The chief executive of the budget hotel chain Travelodge has resigned amid a sustained backlash over the way the company handled a sexual assault at one of its hotels. The departure follows weeks of mounting pressure over the case, which raised wider questions about guest safety and how the chain responded to what happened to one of its customers.
The assault took place at a Travelodge in Maidenhead, in Berkshire, where a female guest was sexually assaulted by a man who had been given a key card to her room. According to the account of the case, the attacker obtained the card after falsely telling reception staff that he was in a relationship with the woman, allowing him to reach her room.
The man responsible, named as Kyran Smith, from Staines in Surrey, was jailed in February for seven and a half years over the attack, which took place in December 2022. His conviction placed a spotlight on how he had been able to gain access to the guest's room, and on the checks that were, or were not, in place at the reception desk.
The company's chief executive, Jo Boydell, faced criticism over her response to the attack and the way the chain dealt with the aftermath. The controversy grew into a significant issue for the business, moving beyond the individual case to become a question of corporate accountability and leadership at the top of the company.
Political pressure added to the scrutiny. Former Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer stepped in to urge the chief executive to seriously engage with the Government on the matter, after she cancelled a planned meeting with MPs. The case also drew significant parliamentary attention, with more than 100 MPs signing a letter demanding accountability from the company.
With the pressure showing no sign of easing, the chief executive has now stepped down. Chief Financial Officer Ray Reidy has been appointed interim chief executive to lead the company in the immediate term, while the board begins the search for a permanent replacement to take over the top job.
In response to the case, the company has moved to tighten its procedures, introducing measures that include requiring explicit guest permission before extra or replacement keys are issued, alongside a UK-wide review of door security and an independent security review. The episode has also fed into wider discussions about guest safety standards across the hotel and hospitality industry.