Travelodge room access incident in Dundee adds to guest safety concerns

Travelodge has apologised after a guest entered the wrong hotel room while a couple were asleep in the latest incident to raise questions over guest safety and room access procedures in the hotel sector.

Kim Hutchison, 60, and Harry Grieve, 57, from Moray, were staying at a Travelodge in Dundee when a man entered their room in the early hours of 11 July, according to the BBC.

Hutchison said she was “petrified” before the man left after the pair argued over who was in the wrong room.

Travelodge apologised to the couple and said its room access security policies had not been correctly followed.

The incident comes amid increased scrutiny of hotel guest safety following a number of reported security breaches at Travelodge properties.

In December 2022, Kyran Smith was jailed for seven years and six months after sexually assaulting a guest at the company’s Maidenhead hotel, having gained access to the guest’s room after falsely claiming to staff that he was her boyfriend.

The case prompted other guests to come forward with separate concerns about room security at Travelodge hotels.

Last month, Freddie van Mierlo, MP for Henley and Thame, wrote to the company’s chief executive and chair outlining complaints from previous guests who said they felt their safety concerns had been dismissed.

The latest incident also follows discussions earlier this summer between UKHospitality, hotel operators and government officials on strengthening guest safety measures across the sector. The meeting, held earlier this summer, focused on improving policies and procedures designed to better protect hotel guests.

Image credit: Claudio Divizia/Shutterstock