We also had to again wait in line at 4:00 when everyone else arrived to check-in. If one has kids, I'm unsure what they would do as it was too hot to wait in the car. We felt like we were held hostage as the only options for waiting were to go to a bar or restaurant or gamble as there is no lobby with seating. My advice is if you plan on getting there before 4:00, be a big-time gambler or pay a fee if you want to even use the pool before 4:00. I checked my email confirmation, but a new early check-in fee was not mentioned. According to the check-in staff, the notice was on the site when I reserved online, but the only indication I found was the fine print in the 'Terms and Conditions,' with no clue what the fee might be. We arrived at 3:00 and were told that even though rooms were ready, we would need to pay $35 to get our room an hour early. However, a new policy was just instituted (September 24, 2023) that checking into the hotel before 4:00 requires a fee based on card play.
This was our fourth stay at this casino hotel, and aside from the 'dumpster incident' a few stays ago (we were above the dumpster area and the crew decided to power wash the area at 10:30 pm!), we enjoyed the resort and the lovely tower rooms.