Number four too unlucky for pools operator

Counting to five is not quite as easy as it seems at the Te Aroha hot pools.

The historic pools at Te Aroha Domain have five private spas, numbered 1, 2, 3, 3a and 5.

Matamata-Piako District Council facilities business manager Bruce Langlands said the numbering was changed after it was noticed Asian visitors would never go inside private spa number four.

"We have about 5000-6000 Asian visitors each year, so they're a large part of our clientele, but we noticed that they never used number four.

"When we asked them why they said it meant bad luck. Since we've changed it we've had no problems at all."

Hamilton woman Kim Soon Hee said the number four meant bad luck and even death, similar to the number 13 in European culture.

- NZPA