#35 Buying a SIM Card｜French Travel Phrases
Izumi French Garden
#158 Requesting a Wake-Up Call at a Hotel｜French Daily Life Phrases
Izumi
When staying at a hotel during a trip or business travel, you may need to request a wake-up call in preparation for early departures or scheduled appointments.
When asking for a wake-up call in French, politeness, accuracy in specifying the time, and confirmation during the exchange are especially important.
In this article, I will explain practical French expressions and key points for requesting a wake-up call at a hotel front desk.
Contents
Dialogue
Bonsoir. J’aurais besoin d’un service de réveil pour demain matin, s’il vous plaît.
（Good evening. I would like to request a wake-up call for tomorrow morning, please.）
Bien sûr. À quelle heure souhaitez-vous être réveillé(e) ?
（Certainly. What time would you like to be woken up?）
À 6h30, si possible. En effet, j’ai un train tôt le matin.
（At 6:30, if possible. In fact, I have an early morning train.）
Souhaitez-vous un appel unique ou un rappel ?
（Would you like a single call, or a reminder call?）
Un seul appel suffira, merci.
（A single call will be sufficient, thank you.）
Bien compris. Nous vous appellerons demain à 6h30.
（Understood. We will call you tomorrow at 6:30.）
1. Requesting a Wake-Up Call
When asking for a wake-up call at a hotel, you can say the following:
Example
- J’aurais besoin d’un service de réveil pour demain matin.
（I would like to request a wake-up call for tomorrow morning.）
The expression “j’aurais besoin de …” literally means “I would need …,” but in practice it is used to make a polite and reserved request.
Related Expression
- Pourriez-vous programmer un service de réveil ?
（Could you arrange a wake-up call?）
This phrasing places more emphasis on having the service set up and sounds slightly more formal.
2. Specifying the Time
When requesting a wake-up call, it is important to specify the time accurately.
Example
- À 6h30, si possible.
（At 6:30, if possible.）
In French, times are generally expressed using the structure “à + time.”
During spoken interactions, it is also important to pronounce numbers clearly to avoid misunderstandings.
Points
- six heures trente (6:30)
- sept heures (7:00)
- cinq heures quinze (5:15)
While it is acceptable to state the time alone, adding “si possible” (if possible) makes the request more polite.
3. Adding a Reason for a Polite Impression
Although not required, briefly adding a reason makes the conversation sound more natural.
Example
- À 6h30, si possible. En effet, j’ai un train tôt le matin.
（At 6:30, if possible. In fact, I have an early morning train.）
The phrase “en effet” means “in fact” or “you see,” and is used to add an explanation that supports the previous statement.
In this sentence, it explains why the requested time is necessary.
4. Confirming the Number of Calls
Some hotels will ask whether you would like only one call or repeated calls if there is no response.
Example
- Souhaitez-vous un appel unique ou un rappel ?
（Would you like a single call or a reminder call?）
A suitable response would be:
Example
- Un seul appel suffira.
（A single call will be sufficient.）
The verb “suffire” means “to be sufficient” or “to be enough,” and conveys consideration in a calm, polite manner.
Summary
Key French Phrases
- J’aurais besoin d’un service de réveil.
→ A basic and polite expression for requesting a wake-up call at a hotel. - À 6h30, si possible.
→ A clear way to specify the desired time. - En effet, j’ai un train tôt le matin.
→ An expression used to add contextual explanation. - Un seul appel suffira.
→ A response regarding the format of the wake-up call.
