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Travelodge’s Treatment of Woman Assaulted in Hotel ‘Disgraceful’, Review Finds
The review made 38 recommendations after finding weak key security, poor training and a complaint process that left the victim without proper support.
An independent review found Travelodge "fundamentally failed" a woman known as Lily "at every stage" after she was sexually assaulted in her Maidenhead hotel room in December 2022.
Attacker Kyran Smith obtained a room key in less than three minutes by falsely claiming to be Lily's boyfriend, yet the hotel's investigation was "inadequate and downplayed to a substantial extent the seriousness of what had happened."
Barrister Paul Greaney KC reported room intrusions are a widespread problem across the hotel sector, not restricted to Travelodge. His review made 38 recommendations, including requiring guests to show ID for room keys.
Interim Chief Executive Ray Reidy apologized "unreservedly" on Thursday, acknowledging "failures in Travelodge's room access security policies and procedures." Former Chief Executive Jo Boydell stepped down in August after criticism of her handling of the incident.
Travelodge is dedicating "significant resources" to governance overhauls, with a new board committee overseeing progress after six and 12 months. The chain has been trialing ID checks at some hotels since May to prevent future breaches.