Think twice before staying alone in a Travelodge

I travel a lot for work and really appreciate hotels where they do NOT announce your room number to the world. Recently stayed in Ibis and Premier Inn and both were discreet in this respect. I also stay at a lot of small, family run places which might not have all the facilities of a chain but take good care of me when I stay with them.

It beggars belief that it is still happening!! Latest story is bad enough, but imagine had the lady been sleeping in that room alone.

You'd think after the MP stuff and bad publicity this year they would have put a rocket under all staff to really stress rooms/key security is critical and to check and double check.

They really don't give a toss about taking safety seriously.

I had a very similar experience earlier this year, but at a Premier Inn. Arrived very late to find similar scenes outside, one of the nen followed me in and could hear the (male) receptionist announce my room number. I also jammed a heavy chair against the door and had a poor night.

I complained in writing and was utterly brushed off.

I stayed in one a few weeks back with my 10 year old daughter for an event.

There were lots of men hanging around outside smoking and some smoking weed which stank our corridor out as the smell was travelling through open windows. We got to our room quite late but my daughter was crying that she didn’t want to stay there.

I locked the door from the inside and put a chair against the door for her reassurance. We were safe enough. If we’d arrived earlier I’d have gone elsewhere but it was late and we had to be up early the next morning so we stuck it out.

My daughter has vowed she’ll never stay in one again though.

Lessons learnt..blah blah.
As you say on it goes.

I am glad I did now seeing that article https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c203771ek9lo That was the one I was staying at!

Yikes, that was the one I just cancelled!

Twice recently Travelodge at the Excel Centre gave keys out for already occupied rooms. It’s still happening.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c203771ek9lo

I think I would, too. Hopefully you have found an alternative.

Also, I think I will invest in one of those alarm wedges or similar discussed upthread.

I cancelled my booking today.

Unbelievable! Now should really be the safest time to stay in a Travelodge given the scrutiny they're under, but clearly not.

Travelodge are at it again. Unbelievable! https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/ce8lp2ny3rro

When I was fleeing from my abusive marriage I went to stay at a premier inn a good 2 and a half hours away from my hometown for a few days. One of my very close male Friends lived not far from where I was staying and came to the hotel to see me. He’d left his phone at home so couldn’t text when he was outside, so I could go downstairs to meet him. He spoke to reception who then sent a member of staff upstairs to knock on my door and ask me if I was expecting anyone. Said I was but asked her to describe the person who had asked for me just on the off chance my exh had turned up instead. Because they knew I was a lone female my room was also situated away from the stairs

Niot in Premier Inns though. It sounds like they have the right idea.

That should be standard practice in all hotels. But I have sometimes been asked at reception for my room number, and been expected to say it out loud for anyone to hear.🙄

I stayed in one in Peterborough once for a work trip.

Worst hotel I ever stayed in. In a dodgy area, street lights all out so pitch black. Had to use a buzzer to get in as they lock the entrance door for "safety".

When checking in, they told me they only had one key for my room, so to make sure not to lose it (made me feel uneasy - was the other one simply lost?!)

No chain for the door once inside. Had to put a chair under the handle. Window was open on arriving, and it was a ground floor room where someone could easily climb in if they so wished. This was promptly shut after I checked the room and bathroom.

Restless sleep. Couldn't wait to leave the place, then refused to stay there again for work visits.

What gets to me is that she is a woman.

Room security is of course of concern to all hotel guests but surely we all know that as women we are at bigger risk of sexual predators.

That she simply does not care is a massive issue. And suggests that she never actually stays in her shitty hotels.

The Travelodge CEO met with MPs on Monday but failed to turn up to a follow-up meeting yesterday.

You'd think they'd be doing everything possible to show they're really taking this seriously now, but apparently not.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cvgkg85k245o

They should have changed the policy at the time/before the court case if they wanted to be taken seriously. Changing it now just shows the contempt they hold women in. This does not change anything and I will not be using travellodge again!

Paestum is wonderful.

I really hope you manage to go.

exactly - @Londonnight posted the response she got from the chief exec (post at 08/03/2026 06:41) and at that point they were only "carrying out a review of our room security procedures." So any of said changes have only been made in the last few days.

Which supports the 'immediately after becoming aware of quite how badly we fucked up, four years afterwards,' rather than 'immediately after becoming aware of the incident.'

Premier Inn also have a policy of not putting lone female travellers, or female travellers with children, on ground floors, near stairwells, or at either end of the corridor.

I stayed in one with DC who is 15 so had to be booked on as an adult. When we arrived and they realised that DC was actually still a child, they told me that they needed to change my allocated room (ground floor, first room on the corridor) to a different one and explicitly said that it was due to their safety policy. Room key was also given to me face down and the room number was not said out loud.

I also stayed in one with DH and we arrived too late for the restaurant so ordered UberEats. DH went down to collect it from outside the hotel and, as he came across the lobby to head back to the lift, was actively challenged by staff who asked to see his key card. He didn't have it because I was in the room so they rang the room to check he was known to me. 10/10 for safety but my chips did get cold.

I was disgusted when I saw this today.

As has already been said, its only when there was enough of us emailing and protesting about their lack of action that they actually did anything!

Doesnt make any difference to me, I wouldnt give them my money now with a gun to my head, which could well happen given their utterly shit security.