Why Many Hotels Avoid Having This Seemingly Normal Room Number

Many travelers have noticed an amusing trend in hotel signage that usually induces a case of snickering. It hasn't escaped notice that some hotels now completely avoid using the number "420" for their rooms. Slightly less amusing, perhaps, is the reason behind it: Room signs bearing the number have been stolen, and hotels may also want to discourage guests from turning these rooms into weed-filled hotboxes.

The number 420 has long been associated with cannabis, although the details of its origin are debated. Some believe the term was a police code for marijuana, but that theory has been debunked. The best-documented version of the story, funnily enough, began with an inconspicuous group of teenagers from San Rafael High School in California, who would regularly meet up at 4:20 p.m. after school to smoke a joint. "420" became their in-group code word and eventually entered the popular lexicon with help from the psychedelic rock band the Grateful Dead and its fans. According to Time magazine, one of the teenagers had a connection to the band's bassist, helping spread the code word. Today, saying 420 in front of cannabis enthusiasts might still result in a wave of giggling, and at least one cry of "blaze it!"

However, hotels haven't ditched the number just for its association with cannabis. They've also suffered financial losses because of it. As it turns out, signs with the number 420 have become tempting souvenirs, and hotels have reported repeated thefts. Road signs face the same issue. In Colorado, officials replaced a repeatedly stolen "Mile 420" sign near Stratton with a "Mile 419.99" sign, per AP News.

A few hotels go as far as to skip the number 420 entirely, similar to how some hotels avoid a 13th floor for superstitious reasons. However, for hoteliers trying to avoid Room 420, it isn't a matter of superstition but practicality. When guests steal the signs, hotels have to keep replacing them. It became such a well-known issue that the sign-making company Hotelsigns.com even held a promotion in 2016 offering free Room 420 signs to customers who signed up for its email newsletter.

Even hotels that initially embrace the number 420 may reconsider when faced with a reputation as a pothead's hangout spot, as evidenced by The Lexi in Las Vegas. When it opened in 2023, the cannabis- and topless sunbathing-friendly hotel gave its fourth-floor suites numbers like "420A" and "420B." According to Forbes, the hotel's owner said occupancy reached only 30%, and its cannabis-friendly reputation made it harder to attract group bookings. The Lexi eventually abandoned the concept and now reiterates on its website that "cannabis-friendly rooms are no longer offered."

Other hotels have gotten creative to avoid the cannabis association. One traveler posted a picture on Reddit of a hotel that labeled its Room 420 as "419+1." Another Reddit post shows a "no smoking" warning on the Room 420 sign, which the Redditor claims wasn't there in other rooms. An Instagram post from a traveler staying at the Sacramento branch of Larkspur Landing shows room numbers jumping from 419 straight to 421, skipping 420 altogether. Interestingly, the hotel brand takes its name from the trendy town of Larkspur in Marin County, the very county where "420" is believed to have originated.