Travelodge has made headlines again after a shocking security slip-up saw a stranger walk right into a couple’s hotel room. The blunder happened at a Lincoln Travelodge on April 8, just days after the chain promised beefed-up security following a high-profile assault case.
Couple Stunned as Man Walks Into Their Room
Chris Adamson, 63, and her husband Paul were enjoying a quiet mini-break when disaster nearly struck. After reporting a TV fault, staff fixed the issue and even offered to move them to another room if needed. But when the couple had just stepped out of the shower, a man with a suitcase strolled into their room as if he belonged there.
“We’d both just come out of the shower and were ready to go out, but half-an-hour earlier and we wouldn’t have been,” Mrs Adamson told the BBC. “That would have been very unpleasant.”
The man looked just as shocked and quickly left. But when Chris reported it to reception, she was met with what she describes as a dismissive apology. “The people on reception said, ‘accidents happen’,” she said.
Security Fears Grow Amidst Ongoing Complaints
This incident follows a serious fail earlier this year, when a man was jailed for sexually assaulting a woman in a Maidenhead Travelodge room after being wrongly handed a key card. Kyran Smith, 29, was sentenced to seven-and-a-half years. In response, Travelodge CEO Jo Boydell promised:
“We’re working really really hard to make sure that we get this right going forwards.”
But Chris isn’t convinced. She fears the lapse could put solo travellers at risk, saying:
“I don’t think I would stay in a Travelodge by myself now.”
Travelodge Admits Error, Promises Fixes
A Travelodge spokesperson apologised for the mix-up, blaming a system error that saw keys issued incorrectly:
- The couple agreed to switch rooms after the TV fix but stayed put, which wasn’t updated on the system.
- This caused another guest to get a key for the Adamsons’ original room.
They added that staff will be retrained on security and check-in procedures. An independent review is also underway to tighten safety protocols and prevent repeat incidents. With budget hotels racing to attract customers with low prices, Chris’s warning echoes loudly: security can’t be sacrificed. Will Travelodge clean up its act before something worse happens?
