Think twice before staying alone in a Travelodge

[MeridianB]

Just seen this on BBC:
How Travelodge in Maidenhead gave sex attacker key to woman's room - BBC News

I did search to see if anyone had already posted - apologies for any duplication.

Such an awful thing to happen and such a stunningly bad response from Travelodge - no accountability, no transparency of their security procedures, no apology.

It could happen as easily at Premier Inn....

I am gong to email them today and ask how they plan to ensure women's safety in light of this. Not that I plan to stay with them again, but they should be held accountable and realise that this massively backfired.

The £30 is almost another assault it’s so insulting. I hope Travelodge get absolutely shit for this. Their response is just shocking. They could not give less of a shit.

I don’t use them anyway because they let dogs in their rooms (as well as rapists).

I stopped using Travelodge several years ago after two different incidents but both of the hotels were absolutely filthy. I can’t believe that someone in customer service thought a £30 refund was an appropriate solution. I would hope this poor woman has grounds to take legal action.

I agree - they should have accepted liability. They are thinking about the short term (not wanting to pay compensation), when they should be focusing on the long term damage to their reputation. How can any single woman feel safe staying in a Travelodge from now on?

The company should be renamed TravelDODGE.

Wasn’t there someone here who checked into a travel lodge, then someone walked in with a key. She posted a few more times overnight and was obviously scared to sleep. Maybe a year or two ago?

WTF are they thinking saying that their staff followed the correct security procedures??
Admitting that it can happen at any time and now sex offenders know exactly where to go.

It’s very well known that most sexual assaults are carried out by people known to the victim.

So of course let’s just hand out key cards to anyone who know’s a person’s name.

I can imagine some poor sod on reception making a mistake and thinking they are being helpful but It’s such a shamefully poor response from Travelodge to claim that this would be anything like a reasonable or normal protocol to try and slither their way out of a legal case.

That’s shocking! I also travel alone and recently went to India. I was a bit worried so I used this https://amzn.eu/d/04bimx9B for doors that didn’t have an inside lock, i would recommend it. It’s small too so fits in a handbag.

I am not sure that is true - in one case in the past, I checked in earlier than DH to a PI, and they wouldn't give him a key card when he arrived, I needed to go down and let him in. And that was with his name on the booking.

I read this story earlier. How idiotic to not learn from this incident. Never staying there again.

I carry the rubber door stops when I travel solo because I never quite trust any hotel's security protocols. You shove them under the door so it won't open, or at least not quickly and without shoving.

I also suspect that Travelodge can't do anything to admit liability because they are fighting a court case.

I expect their next offer of compensation to her will be a night's free stay at a Travelodge of her choice!

Absolutely appalling. Is this a hotel chain run by men for men?

What also does concern me about using cheap chain hotels is if they are used for temp accommodation. Now it could be a nice Mother and her children fleeing DV, it could also be someone newly released from prison. I don’t use chain hotels anymore. Though I think Premier Inn don’t take any type of Council contracts.

That's totally shocking, I wouldn't blame the poor woman if she never ever stayed alone in a hotel again.
I've stayed in budget hotels a few times as I visit a friend some distance away. She has a degenerative illness and lives in a small flat.
I've always felt safe even though one I stayed in (a budget chain) took in immigrants. though I didn't know that until the morning I left.
She should get £ks compensation, she must have been terriified.

YANBU. When I first saw the headline I thought you would maybe be being unreasonable because it was not necessarily a sign of a wider safety issue. But for travelodge to say that this is a result of perfectly followed policy is awful.

I saw this !! Poor woman !
There protecting staff by not admitting what they did was wrong !
They should have called her they should never have given him a card
I will never stay in a Travelodge ever again !!!

That’s just appalling.
i have travelled alone and always feel safe at a Premier Inn.

Travel Lodge are rubbish. Tried to fine me once for smoking in the room. I hadn’t.
I had actually gone to reception to complain about people standing outside my room smoking.

Wow it’s utterly farcical that they can claim staff followed security protocol! No one a should be given a key unless they’re with the person who booked or also named on the room booking.

This is a common policy among many hotel chains. Plenty of reasons not to stay at Travelodge, but this isn’t one of them.

I stayed in a travel lodge with my two kids on a motorway service station on last year and in the middle of the night a man came in to our room, I shot out of bed and he ran out but it really put me off the brand. When I complained next day it was as if I was an inconvenience and it happens all the time.

This is hugely concerning, I hope all hotel chains take note. Some have really good procedures for single female travellers, but others do not. I have found Premier Inn to be particularly good, but as with everything, it is dependent on who is at the desk to follow the procedures.

Most hotel rooms have an internal lock on the door, but having worked in hotels, I’m not sure how many people know that or use it. Where there isn’t one, I shove a chair under the door handle. It’s shit that we have to do this, but stories like this just prove we are the only ones who can protect ourselves.

A very good reason for always taking one of those wedges to stick under the door at night.

That's fucking terrifying.

I never stay at Travelodge and now I never will. Hope they go bust and the victim gets a huge financial payout. What a horrendous ordeal and what a disgusting insult to offer her £30 to forget about it.