Independent review finds Travelodge failed sex assault victim 'at every stage'

An independent review led by Greaney has found that responsibility for the failures lies with Travelodge as an organisation rather than with individual staff, concluding that a culture had developed within the company in which intrusions into guests' rooms were treated as unremarkable.

The woman had emailed a formal complaint in January 2023, addressing it to then chief executive Jo Boydell and others. The review found that the email was handled by Boydell's office without her being made aware of it, and it did not reach her attention until March 2026. Instead, the complaint was investigated by a manager who was himself criticised within it, while the customer services team offered the woman a refund covering only her one-night stay, understood to be around £30.

Boydell stepped down as chief executive in August following criticism of how the company handled safety complaints, though the review acknowledged she deserved credit for driving improvements since March.

Case became public

The assault became national news in March, after the woman spoke to the BBC and raised concerns about room security across Travelodge hotels. Since then, dozens of other people have come forward describing strangers entering their rooms, including a domestic abuse victim whose abuser was given a key to her room at a Travelodge in London.

Then prime minister Sir Keir Starmer wrote to Boydell in March, urging the company to seriously engage with the government on security issues. Greaney was appointed the following month to lead the review.

The review makes 38 recommendations in total, including moving towards a system requiring guests to show identification to obtain a room key — a measure Travelodge has already been trialling at some hotels since May. It also calls for body-worn cameras for reception staff, stronger checks that staff have properly understood their training, and a rule requiring housekeepers to always direct guests to reception rather than letting them into rooms themselves. Greaney said Travelodge must urgently develop a policy on violence against women and girls, created in partnership with the Suzy Lamplugh Trust, and ensure all staff are trained in it.