2026-01-05 – Weekly Hotel News : Does skipping floor 13 affect RevPAR?

Last week, our forum saw engaging discussions around operational efficiency and guest experience enhancements in the hotel industry. Members shared insights on optimizing maintenance operations, with a focus on breaking into hotel maintenance roles. The community also explored effective communication strategies, like pre-arrival texts and guest messaging SOPs, that improve check-in processes. Safety compliance and training needs were also prominent, reflecting a shared commitment to maintaining high standards within our establishments.


This Week’s Hot Topics

Breaking into hotel maintenance
This thread is buzzing with tips and advice for those looking to start a career in hotel maintenance, highlighting the skills and experiences that can make a difference.
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Documenting weekly fire pump churn
A practical discussion on how to effectively document fire pump churns to ensure safety and compliance, which is crucial for hotel operations.
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Pre-arrival texts that sped up check-in
Discover how pre-arrival communication can streamline check-in processes and enhance guest satisfaction.
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Guest messaging SOPs that actually work
Explore standard operating procedures for guest messaging that have proven effective in real-world scenarios.
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Need compliant safety training options
Members discuss various safety training options that meet compliance standards, ensuring staff are well-prepared.
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Does skipping floor 13 boost RevPAR
An interesting debate on whether omitting the 13th floor from hotel buildings can impact revenue per available room (RevPAR).
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Flamingo float vs. fire stairs
A light-hearted yet safety-focused discussion comparing the merits of flamingo floats and traditional fire stairs.
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Real-time inventory without slowing service
This thread delves into maintaining real-time inventory tracking to enhance service speed and efficiency.
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Monthly PM window — does it work for you
Members weigh in on the effectiveness of a monthly preventive maintenance schedule, sharing what works for their properties.
Read more here

ATP spot checks and faster turnovers
A conversation on how ATP spot checks can lead to quicker room turnovers, benefiting overall hotel operations.
Read more here


Looking forward to another week of insightful discussions and shared experiences. Keep the conversations going!

But from what I’ve seen, skipping “floor 13” doesn’t move RevPAR in any measurable way; most guests book on price and location, not numerology. If you want proof, run a 90‑day A/B: keep signage as-is but toggle the PMS label (13 vs 14) and compare ADR, upsell take-rate, and cancels — it’s like hiding veggies in a smoothie. Small caveat: if your mix skews to markets sensitive to numbers (e.g., 4), segment by source — do you see any variance there?

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Quick win for us was flipping terms to ‘35% to start, then weekly ACH per sprint’ and collecting with Stripe Payment Links ( Stripe Payment Links | Simple Links to Accept Payments ), which pulled cash into week 1 and let us align any SBA dr

I carry a one-page ‘rehab packet’ for hotel interviews — food handler card, two references, and a short context note — and hand it over right after the conditional offer; it’s like a mini menu for HR. I also flag that they can claim WOTC and use the Federal Bonding Program (https://bonds4jobs.com/), which got me a yes after an initial “maybe.” Not every manager knows those programs, so bring the link and be ready to explain in 30 seconds.

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We saw 2% longer housekeeping routes when hiding ‘13’ — tiny GOPPAR drag. @OpsMaria, have you mapped route times?

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Anyone seen fire inspector pushback on non-sequential numbering, @rosieQ_m? If you’re going to hide 13, bake it into pre-arrival texts so guests don’t hit the desk with ‘where’s 13?’ and log those contacts to see if it costs you minutes. At my last property, relabeling to 14 didn’t touch RevPAR but spiked wayfinding calls until we fixed elevator signage and the sitemap?

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