This is one of the things we cant check up on before going and why hotel reviews on SAAFE are good. We look for these things.
Have you tried moving your phone around the room. When I used to go to Belfast this happened a fair bit but I usually got around it by moving the phone about.
Apart from this route i cant think of any other way of checking in with hubby unless texting works. I would be testing it out before I got started.
Moving to another hotel could prove expensive, esp if you are not given any guarantees with them either and you dont know if clients will be happy with other hotel either.
Good luck whatever you do.