What is the unlucky number in the hotel industry?

Across the Atlantic, many American buildings, not just hotels, skip the 13th floor due to these lingering superstitions. Even the architectural plans for some buildings go as far as labelling the 13th floor as 'M', the 13th letter of the alphabet, to sidestep potential unease.



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This is a fear that dates back to the biblical times as Judas, Jesus' betrayer, was the 13th to sit at the table of the Last Supper. Your guests may be hesitant to occupy a room if it is on the 13th floor or even if the room number itself is 13.

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Instead, they sometimes exclude the 4th floor, as the pronunciation of 'four' in Mandarin, Cantonese, and several other languages sounds similar to the word for 'death. ' The MGM Grand in Las Vegas famously renumbered its floors because many of its guests were from Asia, where 4 is considered unlucky.

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The thirteenth floor is a designation of a level of a multi-level building that is often omitted in countries where the number 13 is considered unlucky.

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As travelling salesmen, the founders of The Gideons International knew a thing or two about life on the road. They understood that people, far from home, might seek comfort or solace in the familiar words of the Bible. By 1908, they began placing Bibles in hotel rooms.

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The number is so feared that many hospitals and airports avoid using it for rooms and gates and couples don't get married on the 13th of the month. According to Otis Elevator Company, around 85% of elevator panels omit the number 13. What's more, entire hotels are built without a 13th floor.

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In Mainland China The Chinese avoid phone numbers and addresses with fours because the pronunciation in four and death differ only in tone, especially when a combination with another number sounds similar to undesirable expressions. Example: “94” could be interpreted as being dead for a long time.

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