I was just reminiscing on my one-night "YOLO" stay here back in March 2018. Sure this post is like 5.5 years late but better late than never.

Anyway, I was going to be in Osaka for a few days. The first night was going to be a Tuesday... I saw this hotel had a rate of ~23,000 yen (~27,000 yen all-in after taxes and fees, ohhh and a 3K points bonus) for the Deluxe Room, Executive lounge access room and thought why the fff not? It literally was like the lowest price of the entire month. I was taking advantage of all of the Moxy "grand opening" deals during the Sakura season saving a ton of money and thought why not splurge responsibly and stay here for one night which would allow me to go have kobe steak dinner in Kobe and return in time before the cocktail hours are finished.

What I remember about the experience with this hotel was the following:

• Asking the very polite and friendly check-in staff to help call to Kobe (a resto in Kobe I had written down -- to see if they had room for 1 at around 1830 or so) - they managed to call and get me a reservation and off I went to lovely Kobe for that steak dinner! I also noticed a cool Belgian-inspired pub on the way back to the train station in Kobe called "Brugge" ... little did I know until later on that trip (vacation) that the Japanese and Belgians admire each other a lot, and that the Japanese brought in Belgian architects to help build some of their famous buildings in Tokyo including the original Bank of Japan building (then undergoing seismic protection upgrades).
• Double fisting to ensure I poured myself the booze before the 2130 cutoff ... I remember them having Bols Mango!!! So I poured myself a bit of that, and I forget what the other alcoholic choice was. I only had a single double-fist so it's not like I was acting unfavourably to others, just basically making sure I could squeeze in two self-made cocktails instead of only one.
• The executive lounge being on the 19th floor was high enough up (and only one floor above me so excellent proximity) ... it faced west (if not NW or SW). I remember being able to see a football "soccer" field (can't remember if I also saw a baseball diamond) and was thinking about how the reason why the Japanese love their football and baseball, and are pretty good at it. Little did I realize a field like that would lead to the quality of players that ended up beating previous champs Germany and Spain in the same World Cup a few years later!!!
• The hotel room had its own cordless phone of which I was told you could make unlimited calls within Japan or to Hong Kong, Singapore, or any NANP (Canada/US) number. It being late evening time, that meant it was around noon for Eastern Daylight Time, and thus I was calling friends and coworkers making them sh*t themselves because they thought I was paying an arm and a leg to make the call.
• Since the lounge was still open for things like bottled water or juice and other little snacky items until midnight I went back to grab some water to get me through the night.
• Next morning I of course had breakfast access. I for the life of me cannot remember the name of the fancy resto on the main floor but I remember it is to the right of the check-in desk (so if you walk in and walk up to the check-in desk, you would have to turn right). VERY LARGE - I felt like I was in a high-ceiling fancy banquet hall. There were waffle and omelet stations, there was a dim sum section... there was an entire salad bar (I remember having some caesar salad along with dim sum, waffles, and other things for breakfast). Let's just say somehow I managed to have breakfast and lunch together at like 0900. I was so stuffed I didn't need to eat anything until long after I checked out and moved inwards to central Osaka (the Moxy Honmachi) and didn't touch a piece of food until I was at Kuromon market for toro tuna after 1500. Those working in the resto must've been thinking "oh no, another North American bottomless pit".

Setting aside any sarcasm or cheeky commentary above I have to say that while the hotel looks "old-ish" from the outside (that brutalist architecture, not the modern glass structures you see being built from scratch now) do not judge it by its cover at all... and don't think "oh it's just another Courtyard". I have found myself comparing hotels (especially their breakfast offerings / buffets) ever since that stay and nothing has measured up. I would have to say the most elegant I have had is the Renaissance in Vienna, and a nice modernist but cozy buffet breakfast at the AC Hotel Colon in Valencia. But NOTHING has ever measured up to this Courtyard. I got my money's worth and more in this hotel - it's the memories that will last a lifetime.

Finally, I will finish this off by saying that I love Japan a lot!!! <3 I have tremendous respect for the Japanese and I am speechless when it comes to many things. Their prompt nature (they are like the Swiss of the west when it comes to trains being as on time as possible), their very polite and mannered culture - I went in knowing when and how to bow. I walked out back then knowing (but now shamelessly forgetting) how to pay respects at a Shinto Shrine (the bowing / clap sequence, and then the dropping of the coin as the donation and thanks). Two things that they clearly stand for are high quality of goods and high quality of service, and that is rarely ever sacrificed (from what I had experienced in almost 2 weeks there).