That's my phone, too. It automatically adjusts to the local time zone, which is nice, since I don't have try to figure out how to set it and I don't have to worry about oversleeping.

Last November I was running a large conference in PHL. For the second day of the conference, I requested a wake-up call via a real person at the Marriott for 5:30 a.m. The keynote speaker was scheduled to go on at 8 a.m. I also set the alarm in my room. The wake-up call definitely never occurred (I am a very light sleeper) and the alarm did not go off (never figured out if that was user error--very possible--or mechanical).

I woke up on my own and looked at the clock. It said 8 a.m. I was in a sheer panic! It was like one of those bad dreams where you have a final and you forgot to go to class all semester. I started mentally calculating--I was supposed to meet with the keynote speaker at 7:30, he must already be getting on the podium, did someone meet him, why didn't any of my colleagues call me?

All of a sudden I realized the time had changed the night before. So it was really 7 a.m.! I seriously felt like I had won the lottery. I took the world's quickest shower, slapped on a suit and primped the best I could and thankfully made it in time to meet with the speaker and all was well. (Until the elevators went out in the Marriott and all of attendees were told to wait in their rooms and the attendees were mostly 45 minutes to an hour late to the keynote session. But at least I was there!)

Lessons learned: if I get wake-up calls now, I alway use the automated system--not infallible, but less room for (others') human error; I now set my cell phone alarm on the highest ring possible as a back-up; and I do my best with the hotel alarm clock (which seems to work most of the time but not always). Sometimes if I know my husband will be up early and the time zones jibe, I'll ask him to give me a ring as well. Haven't had another problem (knock on wood). This experience has made me quite paranoid though, even though I never had a problem before that during 15 years of business travel.

Although it saved me in this case, it's generally not a great idea to plan a conference for a weekend when the time is changing....thankfully I'm out of the conference business now.

While everyone's answering "how often" not many have answered the second question.

Should you be upset? A bit, but in a professional manner. A company you paid to provide you a certain level of service has fallen short. You have a right to be annoyed and complain. More than that, I would encourage you to do so, and permit the hotel to attempt to do something to rectify the situation. Obviously they can't turn back the clock and wake you up, but I have yet to meet a hotel manager who hasn't tried to offer me some sort of compensation for any small complaint I might bring up to them.

I don't expect perfect service (especially with wakeup calls) but I do expect responsive customer service to complaints, and reward such service with loyalty when I have the chance.

If you complain and you get a shrug of their shoulders, it's time to "steam quietly" a bit more, and perhaps take your business elsewhere.

i usually use two alarms at home (once a battery died and it didn't ring, plus I sleep deep). so in hotels i use the wakeup and one portable alarm. I never use cell phones as I will sleep right through it.

Anabel8675 welcome to FT. you were indeed lucky.

Wakeup Call
 

I used to work as Night Concierge in a 5* hotel.

Early one morning I was asked to do a room check because the guest wasn't answering the phone for their wakeup call (when booked they had stressed how important it was as they were on an early flight out of the country). Having rung the doorbell repeatedly, knocked, etc, I used my master keycard to enter (making my entrance very obvious) to discover the three men passed out drunk in various locations around the room ... one had managed to find his bed.

As they needed to make their flight I managed to rouse them all eventually ... they all sat up and looked at me in their drunken confused states ... and I thought "Great. They're awake ... no more problems."

Apparently as soon as I left they all lay back down and started snoring again ... only to wakeup six hours later (roughly when their flight to Australia was landing) ...

Ooooopppppssssss .... sometimes drinking and flying don't mix.

Great story !! ^