MP calls for 'wholesale change' at Travelodge

An MP has called for "wholesale change" at Travelodge after a meeting with company bosses to discuss the hotel chain's security.

Dozens of people have shared their stories after a woman told the BBC how she woke up to find she was being sexually assaulted in Maidenhead, Berkshire, in 2022 by a man who had lied to staff to get a key card to her room.

Speaking after the meeting, held in his constituency at Travelodge's Thame headquarters in Oxfordshire, Liberal Democrat MP Freddie van Mierlo said he did not think enough was being done to address the problems identified.

Travelodge said the meeting was constructive and that "hotel security is - and remains - a priority".

The MP told the BBC: "What I really want to see is wholesale change within their business. I have concerns about how their business model operates.

"They offer low cost stays, which is a really good thing - but that can never come at the cost of safety of their guests and indeed their staff as well."

He said he believed Travelodge was not "doing enough at the moment".

"I want this company to succeed," van Mierlo said. "It is a big employer in my constituency in Thame. It employs over 300 people locally.

"But the business doesn't deserve to succeed if it doesn't get the safety of its customers right."

During the meeting on Thursday he met the company's chief property officer Steve Bennett, director of estates Kirsty Berry and chief commercial officer Karen Broughton.

Previously, the company has committed to an independent review to examine room security procedures led by Paul Greaney KC.

The company has already made changes to room access security policy, including making it mandatory to check with someone inside the room before issuing a new key card for a room.

The Prime Minister has also written to the company's chief executive Jo Boydell urging her to "seriously engage" with the government on guest security at its hotels.

A spokesperson for Travelodge said: "Members of the Travelodge senior leadership team held a constructive meeting with Freddie van Mierlo in Thame last week.

"We valued the opportunity to talk him through the steps we have taken in response to the incident that took place in our Maidenhead hotel in December 2022.

"We are deeply sorry for the distress experienced by the survivor and apologise for our handling of what happened to her.

"We got things wrong and we should have acted sooner, and we are truly sorry for that.

"The safety and security of guests is extremely important to us, and we take this situation with the utmost seriousness.

"Travelodge continues to make significant investments in its hotel estate, and hotel security is – and remains – a priority for us."