A woman known as Lucy has shared her harrowing experience with the BBC after being assaulted in a Travelodge hotel. She sought refuge at the property in October 2025 to escape an abusive situation, only to have staff hand a spare room key to her attacker. The man lied to the receptionist, claiming his partner was suffering from a seizure upstairs, which prompted the employee to provide both her room number and access.
The victim described the resulting confrontation as one of the most traumatic events of her life. After the man initially entered, he later returned to kick the hotel room door off its hinges, forcing his way inside while she was in a state of terror. Although Lucy sought immediate assistance, the hotel staff merely offered her a different room.
Travelodge acknowledged that their established policy—which forbids confirming a guest’s presence to third parties—was violated, stating that this failure should never have occurred. In response to this and other reported security breaches, including cases where guests were mistakenly given access to rooms already occupied by others, the chain has initiated an independent review and updated its security protocols.
The company maintains that customer safety remains a priority, yet victims like Lucy and others who have come forward insist that existing systems are failing. Industry representative body UKHospitality is currently working on new security guidance to improve guest safety across the sector as public scrutiny of these procedures intensifies.
