There's No 4th Floor - It's Bad Luck!
#1
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There's No 4th Floor - It's Bad Luck!
I just completed a stay at the Hilton Garden Inn in San Mateo, CA, south of the SFO Airport. At check-in, I heard the front desk person say to the women in front of me that the hotel has 6 stories but there is no 4th floor, because it is considered bad luck. Sure enough, I get in the elevator and there is no 4th floor. My room on the 7th floor is actually 6 floors up. However, I did notice that they did have rooms with 4 in the number, like 704 and 714.
I tell the story to my parents and they tell me about the Chinese family that bought my sister's house and had the street address changed from 240 to 238. Apparently, 8 is a lucky number.
All of this seems to be driven by feng shui beliefs. We all know about the bad luck superstitions with the number 13 and how some hotels don't have a 13th floor. It seems that lately, that more hotels are recklessly plunging ahead with a 13th floor.
Has anyone else encountered missing 4th floors of hotels or office buildings. I find this all kind of interesting. Probably is more prevalent in Asia.
I tell the story to my parents and they tell me about the Chinese family that bought my sister's house and had the street address changed from 240 to 238. Apparently, 8 is a lucky number.
All of this seems to be driven by feng shui beliefs. We all know about the bad luck superstitions with the number 13 and how some hotels don't have a 13th floor. It seems that lately, that more hotels are recklessly plunging ahead with a 13th floor.
Has anyone else encountered missing 4th floors of hotels or office buildings. I find this all kind of interesting. Probably is more prevalent in Asia.
#4
Join Date: Jan 2005
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Originally Posted by Jeeves
All of this seems to be driven by feng shui beliefs. We all know about the bad luck superstitions with the number 13 and how some hotels don't have a 13th floor. It seems that lately, that more hotels are recklessly plunging ahead with a 13th floor.
The number 4 in Cantonese is phonetically similar to death and is considered to be bad luck. Incidentally, 2 is pronounced the same way as easy, so the combination is quite deadly, pun intended. I do see more buildings without a 4th and 13th floor.
#6
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I was recently a tenant in the Peak apartment building in Sydney's Chinatown.
It has no floors 4, 14, 24, 34 or 44.
Also, on each floor there is no apartment 4.
It does have floor 13.
Most of the residents are of Chinese descent.
I was living on floor 11. I did not have any bad luck while I was living there.
It has no floors 4, 14, 24, 34 or 44.
Also, on each floor there is no apartment 4.
It does have floor 13.
Most of the residents are of Chinese descent.
I was living on floor 11. I did not have any bad luck while I was living there.
#7
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How unbelievably stupid. I like the idea of a building with all the floors being 4, 13, 66, etc. ^
Today I saw "Fantastic Four" -- pretty good for a movie poo-pooed by the critics.
I have a four bedroom house, my area code has a 4 in it, and I work on the 4th floor of my office building. So there!
I'm amazed there are any 747-400's flying to and within Asia, especially since the abbreviation is 744. Or maybe there's another stupid rule where two four's cancel each other out.
Today I saw "Fantastic Four" -- pretty good for a movie poo-pooed by the critics.
I have a four bedroom house, my area code has a 4 in it, and I work on the 4th floor of my office building. So there!
I'm amazed there are any 747-400's flying to and within Asia, especially since the abbreviation is 744. Or maybe there's another stupid rule where two four's cancel each other out.
#8
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I was looking at some airport terminal maps for an upcoming trip and I realized that most of them don't have a Gate 13. They just completely skip over that number. HNL did have a Gate 13 unlike others.
#9
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Originally Posted by JS
How unbelievably stupid.
#11
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Originally Posted by JS
How unbelievably stupid. I like the idea of a building with all the floors being 4, 13, 66, etc. ^
Today I saw "Fantastic Four" -- pretty good for a movie poo-pooed by the critics.
I have a four bedroom house, my area code has a 4 in it, and I work on the 4th floor of my office building. So there!
Today I saw "Fantastic Four" -- pretty good for a movie poo-pooed by the critics.
I have a four bedroom house, my area code has a 4 in it, and I work on the 4th floor of my office building. So there!
#12
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The numbers 4 (death) as well as 9 (pain) are missing from various items and places in Japan as well. I'm curious as to why the HGI in San Mateo would be missing the fourth floor. Large Asian population (and therefore clientele) in the area?
#13
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Originally Posted by DoubleJ
The numbers 4 (death) as well as 9 (pain) are missing from various items and places in Japan as well. I'm curious as to why the HGI in San Mateo would be missing the fourth floor. Large Asian population (and therefore clientele) in the area?
#14
Join Date: Oct 2004
Posts: 1,973
Originally Posted by DoubleJ
The numbers 4 (death) as well as 9 (pain) are missing from various items and places in Japan as well. I'm curious as to why the HGI in San Mateo would be missing the fourth floor. Large Asian population (and therefore clientele) in the area?
#15
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Japan
Posts: 1,061
Originally Posted by DoubleJ
The numbers 4 (death) as well as 9 (pain) are missing from various items and places in Japan as well. I'm curious as to why the HGI in San Mateo would be missing the fourth floor. Large Asian population (and therefore clientele) in the area?