Travelodge abuse victim instructs lawyers to investigate and calls for hotels to review safety policies

A woman who was sexually assaulted in her Travelodge hotel room after a man was wrongly given a keycard to her room has asked lawyers to investigate and called for all hotels to better protect all guests.

The woman, who is now in her 30s, was targeted by Kyran Smith after returning to her room at the Maidenhead hotel in December 2022.

She awoke in the early hours of the morning to find Smith carrying out a sexual assault in her bed.

Smith had approached the hotel reception and falsely claimed to be her boyfriend. Staff then provided him with a keycard to her room.

Smith was jailed for seven-and-a-half-years in January 2026. The 29-year-old of Staines, Surrey, was convicted of trespass with intent to commit a relevant sexual offence and sexual assault.

Following the criminal case, the woman has now instructed expert abuse lawyers at Irwin Mitchell to investigate why Smith was allowed to gain access to her room and to seek accountability for the issues that allowed it to happen.

She is also reiterating calls for hotels to immediately review their safety policies to ensure all customers are better protected in future.  Travelodge staff told the woman at the time that Smith had passed security checks.

Tom Fletcher, a lawyer at Irwin Mitchell who specialises in supporting survivors of abuse, said: “This abhorrent and calculated crime has had a devastating impact on our client.

“What’s deeply concerning about the incident is that it appears this crime could have been prevented.

“The actions of Travelodge represented a serious breach of trust, placing its guests at risk, with horrific consequences for our client.

“We are in the early stages of investigating how Travelodge’s security procedures allowed her attacker to obtain a key to her room and why adequate safeguards were not in place.

“While nothing can undo the trauma she has endured, we are committed to helping her access the support she needs and ensuring every aspect of what happened that night is fully investigated.

“It’s vital that lessons are learned to reduce the risk of anything similar happening again.”

After finding Smith in her room, she shouted at him to get out. He then returned the key to reception and went to his own room.

The same morning, she reported what had happened to hotel staff and her acquaintances.

Travelodge said it was investigating the incident “in accordance with our company procedures”, but it took two weeks for her to receive an update.

The hotel later informed her that staff had followed procedure, stating that receptionists have a list of security questions to ask if they do not recognise a guest or suspect a breach. However, the chain declined to disclose what those questions were.

The woman disputes that Smith could have passed any meaningful checks.

As an apology at the time, she was offered a £30 refund.

The case has prompted widespread concern. More than 100 MPs and peers have written to Travelodge CEO Jo Boydell describing the circumstances of the assault as “deeply concerning”.

Their letter questioned the hotel’s security processes, what internal reviews have taken place since and how procedures have been strengthened, and why the woman was initially offered an “insulting” £30 refund.

Labour MPs met with the woman on 16 March 2026 before they then met with Jo Boydell to discuss security across the hotel chain.

The woman says: “Hotels must strengthen their security so that even if someone knows a guest’s personal details, access to a room should never be granted without first obtaining consent from the person staying there. If someone requesting entry is not listed on the booking, staff should confirm directly with the guest before providing access.”

“It’s difficult to put into words how emotionally impactful this has been and how frustrating it has been to not be listened to by the hotel.

“I feel like they failed me. They failed to keep me safe in the first place, and then they failed me again by refusing to acknowledge any wrongdoing.

“I did everything right. I went to my room alone and locked the door. There was no chain on the hotel room door, so this was not an option. After the attack, I reported it straightaway.

“After everything I went through, I felt completely dismissed by the hotel.

“The refund they offered was very insulting – it would have been better if they’d offered nothing at all.

“While nothing can change what happened to me, I’d like to prevent this happening again. I want hotels to review their safety policies to protect every guest. I want to know something is being done so that no one else has to go through what I’ve been through.”