Independent review finds Travelodge guests remain at risk after room intrusions reported at almost 10% of sites

An independent 70-page review commissioned after a serious sexual assault at a Travelodge in Maidenhead concluded guests were still at risk this summer. The review, led by Paul Greaney KC, examined the incident in which a man was handed a copy of a guest's room key, entered her room and carried out a serious sexual assault in 2022. It found systemic failings in how Travelodge handled the incident and in how some hotels apply security policy.

On security, the review noted Travelodge had strengthened its key security policy since March, but the changes were "not being applied with anything like sufficient consistency on the ground." Even during a period of improvement, guests reported room intrusions at nearly one in 10 Travelodge hotels this summer — a figure the report cites as roughly 60 hotels.

Greaney also framed the problem as broader than one chain, saying room intrusions are a problem across the hotel sector, while assigning primary responsibility for the failings to Travelodge as an organisation rather than to individual staff members.

The review sets out a concrete set of operational and policy changes. Main recommendations include:

• girls.
• Improving safety policies for staff who work alone.
• Issuing body cameras for all reception staff.
• Installing consistent CCTV systems across all hotels.
• Using mystery shoppers to test whether key security procedures are followed in practice.

Travelodge response and governance changes

Travelodge released a statement welcoming the report's recommendations. The company said it has formed a new board committee to ensure implementation and will track progress over the next six to 12 months. Ray Reidy, Travelodge's interim chief executive, issued an unreserved apology to guests and to Lily, said the company had made "significant progress" in recent months and acknowledged further work was needed to improve customer service and support.

The review was commissioned after Kyran Smith was convicted and jailed for the assault in January 2024. The case surfaced wider complaints about security at the chain and contributed to the resignation of Travelodge's chief executive Joanna Boydell in August. The review's findings underline both procedural and cultural issues: policy updates exist, but inconsistent application and poor handling of complaints left the victim and other guests vulnerable.