By GB News (World News) | Created at 2026-08-10 19:06:03 | Updated at 2026-08-10 19:40:39
46 minutes ago
A woman was attacked in a Travelodge room after hotel staff gave a room key to her abuser.
She said she was "failed" by the hotel chain, recalling the incident as one of the "most traumatic nights" of her life.
She came forward with her story after hearing about the Kyran Smith case, who received a seven-and-a-half-year prison sentence in February after attacking a woman in her room at a Travelodge in Maidenhead in 2022, the BBC reports.
Travelodge responded to the accusation, saying while incidents like this were "very rare", security and customer safety remain a top priority for the chain, with staff going through relevant training.
The woman was staying at one of Travelodge's London branches in October 2025, for a "night away from the fear", following a campaign of abuse at home.
Telling reception staff his girlfriend was having a seizure, the man asked what room the woman was in.
The receptionist gave the man a room key and directed him to the woman's room.
She said: "I couldn't believe it. 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."
Travelodge said the incident was 'very rare' (stock pic)
GETTY
The man gained entry and he physically attacked her, trying to get her phone, the woman said.
After convincing the man to leave for a short while, he returned, "banging" and "shouting" at her door.
The woman described being "absolutely terrified" as the man kicked the door off its hinges, regaining entry to her room.
Travelodge rooms have, as well as key cards which can be opened from the outside, deadbolt locks on the doors.
Kyran Smith was sentenced to seven and a half years in prison earlier this year after attacking a woman in her room at a Maidenhead Travelodge
PA
The woman escaped and ran downstairs to the lobby, "begging for help".
Travelodge offered her another room, the woman said.
The hotel chain told the BBC it has investigated the incident and found the man had given the woman's full name and room number at reception.
However, a spokesman said policy was not followed - to never confirm to a third party whether a guest was staying at a hotel.
In December 2022, a woman - who wishes to remain anonymous - was asleep when Smith entered her room using the fraudulently obtained access card.
She woke to find him sexually assaulting her in her bed.
The victim confronted him, demanding that he leave, so Smith returned the key to reception and went back to his own room.
Travelodge initially offered the victim a £30 refund for her stay, which she described as "insulting".
The hotel chain has since admitted the initial offer was "inappropriate".
Following Smith's sentencing in February, the hotel chain said announced "immediate changes" relating to its customer safety and security policies.
It implemented a "Zero-Trust" verification protocol across its 600 UK hotels, with staff checking physical identification matching the booking name before issuing replacement keys.
Where guests have left identification inside locked rooms, employees must telephone the registered mobile number or confirm three separate pieces of personal data before escorting them to retrieve their documents.
The chain is also deploying additional security personnel at busy urban sites between midnight and 6am.
All 12,000 customer-facing employees are undergoing mandatory safety workshops focused on recognising social engineering tactics.
However, the woman said the attack "changed [her] forever".
She said: "Hotels need safeguarding procedures... because one mistake can have devastating consequences."
A spokesman for the industry group UKHospitality said recent incidents of people being given access to rooms without appropriate checks were "extremely serious".
