Not as extreme as the case you were responding to, but...

Just a few days ago I was staying in a hotel in Bali, Indonesia, near to Ngurah Rai International Airport in Denpasar. Previously I have paid for early check-in. I can't remember how much, but it's reasonable. The nightly rate is already less than about US$20 or so. Early check-in is a fraction of that.

Unfortunately I wasn't able to check in early the other day as the hotel was full. (I phoned first).

Early check-in is an official thing at that hotel, and there is a notice at the check-in desk giving the price.

I know that previously I have stayed in a capsule hotel inside Jakarta airport. If I remember correctly, I paid extra for late check-out. Again, it was a modest amount and worth it to be able to leave my bags there.

This time I ended up using the baggage drop at Bali airport. But, I would have preferred to have been able to check into my hotel early and then leave all my stuff there. My preferred hotel in Denpasar is walking distance from the airport.

I didn't realise that early check-in fees were a bad thing. For me, with the cost of hotel I usually go for, I'm happy to pay a modest amount for some extra convenience.