I've stayed at this hotel a few times over this year.
The location is on the Pudong side of the river, and so you will need to take public transport to get anywhere. Metro Line 4 stop (Pudong Avenue) is a 5 minute walk from the hotel. They are currently building a new Metro line in the area, which will interchange at Pudong Avenue station, and so there is a bit of construction going on. This construction hasn't bothered us in our stays at the hotel. You can walk to the Lujiazui area, though it is about 2.5km away, so it'll take you maybe 25-30 minutes. There are also various bus stops nearby.
There is also not much close to the hotel. There is a Starbucks in the adjacent office building and a couple of convenience shops close by. The shopping malls near the Century Avenue metro station are about a 20 minute walk from the hotel (one Metro stop away from Pudong Avenue station).
To get to Nanjing Road, the Bund, French Concession etc, you will be taking public transport, all of which will take between 20-30 minutes, due to interchanges. The interchanges in Shanghai metro stations does take some time, too, as the stations are large and it takes time to walk to the other line. It honestly makes me appreciate the Hong Kong MTR more. Also keep in mind that the metro in Shanghai closes earlier in comparison to other major cities in the world. I would recommend an app called "Explore Shanghai", which lists the first and final train times for each stop. I would also recommend downloading an app called "Didi", which is like Chinese Uber. In the evening, it can be very hard to flag down a taxi, as they are all booked by Chinese people through the various apps. Didi has an English version, though I'm not sure on your Chinese proficiency for if trying to describe your location for a pickup.
The hotel itself is great, which is why I keep returning. The staff are great. The rooms are a little small - typical Novotel kind of style. Rooms are 100% non-smoking, as per Shanghai government law, though I'm not sure about enforcement. We've never had a smokey room before when staying here. The bed is quite comfortable. Bathroom amentities are the standard Novotel ones. In the height of Summer, we noticed the room was quite "damp", due to the humid weather. This was a one-time occurance, and assuming you're not traveling in the height of Summer, this shouldn't be an issue. If you can, ask for a Lujiazui view room.
I have always received loyalty benefits without prompt at this hotel. I've always received a room upgrade. I always receive my drink vouchers. Early check-in or late check-out have always been fine, though I have only taken advantage of this once or twice. Also be aware that if you are departing on a Sunday, Novotel brand standard is a complimentary 5pm late checkout, subject to availability (unless this has changed in the last couple years since I last worked at a Novotel). Welcome amenity in the room is usually a fruit plate and a small plate of cookies.
The swimming pool is a bit small, and not very deep; it might just do the job for lap swimming. I'm afraid I can't comment on the quality of the fitness room equipment, as I haven't used it, but walking past it, it seems decent enough.
The buffet breakfast has a decent spread, and is decently priced (I think around RMB 85 per person). They also do a Brazillian BBQ buffet in the evening in the Square Restaurant on level 2, which is not too bad at all. I haven't dined in either the Chinese restaurant or revolving restaurant they have on site.
All in all, I do recommend this hotel and find it more than appropriate for a leisure stay. However, if you're looking to mostly be seeing the sights on the other side of the river, it might be worth considering some of the properties there, such as the Pullman Skyway, which I've stayed at once and had a great stay.