Travelodge investigating more reports of strangers accessing rooms

[0:00] Travelodge says it's looking at how it can make further changes to protect customers [0:05] after a woman was sexually assaulted by a man who was given a key card to her room [0:10] by a member of staff. The firm's boss, Joe Boydell, insisted guests were safe in its hotels, [0:16] but the victim, who can't be named to protect her anonymity, [0:20] says it didn't act fast enough. Our reporter Graham Satchell has more. [0:26] It was a horrifying attack. In December 2022, a woman was sexually assaulted at this Travelodge [0:32] in Maidenhead. A man, claiming to be her boyfriend, had been given a key card to her room [0:38] by hotel staff. After weeks of pressure, Travelodge boss Joe Boydell has now given [0:43] her first interview. She admitted serious mistakes have been made. [0:48] I'm genuinely sorry to the survivor for the way that was handled. We have made changes [0:54] to our policy to reflect that, absolutely. [0:56] How would you feel, Joe, if that happened to you? [0:58] I would be horrified in the way that I am horrified that it actually happened in one [1:03] of our hotels. [1:03] And as I say, I deeply apologise for that. And we've made changes to make sure that won't [1:09] happen again. [1:10] The attacker, Kyron Smith, was sentenced to seven and a half years in prison last month. [1:15] Travelodge offered the victim £30 in compensation, which she described as insulting. [1:22] I can completely understand why she'd feel like that. And I really genuinely apologise [1:26] for making matters worse and adding to her distress. [1:30] And committed to working with Matt and the MPs. [1:32] We showed our interview with Joe Boydell. [1:34] But to the woman who was assaulted, she can't be identified for legal reasons. [1:38] If you're really that worried about safeguarding and protecting people and making sure your [1:44] guests are safe, then why are you not attending these kind of meetings with MPs? Why are you [1:51] now coming out and saying these things? [1:54] The woman is now taking legal action against Travelodge. [1:58] I'm not here to say to someone, you know, you shouldn't be in your job or anything like [2:02] that. I don't want to do that. [2:03] But. [2:04] But my personal opinion is, if you are in that position, like a CEO of a company, then [2:11] you do have a responsibility to act on the situation. [2:17] Will she get compensation? [2:19] We haven't had that discussion with her. [2:21] But as I've said, I'm very open to understanding kind of what would help to make it right from [2:25] her perspective. [2:27] Travelodge initially defended their staff, saying they'd followed the correct security [2:32] procedures. But now they've changed their policy. [2:35] Key cards will only be issued. [2:36] Once the person in the room has been contacted. [2:40] This incident happened in 2022 when you were in charge. [2:44] Yes. [2:45] Why is it taken until now, 2026, to make the change? [2:52] The first time I became aware of this was after the court reported the incident, which is [2:58] completely unacceptable. [2:59] And it also shows that there are issues with the way we handled the case. [3:04] We're very clear about that. [3:06] We've made some changes immediately in terms of how we are handled. [3:08] If we had handled serious incidents, I would have expected it to be escalated. [3:13] It wasn't. So something went wrong. [3:14] So you didn't know about it? [3:16] No. [3:17] Travelodge say customers are safe in its hotels and is undertaking an independent review to see [3:23] if more changes are needed. [3:25] But there's no escaping that this incident and the way it's been handled has caused significant [3:31] reputational damage to Travelodge. [3:34] Graham Satchell, BBC News. [3:37] And joining us now is Matt Bishop, MP for Forest of Dean, who is one of the most important members of the [3:41] MPs who wrote to the chief executive of Travelodge demanding a meeting. [3:45] Thank you very much for joining us. [3:47] And I know that you and colleagues asked Joe Boydell to make sure that any internal review is also [3:54] including a barrister and an organisation that deals with issues around violence against women and [4:01] girls. Have they agreed to that? [4:04] Good afternoon, Anita. Thank you for having me. [4:06] Yes, Joe Boydell did agree and said that she would go away of any recommendations. [4:12] And seek a suitable person with relevant qualifications to do that job. [4:17] So, yes, she has agreed to that. [4:19] Did you gain any further understanding in that conversation about why it has taken so long, as we just heard in [4:25] Graham's report from the time when this assault happened to basically now and trying everyone finding out about [4:33] this? [4:34] Literally, no, we didn't gain anything further in the meeting with Joe about why it took so long. [4:39] But as your reporter said, you know, it's this it's almost four years. [4:43] It's taken a criminal court case. [4:45] It's taken the BBC to break the report in the first place. [4:48] It's taken the parliamentarians that wrote and signed the letter that went to Joe and it's even taken the prime minister to get [4:55] involved before we get any further forward. [4:57] So disappointed, really disappointed with that response. [5:00] What sort of framework are you looking to see going forward then in terms of how Travellodge responds to this? [5:07] Well, what we're looking to do is it's important to note, Anita, this isn't just the Travellodge issue. [5:12] It's actually much wider than this. [5:13] It seems to be. [5:14] A sector problem with all hotel chains. [5:17] OK, that's really interesting because I did want to ask you if you were finding that this was a wider industry issue. [5:22] In fact, it definitely isn't. [5:24] And that's why what we're pushing for is changing to that statutory legislation, you know, whether it's guidance and [5:32] statutory guidance. [5:34] But we need something in place that says that hotels won't give key cards or keys or whatever methods they use to open [5:40] their doors to anybody other than those named on a booking. [5:44] And I think that's something that we need to be looking at as well with identification. [5:48] I mean, when you say it like that, it just seems confounding, doesn't it, that that could happen? [5:53] It does seem like such a common sense thing not to give a key card to someone whose name isn't on the hotel room booking. [6:01] Absolutely. To me and my colleagues and everyone I speak to about this and many victims and survivors have come forward now, we all say the same thing is common sense. [6:10] It's not difficult. It's not costly. [6:12] You know, you just don't give the key to anybody that's not named on the booking. [6:15] You just don't give permission to do so. [6:16] OK, so just give us a quick idea then of next steps and how long you expect it to be before you hear back from any review that's taken by by Travel Lodge. [6:27] Well, on a personal step, we've my office and I have applied for a ten minute rule bill in Parliament. [6:31] So that's where we try to get this legislation or guidance on government books. [6:36] So that's been accepted. [6:38] We'll go through with that later on in the year. [6:40] And then as soon as we get any update from Jo and her team at the Travel Lodge, we'll meet up again. [6:46] I'm sure or at least try to meet up with Jo and her team to see what comes out of that investigation.