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Travelodge hotels woes

(57 Posts)
infoman Mon 16-Mar-26 14:03:30

I have stayed in Travelodge hotels a few times,always found it okay till now.
The boss of travelodge is to meet with M.P.S in Portcullis house in London to discuss the events of the last few days.
Not sure if the meeting is being broadcast LIVE,but I understand there will be another meeting with the boss of Travelodge with M.P.s later in the week.

David49 Mon 16-Mar-26 21:14:58

twaddle

That doesn't sound good from a H&S perspective. How would the management gain access in the case of an emergency?

They have a special security key to open the deadlock to get access if the smoke detector was activated or an alarm was raised.

Personally we use PI because they have good beds, the security comes with it.

infoman Thu 19-Mar-26 10:46:31

Not good news:
www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cvgkg85k245o

Dickens Thu 19-Mar-26 11:18:02

infoman

Not good news:
www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cvgkg85k245o

Hmm, maybe if we start boycotting Travelodge it might concentrate the CEO's mind a tad?

However, an independent review has been commissioned by them to look at those 'lessons-they-can-learn' because they treat the situation with the utmost seriousness.

... four years after the incident?

Does it need an independent review to understand that handing out keys to anyone who's not booked into the room is not good practise?

Witzend Thu 19-Mar-26 11:29:13

If staying on my own I’d always use a wedge. But I so rarely do now.
TBH in the U.K. we nearly always choose a Premier Inn nowadays - if there is one.

Visgir1 Thu 19-Mar-26 11:38:54

They are all fitted with this bar/lever thing you flip over as a lock.
Don't ever recall not seeing this in hotel rooms? My last hotel stay was in December and they had one.
Premier Inn definitely has these as standard.

Biglanz Thu 19-Mar-26 12:17:12

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Biglanz Thu 19-Mar-26 12:19:17

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David49 Thu 19-Mar-26 14:35:11

Apparently the attacker had the woman's name, gave it to reception who issued a duplicate key, Im pretty sure I've done that a couple of times. Many hotels you do need a key card to get to rooms and lift, receptions do need to phone the room to make sure another person is expected AND occupiers should use the deadlock on the door, thats what it's for!

Himdowntheroad Sat 21-Mar-26 13:58:47

We often use Premier Inn who also don't have chains, mainly, but we always double lock the door at all times.

twaddle Sat 21-Mar-26 14:04:52

Visgir1

They are all fitted with this bar/lever thing you flip over as a lock.
Don't ever recall not seeing this in hotel rooms? My last hotel stay was in December and they had one.
Premier Inn definitely has these as standard.

You learn something every day. I didn't know because I've never looked.

Beau1958 Sat 21-Mar-26 14:18:38

I used to work at Travelodge we were not aloud at any cost to give keys out to people other than guests ! This time obviously a lapse in security. I bet the bosses are seething at this negative publicity.

Jojo1950 Sat 21-Mar-26 14:39:59

I am so sorry to just read what happened to this young woman at a Travelodge.
Must never happy again! Anywhere!

Jojo1950 Sat 21-Mar-26 14:44:17

I totally agree with you. I will never use a Travelodge. Rather sleep in my car!
Disgraceful behaviour of CEO not turning up to a meeting about this.
Is the CEO a man! I bet it is.
Should be sacked. Not second chances.
I hope the young lady who was attacked is doing as well as she can after such an awful experience. 💐

NotAGran55 Sat 21-Mar-26 14:45:28

Chains, flip-locks etc would only be of use if you were in the room.
There would be nothing to stop someone entering whilst you were out, and waiting for you.

Jojo1950 Sat 21-Mar-26 14:45:50

I call you irresponsible if you gave out a key to someone else. Stupid man!

Jojo1950 Sat 21-Mar-26 14:46:18

True! Let’s not give them ideas!

Jojo1950 Sat 21-Mar-26 14:47:11

You are not daft! As some maybe. My other half thinks that I am too cautious.

friendlygingercat Sat 21-Mar-26 16:23:49

I never travel in any country without the means to jam the door from the inside. In the olden days I used a simple rubber wedge. Now you can buy tricky little gadgets on Amazon to lock the door from the inside. Even someone with an electronic key card can't get in.

One of the drawbacks of having travelled solo around the middle east is that most of the room cleaners are young men. Some of them got the idea - even without encouragement- that European solo women "are up for it". Especially when they bring room service. I would just tell them to leave whatever it was outside.

In Iran they would try to see me with my hair uncovered because back in those days it was waist length and auburn. If they asked me to sign I opened the door 6 inches and put my hand out for the notepad. When I watch the news nowadays it seems sad that I travelled around Iran solo and no harm ever came to me. That was back in the 90s.

Hunros Sat 21-Mar-26 16:49:38

The problem with using door wedges is should emergency access be required i.e. to rescue in event of fire or medical emergency then the wedges would prevent access for any assistance. (I was a full time fireman .)

Elusivebutterfly Sat 21-Mar-26 16:58:57

David49

Here is Premier Inns policy, it's what I have seen.

When you check in, we'll hand you your room details discreetly and we won't say your room number out loud, so no details about you can be overheard at reception
• Where possible, we won’t check vulnerable or solo female travellers into rooms that are on the ground floor or at the end of a corridor
• Every Premier Inn has a door entry system and only Premier Inn guests can enter after 11pm at night
• Every bedroom door is fitted with a deadlock or chain for the most secure protection

I am surprised to see this as I have stayed several times in the same Premier Inn as a solo female traveller and always been given a room on the ground floor at the end of a corridor. Their disabled rooms are also situated there.

SynchroSwimmer Sat 21-Mar-26 22:17:21

I’ve stayed in five different Premier Inns since Christmas, and in three of them a different staff member has just accessed the room and walked in on me.
None had a door chain or additional securing mechanism.
I’ve now reluctantly added a door wedge to my packing list.

If it helps anyone, with Travelodge I’ve just encountered a completely new problem - I made a booking, then it took me to a new page - “book your room number” - for an additional fee between £3 and £14.
The issue here is that my booking had automatically randomly defaulted to a room number that I had not chosen, in an area that I would not want to be (noisy entrance next to car park) (I had not touched the screen) but with no working option to change or cancel or go back.
I would advise anyone NOT TO go on the Travelodge “book your room” page.
For me, it’s another reason not to use Travelodge again.

Whiff Sun 22-Mar-26 05:49:54

I always stay at Premier Inn or Travelodge there is a deadlock on the inside that can not be opened from the outside with the key card. I stay at them because they have accessible rooms for walking and wheelchair disabled. Travelodge bedrooms are the same size of Primier inns but shower room smaller. The shower room in Premier Inns is nearly the size of a double bedroom. The double bed is hooked together so can be made into a twin if required. I always have it as a double so I don't fall out of bed . I am walking disabled.

Apparently Mumsnet was going mad over this topic a friend told me on Friday who goes on Mumsnet rather than Gransnet . I stick to GN.

BlueBelle Sun 22-Mar-26 07:36:44

I like travelLodge and Premier inn only ever had one problem we were put in a room that stank of dog they moved us very quickly when we complained.
I ve always had very comfortable beds and never thought beyond knowing the door was shut and locked, it never enters my head to carry extra locks, wedges or anything else.

icanhandthemback Sun 22-Mar-26 13:48:18

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.

Janlara Tue 24-Mar-26 00:57:22

Reading this thread has made we want to never stay in a hotel on my own again shock