Review finds Travelodge guests remain at risk from room intrusions

An independent review commissioned after a serious sexual assault at Travelodge has found that guests remain at risk, with room intrusions reported at nearly one in 10 of its hotels during summer 2026. The incident in question occurred in 2022 in Maidenhead, when a man was given a copy of a guest's room key after falsely claiming to be her boyfriend, leading to sexual assault. The review, led by barrister Paul Greaney KC, was scathing about Travelodge's response to the victim, described as "Lily", who received only a £30 refund and was told the hotel's treatment of her complaint was "appalling" and driven by a desire to dismiss the matter as quickly and cheaply as possible.

The 70-page report found that despite Travelodge introducing improved key security policies since March 2026, these were not being consistently applied across its properties. Room intrusions were documented across approximately 60 Travelodge hotels, indicating new measures had not been "sufficiently embedded" across the chain. The review recommended introducing body cameras for reception staff, installing consistent CCTV systems, creating violence-against-women policies, and employing mystery shoppers to test security procedures. Paul Greaney noted that whilst room intrusions are a particular problem at Travelodge, they represent a wider issue across the hotel sector, and he remains unsatisfied that sufficient progress has been made to ensure guest safety.