Looks like Sheraton Miyako in Osaka is on top of a Kintetsu station, OSAKA-UEHOMMACHI. Go to hyperdia.com and put that in as origin and Kobe(Hyogo) or Sannomiya(JR) as your destination to see the route, fare, and travel times. Basically, you just go to JR Osaka station to get a Special Rapid Service train.

That will work. And it will give you an option to enjoy the festivities of the marathon. Maybe the airport bus will be delayed. Maybe e-mail them to find out if bus access to the hotel would be restricted (if it goes there). There are train options from Kansai Airport to the hotel that you could use.

I am not suggesting that you do this. It makes you something of a slave to your luggage.

The location of that Kobe hotel, on Rokko Island, doesn't look bad. I say that just because (per their map) it is only a couple of stops from Sannomiya. There is an airport bus to Rokko Island, but I don't know if it goes to your hotel. You could manage that too.

But there is another way or two that would involve using the baggage delivery service. You could have the bag delivered to your hotel. The takkyubin is a very affordable luxury and, AFAIK, is not available anywhere but Japan.

If you decide on the Kobe hotel, you could ship the bags there if it would arrive that day and then just go from the airport to wherever in Kobe you want to go. If not, ship the bags to the St Regis where they (I BELIEVE) will arrive that night or the next day.

If you decide on the Osaka hotel, then you could ship your bags there or the St Regis. I have it in my mind that it might arrive at the Sheraton at 1PM the next day or maybe on the 24th, given your early arrival.

You could:
1) choose a hotel. If a baggage delivery option works for you do it. If not, go to the hotel and drop the bags.
2) find out if the baggage delivery works for you, which one best, and then choose the hotel. This could work for you if you can do without your luggage overnight (or you just carry a small backpack for the overnight and stow it at a Kobe station locker without going to the hotel).

I wonder now, if an airport bus can take me to a hotel with luggage and it can take me to a hotel without luggage, can the bus take the luggage to the hotel without me? I don't know, doubt it, but it would be same-day.

I kinda wrote this in an illogical order. Rather than helping you decide between two options (which are rally UP TO YOU) I gave you more options. Sorry.

I'm thinking the Sheraton, actually, assuming you got a good rate. Consider that the other hotels are sold out and your option is not. Why? A less than desirable location and/or hotel? It might be worth it at a bargain price, but if the others are sold out then they didn't have to offer you a bargain price. "A couple of stops from Sannomiya" means that it is a couple of stops from a train that is a couple of stops from where you are going. I have not been to Kobe, but from what I understand it is not where you want to be. I can't really answer that.

Hi mrwunfl,

Thanks for the advice. i forgot about the bag shippment service. I think it then makese sense for me to ship our bags to the Sheraton, and go straight from KIX to Kobe and enjoy the day there (even though we will likely be very tired).
We have a good rate at the Sheraton since I booked it in August or July at this point, it is not possible to get a good rate anywhere.
Good point about the marathon, I will check out the route to see if it will affect service to the Sheraton. Personally I do not enjoy marathons so I'd rather get out of Osaka that day.

Ok minor mistake....the marathon is on SUNDAY. So getting to the Sheraton on Saturday will be no issue. Getting to the St. Regis on Sunday, may be annoying...