Travelodge chief executive Jo Boydell has stepped down as the group continues to overhaul its safety measures after a sexual assault at one of the chain's hotels.
The firm said Ms Boydell leaves after 13 years with the group and will be replaced by chief financial officer Ray Reidy on an interim basis while they hunt for a permanent successor.
Ms Boydell was heavily criticised for how she handled the incident and concerns over safety across the chain, prompting former prime minister Sir Keir Starmer to step in earlier this year and urge her to “seriously engage” with the Government on the issue after she cancelled a meeting with MPs.
Sexual Assault Incident
A guest at a Travelodge in Maidenhead, Berkshire, was sexually assaulted by a man who had been given a key card to her room. Kyran Smith was jailed in February for seven-and-a-half years following the attack in December 2022.
Mr Reidy said: “We remain focused on the safety and wellbeing of our guests and will continue taking the actions necessary to strengthen the business.
“We will also continue to engage proactively and constructively with Government and the wider hospitality industry on the issue of safety and security.”
Safety Improvements
Travelodge said it had “acted quickly” to improve safety procedures following the assault and as claims emerged that staff were giving out duplicate keys without the proper security checks.
The group said an independent review by Paul Greaney KC had been carried out, and an internal review is ongoing, with changes being rolled out, including new room access security that is live across more than 600 of its hotels and extra training for its 12,000 customer-facing staff.
It said a guest must now give explicit permission for an extra or replacement room key to be given out and that it will never confirm to a third party if a guest is staying at one of its hotels. The firm has also taken action to check and confirm that all key-card doors have a secondary deadbolt. Travelodge bosses are also undertaking a training programme put together by an expert in tackling violence against women and girls.
Company Statement and Financial Results
The group said: “The safety and security of customers in our hotels is extremely important and we want everyone to be safe, and feel safe, in our hotels.
“We have acted quickly to make changes to improve safety and security across our operations.”
Ms Boydell was appointed chief executive in May 2022 and was the chief financial officer from March 2013.
Her departure comes as the Travelodge group reported underlying earnings edging up to £47.9 million for the six months to June 30 from £47.3 million a year earlier. Turnover lifted 4% to £491.3 million, but it said profit growth was held back by “significant cost pressures”, including a rising staff wage bill.
