It isn't just the Travelodge who have problems with room keys. I have been given the keys to the wrong room at check in twice in two different hotel chains. I have also had problems with the key cards and had them reprogrammed or exchanged without needing to show ID.
The Mercure chain gave me a key to a room where when I walked in, there was a couple in bed really enjoying themselves. I am not sure who was the most mortified. The hotel gave me complimentary food for my shock!
The second chain, the name I can't quite remember at the moment, gave me a key to a room and when I accessed it, there were clothes hung up in the wardrobe. As it was at a conference I assumed they wanted me to share but when I went to the last storage space, I realised the clothes were male. At that point I returned to reception and refused to stay in that space. It turned out they weren't with the conference and the room I had been given wasn't actually mine. They'd left all their technology behind, I could have make a killing!
Both times I was travelling on my own so it didn't make me feel as safe as I would have liked.