My Travelodge experience

[BringBackCatsEyes]

This is about 14 years ago.
Things were very bad with my now ex.
My extended family were meeting by the coast for a couple of days.
I told ex I was going and taking our sons with me. Booked a Travelodge.
He knew where I was, when I would be back, who I was with i.e. I was fleeing with his sons.

Checked in and went out for the day with my family.
Got back to find ex in our room. He'd told reception he was my husband and they gave him a key card. He didn't want to be with us, he just wanted to fuck it up for me. He was so smug about it.
The room was booked by me, in my name and paid for by my card.
I def didn't complain at the time - it would have made a scene and I was ground down.
I can't remember if I complained later, I know I thought about it.

I would like to think in 14 years their policy will have changed and staff will have had better training...

I know it's likely they haven't but it would be nice to think they have practices in place to protect their customers.

I guess you haven’t seen the more recent stories in the media then…. @Crazycockerpoo

This made the news recently so hopefully now they will amend their policies and keep women safe.

I stayed in a travelodge recently booked by my OH and it was in his name.
I’d asked him to print the reservation off, as want sure whether they’d query the fact that I might not be MrSunnybeachday

All they asked for was the first line of the address of the person who booked!

I think she's telling us to illustrate that their current issues have been going on for a long time

This is why I posted, to highlight how long it’s been going on.

I stayed in a Travel lodge 2 years ago and had two drunk men trying to get into my room in the middle of the night, barging the door with their shoulders etc. reception were rubbish and I was terrified (I posted about it at the time for company) they said the men had got the wrong room and put them in the correct one down the corridor! I had everything I could wedged in front of the door and didn’t sleep the rest of the night. In the morning the manager just shrugged and offered me free breakfast!
I complained by email and filled in their customer questionnaire but heard nothing back.

Definite policy change - it must depend where you are. I had the opposite experience, namely, picking up daughter to take her to the airport and phone ran out of charge. Forgot the spare key card. Had to struggle and fight hard for them to contact her for me, let alone give me a key card. Was like Fort Knox.

Unfortunately not

https://www.theguardian.com/business/2026/aug/20/travelodge-boss-quits-amid-fallout-over-hotel-chains-security-failings

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c3v77w5d437o

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/5499693-think-twice-before-staying-alone-in-a-travelodge

My company no longer permits stays at Travelodges due to safety reasons.

Over ten years ago but a Travelodge in Liverpool double booked a random man into my room and he let himself in with his keycard when I was sleeping. Fortunately he was just as shocked as I was.

Stayed in one on a recent trip to Scotland. There was no sign of any staff at any point after I'd arrived and got my key. Reception was deserted, nobody around anywhere - lots of workmen who were staying in the same place coming and going. Nothing happened but I did spend a night on quite high alert because I wondered what the hell I would do if anyone did barge their way into my room.

I usually stay in Premier Inns and I've never felt unsafe there because there's always been someone around.

Ditto.