An independent review has found that Travelodge in Maidenhead, Berkshire, failed to adequately protect a guest who was assaulted by a man granted unauthorized access to her hotel room. The report criticizes the company’s security systems and its subsequent handling of the victim’s complaint as fundamentally inadequate.

The incident occurred in December 2022 when Kyran Smith gained entry to the room of a woman referred to in the report as “Lily” after falsely telling a junior staff member at the front desk that he was her boyfriend. Mr. Smith was sentenced in February to seven-and-a-half years in prison for the assault. The review highlighted that the staff handed him a key card less than three minutes after his initial request, exposing serious lapses in Travelodge’s room access procedures.

Following the assault, Lily submitted a formal complaint in January 2023, urging the company to reassess its security protocols. However, the complaint went unnoticed by then-chief executive Jo Boydell for over three years. The customer services team and a senior hotel manager conducted an internal investigation, which the review described as insufficient and marked by a substantial downplaying of the incident’s severity.

The victim was later offered a reimbursement equivalent to the cost of her one-night stay, which the report characterizes as an “insulting” response. The findings state that Travelodge’s overall treatment of Lily after her complaint “fell short of every standard the public would expect” and described it as “simply appalling.”

Jo Boydell resigned from her position as chief executive in August following mounting criticism regarding the company’s safety policies and handling of the case. The situation attracted attention from prominent figures, including former Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, who called on the company to engage seriously with government officials after Boydell canceled a scheduled meeting with MPs.

Ray Reidy, who took over as interim chief executive, issued an unreserved apology to the victim and all guests affected by lapses in Travelodge’s security. Reidy acknowledged the review’s findings, stating that failures in room access security and customer treatment were apparent. He asserted that the company has made significant efforts in the past six months to address these shortcomings and pledged that further improvements are underway. Travelodge is investing substantial resources into overhauling its governance and security measures to prevent similar incidents in the future.