When to check in and check out of hotel for a full IM?

I would be concerned a Friday check in (after 3 p.m. for most hotels) wouldn't give you enough time to do the mandatory athlete check in on Friday - For example, Ironman Wisconsin requires you to do the athlete check in by 4 p.m. the Friday before the Sunday race. I suppose you could check in with Ironman before your hotel, that is always an option.

This was my schedule in 2010, plan to do the same thing in 2011:

Thursday: Travel day, hotel check in
Friday: 30min bike ride, athlete check in/expo, athlete dinner
Saturday: 25min run, 10min OWS, last minute bike spin, bike and gear bag check in, pick up family from airport, dinner with family
Sunday: RACE
Monday: Gear bag pick up, finishers gear expo, travel home

All of the athletes in my group commented heavily that everything simply took WAY longer than we anticipated. Even having done huge 70.3s with thousands of racers, the IM experience is just... much bigger. Much more people and waiting and time involved. So plan for that.

I was definitely grateful a non-racer offered to drive our crew not only back to the hotel at midnight after the race, but most of the 12 hours back home on Monday. We were sleepy and sore and in no condition to drive for long stretches. YMMV.
 

I assume this is IMAZ

Fri check in is fine.  Just arrive in Tempe in time to register, then go to your hotel.

Checkout procedures usually don't involve anything more than walking to the desk then your car    Maybe you can get a late checkout.  If you are going to be sore Monday, you are going to be MORE sore Tuesday, so just get it over with.   I could have driven myself back tot he hotel after, but my wife was there, so she did.  But you should be fine., assuming you are walking upright 

And respect to Tempe, but there isn't much to hang out and see

I can't imagine spending the day after in a car or on a plane all day cramped up.  You're going to be sore, but you don't have to be painfully sore for a whole week.  I'd also want to get there early enough that I could preview parts of the course if I wanted to with some easy rides or runs. 

I'm doing a HIM in October and plan on driving to the race all day Thursday, check-in to the hotel, have all day Friday and Saturday to prepare, check-in, preview the course, relax, race on Sunday, relax the rest of the day Sunday and check-out on Monday and drive home.

As already stated, just check with the race / athlete guide and see what the schedule is.  MOst races you can check you bike in the day before.  Just need to make sure that you have time.  If you can check your bike in the day before and do all the other running around you need to do, then friday is ok.

As for checkout.  After every ironman I have done, I have checked out as soon as I ate after the race. The second time I did IM Wisc, I drove straight to O'Hare for a flight to Texas for a Tuesday meeting. 

I would say a lot depends on your fitness level, etc.   If you have the time and the Money, why not stay another night and enjoy and relax pool side and show off your tan lines!!!

^^^^

I wouldn't get to my IM race 2 days before and leave the day after.

I've gotten to different races at 4 to 6 days before an IM and leave 2-3 after race. I know it depends on schedules, vacations and the like.

I need to destress, get my bike put together, get organized and have at least a day of relaxing and off my feet before my Ironman. I travel with my kids and husband which makes arriving and getting organized a bit more chaotic than it might be if I had less kids.

Pre race time is fun. Registering the last day which is 2 days before IM, often the lines and wait to register can be really long. Thursday's line at IMFL (Saturday race) was minimum of hour long and got longer throughout the day.