Travelodge Staff Granted Strangers Room Access 60 Times, Report Finds

An independent review has found that Travelodge hotel staff granted strangers access to guest rooms approximately 60 times, a figure revealed after a man sexually assaulted a woman in her room in December 2022 after being given a key.

The review, commissioned earlier this year following the conviction of Kyran Smith for the 2022 assault, conducted a "mystery shopper" investigation across five Travelodge hotels. Investigators were able to gain access to rooms that were not theirs through housekeepers in all five locations without verifying their right to access or being directed to reception. In two hotels, guest room numbers were announced publicly during check-in, and in 80% of instances, receptionists did not ask to add a second person's name to the system when an investigator checked in with another individual.

These findings led to an urgent alert to Travelodge in April, requiring the company to issue further guidance to staff on new security policies. Despite this, further breaches were reported by guests in nearly one in 10 Travelodge hotels during the period when these changes were being implemented.

Handling of Sexual Assault Case Criticized

The review, led by Paul Greaney KC, also detailed "egregious failures" in how Travelodge handled the 2022 sexual assault case. When the victim, identified as Lily, reported that a man had entered her room while she was asleep, staff offered "no support or assistance of any meaningful nature," according to the report. Greaney attributed this to a lack of adequate training on Violence against Women and Girls (VAWG) and an "unacceptable culture" of tolerated room intrusions.

Despite Lily and her manager informing staff again the next day, no internal investigation was triggered. When police arrived two days later, staff only provided CCTV footage. Lily's formal complaint, sent in early 2023 to senior management including then-CEO Jo Boydell, did not reach Boydell until March 6, 2026, following media reports on the scandal. The internal process also assigned the investigation to the same staff member Lily had initially reported the incident to. The subsequent "investigation" was deemed "inadequate" and "downplayed to a substantial extent the seriousness of what had happened."

Lily was offered a refund of approximately £30 for her night's stay, a response the report called "simply appalling" and driven by a desire to quickly dismiss the complaint rather than address the concerns. Greaney concluded that Lily was "fundamentally failed by Travelodge as an organisation at every stage."

Broader Sector Concerns

Greaney's 70-page report, published September 21, stated that the findings of inadequacy in customer safety are likely a problem "across the hotel sector." He noted that the room security issues exposed by Lily's case created risks for all guests.

In response to the report, interim CEO Ray Reidy apologized for the failures and stated that Travelodge has made "significant progress" in addressing these issues over the past six months, with ongoing work to transform customer service and improve safety and security. The company committed to independent progress assessments at six and 12 months.

Jo Boydell stepped down as CEO on August 17, 2026. The Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead stated it takes the issues seriously and will discuss the report's findings with South Oxfordshire District Council, Travelodge's primary authority for enforcing health and safety legislation.