Travelodge changes policy after abuser given key to victim's London room

Travelodge has changed its room access policy after a receptionist at its Barnet hotel gave a key to a domestic abuser, who then forced entry into the victim’s room. The attack, which took place in October 2025, left the woman, identified as Lucy, with lasting trauma, as reported by the BBC.

Lucy told the BBC she had booked the room at the Barnet Travelodge for "a night away from the fear" after enduring a period of abuse. She said the abuser approached the reception desk, claimed she was having a seizure, and was handed a key without verification. The BBC reported that Travelodge’s established policy, which prohibits confirming a guest’s presence to third parties, was not followed.

Attack details and hotel response

Lucy described the moment the abuser returned to her room, banging on the door before kicking it off its hinges. She fled to the reception desk for help but was offered only another room. Travelodge later acknowledged the incident should not have happened and confirmed the abuser had provided Lucy’s full name and room number to staff.

A Travelodge spokesperson said the chain had made "immediate changes" to its security policy. Replacement keys are now issued only with explicit permission from the guest or guests staying in the room. The company also commissioned an independent review, led by a barrister, to examine its room access and escalation procedures, as reported by the BBC.

Broader concerns and industry action

The incident in Barnet follows a 2022 case in Maidenhead, where a man was jailed for seven and a half years after sexually assaulting a woman in her Travelodge room. Another woman, Jo from Leeds, later told the BBC she woke to an unknown man in her Travelodge room in July 2025. The man reportedly said, "I'm sorry, they gave me this key," before fleeing.

Travelodge’s chief executive, Jo Boydell, had previously stated that customer safety was a priority. However, Jo from Leeds said the assurances were "not accurate" and that "the systems are failing." Travelodge responded that its updated policies had not been correctly followed in her case and that the hotel team had since been retrained.

UKHospitality, an industry group, said it was developing guidance on customer security in collaboration with sector experts. A spokesperson described recent incidents as "extremely serious" and confirmed the guidance would be published shortly, as reported by the BBC.

What happens next for Barnet residents

Travelodge’s independent review is ongoing, but the chain has already implemented internal changes. All customer-facing staff have received training on the updated room access policy. Residents staying at the Barnet Travelodge or other locations should expect staff to request explicit permission before issuing replacement keys.

Lucy told the BBC the attack had "changed me forever" and left her unable to stay in hotels due to fear and anxiety. She called for hotels to introduce safeguarding procedures, warning that "one mistake can have devastating consequences."