A total of 1,323 sexual offences were recorded in UK hotels in 2025, according to Metro research, a 6.5% increase from 1,242 in 2024. The figures, obtained through Freedom of Information requests from 27 police forces, expose serious questions about how hotels protect female guests. Twelve forces could not provide usable data, meaning the true figure is likely higher.
Travelodge CEO Resigns After Maidenhead Attack Fallout
Earlier this year, Kyran Smith was jailed after sexually attacking a woman in a Travelodge in Maidenhead in December 2022. Smith, who had been at the same party as the victim, was handed a key after telling reception staff he was the woman's boyfriend. The only information he was asked to provide was the guest's name. The victim, who had never stayed in a hotel by herself before, was later offered a £30 refund.
Following the court case, more people have come forward with their own stories, highlighting concerns about security issues at Travelodge. CEO Jo Boydell is stepping down amid the fallout. Boydell has been criticised over her handling of the Maidenhead case, particularly when she declined a second meeting with MPs to discuss the sexual assault. At the time, then Prime Minister Keir Starmer wrote a letter to the Travelodge boss, saying: 'I urge you to seriously engage with MPs and my government to address the concerns that remain.'
In a statement announcing her resignation, Travelodge said: 'We remain focused on the safety and well-being of our guests and will continue taking the actions necessary to strengthen the business. We will also continue to engage proactively and constructively with government and the wider hospitality industry on the issue of safety and security.'
Women Share Harrowing Hotel Safety Ordeals
In October 2023, Claire Bartlett was staying at a Premier Inn in Camden, London for a work event. 'I had actually booked myself into one of the Premier Plus suites so I wasn't on the main floor with everyone else,' the 42-year-old from the West Midlands told Metro. 'I went back after the event, fell asleep, and then at two or three in the morning, woke up to an absolute hammering on my door – I was completely disorientated and didn't know what was happening.'
Through the peep hole she saw a man she didn't recognise. Dressed in black tie, it appeared to be someone who'd also attended the event. She crept back to bed and quickly realised that there was no way to contact reception – no phone in the room or a number to call. 'Common sense might have said “oh Google the hotel and find reception's number”, but in that moment I totally blanked,' she shared.
The ordeal was especially traumatic because Claire had been sexually abused as a child. She said: 'I was terrified. I didn't want the man hammering on my door to know that there was someone in the room – or that I was a woman, all alone. I reverted right back to the terrified little girl I once was hiding under the blanket. I think that if I could have just phoned reception in that moment and got a staff member to come up, I would have felt more protected. But I didn't have that option.'
Hours later, the man fell asleep outside her room. Staff subsequently collected him, although Claire isn't sure how they were alerted. When Claire told staff what happened the following morning, they offered her a discount on a future stay, which she felt 'downplayed' the situation. Later, she contacted Head Office, who offered a refund.
A Premier Inn spokesperson told Metro they 'never stop working to strengthen safety and security procedures'. In a statement, the hotel chain said: 'Our reception teams are available 24/7 in the event our guests need them and can also be contacted by mobile phone if necessary, with the hotel number available online as well as shared with our guests through booking confirmations. In the very rare event that a guest feels in immediate danger we would however advise them to dial 999 for police assistance before letting us know.' The official spokesperson did not respond to Metro's specific question regarding why there aren't telephones inside all rooms. When Metro WhatsApp'd the general Guest Relations number about whether there would be a phone in the room, or a phone number for reception, they said: 'Telephones are not provided at most hotels – local rate numbers for reception teams can be found in every room.'
Waivers and Security Chains: Industry-Wide Failures
Abigail Cousins, 34, has stayed in hundreds of UK hotels through her work as a business development manager for a travel company. In 2019, while staying at one popular UK budget hotel chain in Solihull, a key to Abigail's room was given to another guest, resulting in a man entering her room while she was in the shower – an occurrence, she told Metro, that industry insiders know 'happens a lot'. 'When I heard someone was in my room I screamed,' she shared. 'He was so apologetic, explaining that he must have got his room numbers confused. He quickly turned around and walked out, but what stuck with me was the fact that he didn't even have to say the name of the guest on the hotel booking – staff just gave him a key.'
During another stay in a hotel in Manchester, Abigail, from Somerset, was shocked to find her room's security chain had been removed. Staff told her this was the same in every room. 'A member of staff thought it was because of the fact that if there was a fire they wouldn't be able to get into the room.' Due to potential work conflicts, Abigail has chosen not to name the hotels. But she claims one 'very well-known brand' made her sign a waiver before giving her a ground-floor room. 'The waiver basically said that I was happy to stay on the ground floor, that I understood the risks, and that there was no liability to the hotel if anything was to happen,' she said. Abigail was left questioning what incident might have prompted the hotel to introduce the measure.
Safety Tips and Industry Response
Stephanie Boyle, from the Safer Tourism Foundation, recently helped launch a campaign titled 'She Travels Safe,' geared at providing practical tools and safety tips for women. Stephanie told Metro that the foundation's analysis of safety reports from UK-based travel operators, covering more than 10 million annual trips, found a 60% rise in reported sexual harassment and assault incidents in 2024 compared to 2023. Alongside advice such as choosing your accommodation carefully and checking for potential security vulnerabilities, the campaign urges every woman travelling solo to pack one simple item. 'Pack a door wedge,' Stephanie said. 'This may feel extreme, but not all hotel doors have chain locks or deadbolts. That way, even if someone outside has a key, they won't be able to get in. It's simple, inexpensive (you can find one online for less than £1) and easy to pack.'
Following the harrowing incident in Maidenhead, Travelodge introduced a policy requiring staff to obtain permission from the registered guest before issuing any additional or replacement room keys. Travelodge told Metro it also provides 24/7 reception, conducts overnight security patrols, avoids allocating ground-floor rooms to solo women where possible, prints hotel contact numbers on key wallets and doesn't announce room numbers aloud.
One industry expert has emphasised the need for all hotels to implement the latter measure. Carolyn Pearson, the CEO of travel security company Maiden Voyage, told Metro there is still no 'consistent approach across the industry'. Just recently, she was staying in a London hotel when her room number was said aloud at reception. When she told the staff member this could put guests at risk, he allegedly replied that management had never informed him of this – nor had he received any training on the matter. The Safer Tourism Foundation is currently working with the hospitality industry to try and prevent serious harm from coming to any traveller, with some hotels already signed up to the Safer Tourism Pledge – a set of commitments made by travel providers, articulating a stringent approach to traveller risk, health and safety. As Abigail said: 'A lot of the hotels in the UK are not geared up for women travelling solo. In fact, there are a number of places abroad where I actually feel safer.'
