STORY
Former Travelodge chief executive Jo Boydell did not read an email sent directly to her by a sexual assault victim until more than three years after it was received, an independent review has found. The woman contacted Boydell and other senior figures in January 2023 after being assaulted at the company’s Maidenhead hotel, but the message was handled by the chief executive’s office without being brought to her attention.
The complaint was instead investigated by a manager whose conduct was criticised within the email, while Travelodge’s customer services team offered the woman a refund for the night which she understood to be £30. Barrister Paul Greaney KC concluded that the victim had been fundamentally failed by the company at every stage and that its security policies at the time were not suitable for keeping guests safe.
The attacker, Kyran Smith, had obtained a key to the woman’s room less than three minutes after falsely telling reception staff that he was her boyfriend. He was later jailed for seven and a half years. Travelodge has apologised unreservedly and said it has begun implementing reforms, although the review warned that its revised security procedures were still being applied inconsistently. Boydell, who was credited with driving improvements after learning about the case in March 2026, stepped down as chief executive in August.