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Boydell Resigns
Travelodge boss Joanna Boydell stepped down after the budget hotel chain faced backlash over security failings that left guests exposed to sexual assault, including a case in Maidenhead where Kyran Smith was jailed for more than seven years.
“The boss of Travelodge has resigned after a backlash over security failings”
The BBC reported that a woman staying at a hotel in Maidenhead was sexually assaulted in December 2022 after a man lied to staff to get a key card to her room, and that Boydell had been criticised for the firm's handling of safety issues.
In a statement, Travelodge said Boydell had been temporarily replaced by its finance chief Ray Reidy, and the company launched a formal search for a permanent substitute.
The Guardian quoted Travelodge chair Stephen Shurrock saying the announcement “does not change anything about our focus on safety and security,” while the BBC said an independent review into security at the hotel chain is ongoing and is being led by barrister Paul Greaney KC.
Political Pressure and Testimony
The BBC said many people contacted it over room security incidents at Travelodges, and it described how a domestic violence victim told the broadcaster she was attacked after reception staff gave a key to her abuser.
That victim told the BBC she was “failed” by the chain and described it as one of the “most traumatic nights of my life,” after the man kicked the door off its hinges.
The Guardian said Keir Starmer, the then prime minister, wrote to Boydell warning she must “seriously engage with MPs” over concerns about women’s safety after a spate of security breaches had left guests at risk of attack.
In the same BBC account, Liberal Democrat Freddie van Mierlo, MP for Thame where Travelodge's HQ is based, said he was pleased Boydell was leaving and argued that “what's wrong is the business model – it's made far too many cuts, deep cuts” that could never put guest safety at risk.
New Rules and Training
Travelodge said it was responding to the security crisis with changes to room access rules, including that “Any additional or replacement room key now requires explicit permission from the guest staying in the room.”
“Any additional or replacement room key now requires explicit permission from the guest staying in the room.”
The Guardian reported that the company said 12,000 of its customer-facing staff across more than 600 of its UK sites were being trained in the new room access security policy, and it said a violence against women and girls expert had been brought in to train Travelodge’s senior bosses.
The BBC also reported that the chain carried out checks across all of its UK rooms to confirm that all key-card doors have a secondary deadbolt, and it said Boydell stood down on 17 August and was replaced on an interim basis by Ray Reidy.
In its statement, Reidy said: “We remain focused on the safety and well-being of our guests and will continue taking the actions necessary to strengthen the business,” as the company continued to engage with government and the wider hospitality industry on safety and security.
