Hotels to Start Building 13th Floors?

Thanks to the commonly-held superstition that 13 is an unlucky number, hotels have traditionally been built without a 13th floor (or, more accurately, mis-labeled their floors so that 12 is followed by 14). The practice is so widespread, in fact, that most travels can't recall ever seeing one. But, while most new hotels follow suit, the Starwood chain appears to be bucking the trend, recently including the 13th floor in four of it's new Westin hotels.

So has the move caused mass hysteria? Have the builders all fallen mysteriously ill or disappeared?

The answer, in short, is no. It's certainly been a conversation starter, but a recent USA TODAY/Gallup Poll suggests that the vast majority of Americans wouldn't mind staying on a floor labeled "13," with only 9% saying that they'd be compelled to request a room change.

A bigger problem than traveler discomfort, it seems, is the potential confusion this move might cause for fire departments. It's so common for hotels to skip the 13th floor, that most assume it isn't there.

What about you? Would you be uncomfortable staying on the 13th floor, or is this merely an out of control superstition?

Filed under: Hotels and Accommodations