A domestic violence victim has recounted being attacked in her Travelodge room after reception staff reportedly issued a key to her abuser, prompting renewed concerns over guest safety protocols at the hotel chain.
The woman, identified by the BBC as Lucy, described the incident as one of the "most traumatic nights of my life" and stated she felt "failed" by Travelodge. She came forward after hearing about the sentencing of Kyran Smith, who was jailed in February for sexually assaulting a woman at a Travelodge in Maidenhead in 2022.
Lucy stated she was staying at a Travelodge in London in October 2025, seeking respite from a period of abuse. She told the BBC that her abuser entered the hotel, informed the receptionist his "girlfriend" was having a seizure upstairs, and was then given a key and directed to her room after asking for her room number and floor.
"The one place I thought he could never get to, he had somehow reached. I felt sick with panic. My safe place disappeared in an instant," Lucy said, describing her disbelief. She reported being physically attacked and her phone being grabbed.
After she convinced her attacker to leave, he returned, "banging, shouting and becoming more aggressive." Lucy stated she froze in terror before he "kicked the hotel room door off its hinges and forced his way back inside." Travelodge rooms are equipped with internal dead-bolt locks in addition to electric key-card operated locks.
Lucy ran downstairs, "shaking, crying and begging for help," expecting protection. She was subsequently offered an alternative room within the hotel.
Travelodge confirmed it had investigated Lucy's case. A spokesperson stated that the attacker had provided Lucy's full name and room number at reception. The hotel chain acknowledged that an established policy – to never confirm a guest's stay to a third party – was not followed, stating, "this should not have happened."
Lucy's experience is one of several recent reports of security breaches at Travelodge properties that have emerged following the conviction of Kyran Smith. Smith was sentenced to seven and a half years in prison for the 2022 sexual assault.
Following Smith's sentencing, Travelodge announced "immediate changes to our room access security policy to ensure that any additional or replacement room keys are only issued with explicit permission from the person (or people) staying in the room." The company also commissioned an independent review, led by a barrister, into its security policies and escalation procedures.
Another woman, Jo from Leeds, also contacted BBC News after reports of the Maidenhead attack. She described waking in her room in July to find an unknown man standing at the end of her bed. "It was just horrible, it was horrendous. Terrifying. I was shaking so badly," Jo said. Her friend, who was also in the room, heard the man reportedly say, "I'm sorry, they gave me this key."
Jo expressed concern, noting she had previously been reassured by Travelodge's chief executive, Jo Boydell, who had stated, "The safety and security of customers in our hotels is extremely important and we want everyone to be safe, and feel safe, in our hotels." Jo commented, "What happened to us shouldn't have happened. And the assurances [Travelodge] gave are not accurate. The systems are failing."
In response to Jo's case, Travelodge stated an investigation found "our updated room access security policies, which were in place at the time, were not correctly followed, which is not acceptable. We have retrained the hotel team on our current room security and check-in procedures."
Concerns were further echoed by Andy Smith, a frequent Travelodge guest who travels extensively with his band. Mr Smith reported recently being given keys to other people's rooms. In one instance, he entered a room to find "a guy already asleep in there in a state of undress."
Mr Smith also recalled an incident approximately 18 months prior where another man reportedly gained access to his room by telling reception staff he was checking in under a common name like "Mr Smith." He questioned the lack of ID or booking reference checks, stating, "It beggar's belief."
Travelodge responded to Mr Smith's concerns, saying "any case of an unauthorised person entering a guest's room is a significant cause for concern and we want to be clear that these incidents should not have happened."
A spokesperson for the industry group UKHospitality acknowledged the incidents as "extremely serious" and understood guest concerns. The organisation confirmed it is collaborating with members to develop new guidance on customer security, which is expected to be published shortly. The spokesperson added that engagement with ministers on this work has received positive feedback from government.
Lucy stated the night of her attack "changed me forever" and has left her unable to stay in hotels due to fear and anxiety. She emphasised the need for hotels to implement robust "safeguarding procedures... because one mistake can have devastating consequences."
