What should have been a safe night at a hotel turned into a nightmare after staff handed a room key to a man who had no right to be there.
A woman in England says she was sexually assaulted after hotel employees gave a key card to Kyran Smith, 29, who falsely claimed to be her boyfriend. The disturbing incident happened in December 2022 at a Travelodge in Maidenhead.
According to reports from the BBC and Good Morning Britain, Smith approached the front desk in the early hours and convinced staff to let him into the woman’s room. The two had attended the same party earlier that night, but they were not in a relationship.
What happened next left the victim in shock.
“I woke up, and I had this person literally in my bed against me,” she said during an interview. “I was just really confused… I knew I had locked my door.”
Police later confirmed Smith was found guilty of trespass with intent to commit a sexual offense and sexual assault following a four-day trial. He was sentenced on Jan. 23 to seven years and six months in prison.
The case has now sparked wider concerns.
Travelodge has launched an investigation into other reports of strangers allegedly gaining access to guest rooms. The company’s CEO, Jo Boydell, admitted she only became aware of this specific case years after it happened — and acknowledged serious failures.
“I’m so sorry this happened to her… and for the way we handled it afterwards,” Boydell said, calling the response “not good enough.”
The victim also revealed she was initially offered a refund of roughly $40 — something she described as “insulting.”
She pushed back on claims about added security measures like deadbolts, insisting they did not protect her.
“The key obviously overrides that,” she said. “I locked my door.”
The fallout has reached the highest levels, with U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer urging the company to take guest safety more seriously amid growing scrutiny.
Travelodge says it has now made immediate changes to its key card policy, requiring explicit permission before issuing any additional room keys. Staff across its hotels have also undergone new training.
But for one woman, those changes came far too late.
Sue and sue big!!
Make a little money feel a little bit richer.