mzmickey,
You'll love the lodge.
We also get a smoking room, and from what I can gather, most of the 5th floor (facing the Villa's) is smoking, but assume there must be a smoking room in concierge.
You can check in at anytime, it's just that the room may not yet be ready to occupy. Bell Services will hold your luggage until the room is ready.
As concerns leaving your luggage when checking out, we do the check out thing and then have bell services hold our luggage until we leave. They have never given us a time limit, they usually just ask, when are you leaving.
Since your going to the hotel at the airport, no sense in asking for late checkout at the Lodge.
Enjoy your stay, we'll already be there by the 10th.
Can't wait.