There are a few what I would consider infamous threads on early hotel check-in:

too early(4:30am) to check in, hotel charged me 1 extra night for the previous night!

Mistreated big time at the Wrightsville Beach Hampton Inn

While those incidents both involved much earlier check-in times than this, they still point to the problem in general that some folks seem to expect that they can check in any time regardless of the "Check-In" time that is indicated when they make their reservation. I think a hotel having an explicit policy with explicit fees for overly early check-ins (e.g., if you're checking in more than four hours before the official check-in time, there is a fee) is a good thing, not a bad thing. Sure it would be nice if it were free, it would also be nice if all hotels had free parking, free breakfast, free internet, free evening beverages, etc., etc., etc.