Why do many hotels not have a 13th floor?

Simply because the number has negative connotations for some superstitious guests, who might be reluctant to stay on floor 13, or in any room ending in "13".

In some hotels the 13th floor is known as 12A, but more often it is omitted. There is even a name for the phobia, triskaidekaphobia, meaning a morbid fear of the number 13. According to Otis Elevators, up to 85 per cent of elevator panels omit the 13th floor.

Fears associated with numbers are common around the world, but the dreaded number is often different.

In Italy, 13 is actually a lucky number, especially when gambling. The expression "fare tredici" – "to make 13" – means to hit the jackpot. However, an Italian who might bet on 13 at the roulette table might steer well clear of the number 17, a fear dating back to Roman times.

In Mandarin the word "four" sounds similar to the word for death, and some Chinese hotels skip the digit entirely, which means the floor above level 39 might be level 50.

Neither are airlines immune from the fear that "13" conjures up. Some, including Lufthansa and Air France, omit the 13th row.

See also: How to be a better hotel guest
See also: Australia's 18 biggest hotels