I got in on an earlier flight, and arrived at 6 it was a pain in the ass.. I literally had to walk around for like 4 hours until things opened, and I was so tired and weary all day.
As many mentioned in the thread, early check-in is an alternative, when not possible, most hotels I've visited offer the service to store the luggage for free. I leave the luggage at the hotel and go for a walk, or stay at the lobby.