Others seem to be a bit harsh on you for your seemingly honest, innocent question... I guess everyone's a bit jaded with compensation-seekers...

The signs might have said "Sorry for the inconvenience...weather", but I would interpret it as "it's not our fault the alarms went off and don't bother asking for anything because you aren't getting it!".

Therefore I think your request will fall on deaf ears and I wouldn't recommend wasting your time.

This is tough issue because who really knows if the hotel was "at fault". Maybe the direct cause is the "weather", but if you dig deeper could the hotel owner have selected a better fire system that is less susceptible to weather issues? The discussion could be a long one and likely not worth the effort. Even if the hotel is "at fault", good luck finding a satisfactory middle ground between guests who all think they should have their room comped and management who is probably running on a thin profit margin already in the current economic environment.

My opinion is the hotel management could have been a bit more proactive with their response. A nice spread of bagels, doughnuts, and coffee in the lobby the next morning with their "it's not our fault" sign on the table could have been a more customer-friendly resolution to the issue.