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Letter to the editor

Not leery of eerie 13

By Christina Rexrode, Times Staff Writer
Published July 13, 2007

Housekeeping employee Mariano Mexico vacuums outside of room 1313 on the 13th floor of the Embassy Suites Hotel, 513 S. Florida Ave., on Thursday. The hotel has a designated 13th floor – something many hotels and buildings shy away from.
	[Times photo: Daniel Wallace]

ADVERTISEMENT [Times photo: Daniel Wallace]

Does the 13th floor have a lower market value? Especially today - Friday the 13th? Some hoteliers and developers must think so, because for decades, many hotels and high-rise apartments have bowed to superstition and forgone a 13th floor or labeled it the 14th.

But directors at the new Embassy Suites in downtown Tampa don't see what the fuss is about. The 20-story building opened Nov. 12, with - you guessed it - a 13th floor.

There wasn't really any debate around the decision, said Jeff Silsbee, director of the front office. "The builders asked our director of sales if she minded having a 13th floor," he said, "and she saw no reason not to."

Maybe two or three people have asked to be moved from the 13th floor, Silsbee said. But "more people will say, 'It's the lucky 13th floor.' "

Count Microsoft as still respectful of the specter. It will reportedly name its next Office release Office 14. Its last release: Office 12.

[Last modified July 12, 2007, 22:41:50]