Lincoln Travelodge Issues Key to Occupied Room on 8 April, Customer Reports Security Breach
A woman on a mini-break at a Travelodge in Lincoln experienced a security breach on 8 April when a stranger was issued a key card to her room and subsequently entered it. Chris Adamson, 63, from Leeds, was in her room with her husband, Paul, when the door clicked open, and a man walked in with his luggage.
The incident occurred as the couple was preparing for an evening out, approximately half an hour after showering. Ms Adamson stated both she and the man were startled by the encounter, and he quickly departed. Upon reporting the issue to reception, Ms Adamson was met with an apology, though she described staff as being “quite dismissive” and questioned how such an error could occur given recent media coverage of similar security failings within the hotel sector.
Travelodge Responds to Security Concerns
Travelodge confirmed the incident, attributing it to a system error. Initially, the Adamsons had reported a fault with their television, and although the issue was resolved and they chose to remain in their original room, the system incorrectly processed a room change. This oversight led to another guest receiving a key for the already occupied room.
A spokesperson for Travelodge expressed being “extremely sorry” for the experience, acknowledging it “should not have happened.” The company stated it is implementing retraining for the hotel team on “room security and check-in procedures” and that an independent review is underway to “strengthen our procedures and training to prevent these situations occurring.”
This event follows heightened concern regarding hotel security, particularly after Kyran Smith, 29, was jailed in February for seven and a half years for sexually assaulting a woman in her room at a Travelodge in Maidenhead in December 2022. Following this conviction, Jo Boydell, CEO of Travelodge, announced on 30 March that the company was making “immediate changes” to its door key policy and working “really really hard to make sure that we get this right going forwards.” Ms Adamson voiced concern that despite these assurances, security checks appear to remain inadequate, posing a risk to guests, particularly those travelling alone.
