Jo Boydell has stepped down as boss of Travelodge after criticism over room-access failings that exposed guests to assault. Travelodge said Ray Reidy, its finance chief, is temporarily replacing her while it looks for a permanent substitute.
Stephen Shurrock said the change in leadership “does not change anything about our focus on safety and security.” Travelodge said it is also changing its room access security policy after a leading barrister review and an internal review.
Berkshire and London incidents
The pressure on Boydell’s leadership follows two cases that raised questions about how room access was handled. In Berkshire in 2022, a hotel guest was sexually assaulted after a man was wrongly given access to her room. He falsely claimed to be her partner before assaulting her in bed, and she was later offered a £30 refund.
In London in October 2025, a woman staying at a Travelodge hotel to escape her domestic abuser was attacked after reception staff gave the man a key without checking with her first. He was directed to her room, kicked in the door, assaulted her and tried to grab her phone.
Travelodge room access policy
Travelodge said any additional or replacement room key now requires explicit permission from the guest staying in the room. It also said it never confirms to any third party that a guest is staying at one of its hotels.
The company described such incidents as “very rare,” but the changes show how a routine front-desk request can become the point where control over a room is lost. That leaves staff needing to verify every extra key request against the guest already inside the room, rather than treating it as a simple administrative task.
Keir Starmer warning
Months before Thursday’s announcement, Keir Starmer wrote to Boydell to warn that she must seriously engage with MPs over concerns about women’s safety. Travelodge has not said when the search for a permanent replacement will end, while its internal review continues.
The woman in London said, “I thought someone would protect me.”
