Travelodge CEO resigns after guest was sexually assaulted at hotel

Business & Finance
20 Aug 2026 • 4:28 PM MYT
The Independent
The Independent

The world’s most free-thinking newspaper

Travelodge CEO resigns after guest was sexually assaulted at hotel

  • Jo Boydell has stepped down as chief executive of Travelodge after 13 years following the fallout from a 2022 sexual assault at a Maidenhead hotel.
  • The attacker, Kyran Smith, was jailed for seven and a half years after hotel staff mistakenly issued him a duplicate key card to the victim's room.
  • Chief financial officer Ray Reidy has taken over as interim chief executive while the business searches for a permanent replacement.
  • Travelodge is overhauling its safety procedures across more than 600 hotels, requiring explicit guest permission before any replacement key card is issued.
  • The hotel chain has implemented additional staff training and verified that key-card doors feature secondary deadbolts following an independent review.

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