Travelodge Sexual Assault Victim 'Shocked' as CEO Cancels Meeting with MPs
A woman who was sexually assaulted at a Travelodge hotel has described it as "quite shocking" that the chief executive of the hotel chain cancelled a scheduled meeting with Members of Parliament. The survivor, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was attacked by Kyran Smith in December 2022 after he obtained a key card to her room from hotel reception staff.
Prime Minister's Intervention and Victim's Reaction
Earlier this month, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer wrote to Travelodge CEO Jo Boydell expressing his "very concerned" reaction after she cancelled the parliamentary meeting about what he termed an "utterly appalling" assault. When asked for her response to the Prime Minister's letter, the survivor told ITV's Good Morning Britain:
"I think if you are the CEO of a company, then you have a responsibility to answer these questions and engage in that situation, and say how you're going to now improve. You're not protecting people and I mean, I personally find it quite shocking."
In a separate interview with BBC News, the woman questioned Boydell's commitment to guest safety: "If you're really that worried about safeguarding and protecting people and making sure your guests are safe, then why are you not attending these kind of meetings with MPs?"
Travelodge CEO's Response and Apologies
Jo Boydell has apologised to the victim on multiple occasions, stating in March that the company had implemented immediate changes to its door key policy. During interviews with both ITV and BBC, she reiterated her apologies, telling the BBC she was "genuinely sorry" for how the company handled the incident.
The survivor has challenged Boydell's suggestion that deadbolts were present on hotel doors, calling this "deflection" and confirming she had locked her door on the night of the attack. Responding on GMB, Boydell stated: "I'm really sorry if she did feel dismissed, and we are definitely listening to what she has to say. The hotels with key cards have deadbolts, but clearly something went wrong here, and that needs to be investigated."
Broader Security Concerns and Company Changes
Ms Boydell revealed she was aware of "other instances" of unauthorised individuals entering customers' rooms, though she emphasised these differed from Smith's deception. She only learned about Smith's assault this month, despite his sentencing occurring over three years after the attack.
"We've certainly heard of other instances, different to this one, in terms of not keys being obtained by deception, but any instance of somebody entering a customer's room that they haven't given explicit permission to, we understand, would be upsetting," Boydell explained.
The CEO acknowledged systemic failures: "We've made some changes immediately in terms of how we handle serious incidents. I would have expected it to be escalated. It wasn't, so something went wrong." She also expressed understanding that the survivor felt insulted after initially being offered just £30 in compensation by Travelodge, with the victim now pursuing legal action against the hotel chain.
Attack Details and Perpetrator's Sentencing
Kyran Smith, from Staines in Surrey, deceived reception staff at the Maidenhead, Berkshire Travelodge by falsely claiming to be the victim's boyfriend. Both had attended the same party before retiring to separate rooms. Hotel staff informed the victim that Smith had passed their security checks by providing her name.
Smith was sentenced in February to seven-and-a-half years in prison for the sexual assault. The case has prompted broader scrutiny of hotel security protocols.
Independent Review and Parliamentary Scrutiny
Earlier this month, MPs were informed they could participate in an independent review of Travelodge's room security measures, to be led by barrister Paul Greaney KC. According to Ms Boydell, this review will include a leading violence against women and girls expert and will examine both room security procedures and the company's handling of this specific incident.
The review represents a significant step toward addressing systemic issues within the hotel chain's security framework, as pressure mounts from both political figures and the public for greater accountability and improved guest protection measures.
