it was to communicate with staff. In my group, we had English speakers, Spanish speakers, and German speakers... But most of the hotel staff seemed to speak only Japanese though (and maybe very limited English), so we were often out-of-luck in trying to communicate our needs. In one case, I had to assist a co-worker in getting to an emergency room. The night guy at the front desk barely understood what we needed, and could not provide us with instructions or an address in English.

Also, when arranging vehicles for us, the Novotel was not very helpful in finding us deals. In one case, they negotiated a shuttle/ van to take us 4 blocks... it cost over $150.

In terms of location, the Novotel is removed from the bustling downtown area of Osaka. It's in Koshien, right next to the ballpark. It is very convenient to the train station though... Just a block away.

Overall, I would only stay at the Novotel again if better options were far, far outside my price range.