Just back from Osaka/Kyoto. Stayed at the Westin in Osaka, and (after much debate) the Hyatt in Kyoto.
Arrived in Osaka relatively late, after a flight from Taipei. Took the JR train (made the mistake of taking the "rapid" train, which was far from rapid) from KIX to the JR Osaka Station. This took a bit more than an hour. From the station, we decided to walk, and after having seen the maps, we found the North Central exit that was furthest to the right, walked past Yodabashi Camera and down through the underpass. Not too bad, even with a few bags. Check-in was quick, escorted to our rooms with our bags (no tipping) and crashed for the night. The room was on the 20th floor, king bed, non-smoking. Quite nice, great bathroom, no complaints.
We had initially planned to spend a morning or so in Osaka, but ultimately decided to spend all of our time in Kyoto. So, in the morning, took the shuttle back to the JR station (between waiting for the shuttle and the surprisingly long drive time, it's probably just as fast to walk) and found a train to Kyoto (540 yen)
Really loved the Hyatt in Kyoto. It's not on a subway line like the Westin, but it is right next to Sanjusanjendo Temple, among other locations, on 3 major bus lines (100/206/208), and the room and service were superb. The only taxi we took in Kyoto was back to the train station to catch the Haruka Express back to KIX. Otherwise, we used the one-day bus passes to get around. Loved Kyoto, a city on a very human scale...had some great meals as well. Also made a side trip to Nara, which I thought was well worth it, especially for the Hory-uji complex.