A woman staying at a Travelodge in London suffered a violent assault after reception staff handed her abuser a key to her room, an incident she described as one of the most 'traumatic nights' of her life. The victim, who has not been named, told the BBC that the attack occurred in October last year while she was seeking refuge from domestic abuse.
Hotel staff gave attacker access to victim's room
The woman said she booked the room to get a 'night away from the fear' after suffering abuse at home. However, her attacker followed her to the hotel and approached the reception desk, claiming his girlfriend was upstairs having a seizure. He asked for her room number and floor, and staff provided both along with a key.
Once inside, he physically attacked her and attempted to take her phone. She managed to persuade him to leave, but he returned shortly after and kicked the door 'completely off its hinges'. The victim recalled hearing him banging and shouting, growing increasingly aggressive.
Victim's plea for help ignored by staff
After the second attack, the woman went downstairs 'shaking' and 'begging for help'. Instead of calling police or offering medical assistance, the receptionist simply offered her a different room. The victim said: 'I think the receptionist just panicked. She didn't call the police. She didn't check if I needed any medical attention. She didn't ask if there were any family members I could call, anyone that I needed.'
The incident came to light following the sentencing of Kyran Smith, who was jailed for seven and a half years in February for attacking a woman at a Travelodge in Maidenhead, Berkshire, in December 2022. The London victim contacted the BBC after hearing about Smith's case.
Travelodge apologises and changes security policy
A Travelodge spokesperson said: 'We are deeply sorry for the significant distress experienced by the customer and we apologise for the way the incident has been handled. Customer safety and security is – and remains – a priority for us. Any case of an unauthorised person entering a guest's room is a significant cause for concern and we want to be clear that this should not have happened. Our room access security policies at the time were not correctly followed, which is not acceptable.'
The company said it has since strengthened its room access security policy and incident escalation procedures, supported by training for all customer-facing colleagues. Travelodge chief executive Jo Boydell previously said immediate changes were made following Smith's sentencing, including a requirement for explicit permission from guests before additional or replacement keys are issued. The company also maintains a policy of never confirming to a third party that a guest is staying at one of its hotels.
MP calls for CEO to step down
Freddie van Mierlo, MP for Thame, Oxfordshire, where Travelodge's head office is based, has called for Ms Boydell to resign, arguing that the changes have not gone far enough. Speaking to BBC Breakfast, he said: 'If a company is failing in its most basic duty to look after the safety of its guests, and we've heard the most horrific cases come forward, undermining the trust in the hotel industry, we've seen women, people feeling unable to stay in a hotel into the future, I think that does require accountability.'
He added: 'I don't think the changes that have taken place to date have been sufficient, that's evident, and that's why I think there needs to be a change at the top, because, ultimately, culture and safety needs to come from the very top of the company.'
The victim's case highlights ongoing concerns about hotel security procedures for vulnerable guests, with domestic violence charities urging hotels to adopt stricter protocols to protect survivors.
