Jo Boydell steps down as Travelodge CEO following hotel security allegations

Jo Boydell has stepped down as Travelodge’s chief executive after a series of reported security breaches at the group’s hotels.

 

The budget hotel chain has appointed chief financial officer Ray Reidy as interim CEO. He will hold both roles until an interim CFO is recruited.

 

Reidy has been with Travelodge since August 2025 and has held the CFO position on an interim basis since April 2025. Prior to that, he worked at RS Group and Mars Petcare.

 

Travelodge’s board has commenced a search for a permanent CEO.

 

Chairman Stephen Shurrock said: “We are delighted that Ray Reidy has agreed to serve as interim CEO. He brings a strong track record of delivery and will have the full support of the board and the wider management team as Travelodge continues to deliver its strategic priorities.”

 

He added: “This announcement does not change anything about our focus on safety and security. On behalf of the board, I would like to thank Jo for her dedication to Travelodge over the last 13 years.”

 

Boydell’s departure follows a number of guest safety allegations, beginning with an incident at the Maidenhead branch of the hotel chain in December 2022, during which the victim, a woman now in her 30s, was sexually assaulted by a 29-year-old man, Kyran Smith.

 

According to Thames Valley Police, Smith had gone to the reception desk and obtained the victim’s hotel room key by deception.

 

He was sentenced to seven years and six months’ imprisonment for sex offences at Reading Crown Court in January.

 

Travelodge came under scrutiny for having offered the victim a £30 refund, according to reports.

 

In response, Boydell had said: “I am deeply sorry for the significant distress experienced by the victim. We have apologised to her for the way the incident has been handled and have invited her to meet with us to discuss how we can further improve our procedures.

 

"I am committing to an independent review of our room security policies to learn from this incident and further strengthen our procedures. Our guests deserve to be reassured that their safety and security is of the utmost importance to us.”

 

The hotel group is undergoing an independent security review and has updated its policies. Any additional or replacement room keys now require explicit permission from the guest staying in the room, and it has changed its review and escalation process for serious customer-reported incidents and complaints.

 

Other security concerns at Travelodge include a BBC investigation that revealed a domestic violence victim was attacked in her hotel room at a Travelodge in London last October after reception staff gave a key to her abuser.

 

The same week, Travelodge apologised after a guest entered the wrong hotel room in Dundee on 11 July.

 

Last month, the MP for Henley and Thame, Freddie Van Mierlo, sent a letter to Travelodge’s CEO saying that guests felt “dismissed by boilerplate responses when raising a complaint and felt the company to be defensive and unaccepting of wrongdoing”.

 

Hotel sector leaders met with government officials in June, when plans to improve safety measures for hotel guests were outlined.

 

UKHospitality has developed ‘Guest Security Principles & Good Practice’ guidance and said it would be available ‘shortly’.

 

Travelodge today also reported its financial results for the six months ended 30 June 2026, which saw solid trading with revenue reaching £491.3m, 4% up on the same period in 2025.

 

London performance was weaker than the regions, driven by rate decline, while regions’ performance was slightly ahead of last year. Travelodge UK like-for-like revenue per available room grew 0.1% from 2025.

 

The chain delivered good growth in food and beverage revenue, with an 8% UK increase compared to 2025, which it puts down to its ‘85’ Bar Café roll-out at 117 sites, back-office system and menu upgrades, along with contributions from new and maturing hotels.

 

Reidy said: “I’m pleased to report a solid trading performance delivered against a continually challenging market backdrop. To maintain profitability when we have had to contend with significant inflationary and regulatory cost pressures is a creditable performance and is a testament to the hard work of our teams and the strategic progress we have made.

 

“The medium-term prospects for our market remain positive and our well-invested estate positions us well to benefit from the strong market fundamentals.”

 

On security concerns, he added: “We remain focused on the safety and well-being of our guests and will continue taking the actions necessary to strengthen the business. We will also continue to engage proactively and constructively with government and the wider hospitality industry on the issue of safety and security.”