Travelodge fails to protect guests from sex assault

The Travelodge hotel in Maidenhead was found to have a culture that regarded room intrusions as 'one of those things'. Reception staff at the hotel were given the victim's key after she falsely claimed to be her boyfriend, and it took less than three minutes for them to hand over the key.

The woman reported the incident to Travelodge in January 2023, but it wasn't until March that her complaint was investigated by a manager who was himself criticised in it.

Travelodge apologised 'unreservedly' to the victim and offered her a refund for her night's stay, which she understood to be £30. However, the company has since admitted that they failed to take adequate action to prevent similar incidents from happening at other hotels.

The review found that room intrusions were still being reported at one-in-10 Travelodge hotels this summer, and no policy in place on violence against women and girls was implemented until March 2026. The company has since made changes to its security policies, including the introduction of body-worn cameras for reception staff and better checks that staff have understood their training.

The woman's experience highlights the need for Travelodge to take a more proactive approach to ensuring guest safety, particularly in light of recent high-profile incidents involving strangers entering hotel rooms.

Travelodge said a new board committee would oversee the changes, with independent assessments of its progress after six and 12 months. The company also promised to make significant investments in guest safety and to train all staff in violence against women and girls.