A single incident has pushed hotel safety into the spotlight. In 2022, a man was given a key card to a woman's room at a Travelodge in Maidenhead and sexually assaulted her. An independent review by criminal barrister Paul Greaney KC concluded she was "fundamentally failed" by the chain — and the fallout is now reshaping how UK hotels handle room security.

The numbers behind the headlines are stark. Reports of "room intrusions" — people entering hotel rooms without authorisation — have risen across the sector since the review. Meanwhile, a Freedom of Information request by Metro found at least 4,011 sexual offences were recorded at hotels in England between January 2023 and January 2026. Charities including the Suzy Lamplugh Trust and the Safer Tourism Foundation say these are not isolated cases, and they're calling for binding, industry-wide safety standards rather than optional good practice.

Travelodge has already made changes. Replacement key cards now require explicit permission from the guest staying in the room, and solo female guests are — where possible — kept away from ground floor and end-of-corridor rooms. Travelodge's interim chief executive Ray Reidy has apologised unreservedly, while noting the chain has made progress over the past six months and acknowledges more work remains.

Other hotels have quietly led the way. Oaklands Hall Hotel in Grimsby and St George's Hotel in Conwy both publish a "lone traveller policy": staff don't read out a woman's room number at check-in, solo women are placed away from fire exits and corridor ends, night-time escorts to the car park are offered, and parking is well-lit and on-site.

There's political momentum too. In June, the UK government and hospitality representatives agreed to work together on guest safety, with an updated protocol from trade body UKHospitality covering room access, guest privacy and staff responsibilities now out for consultation. Tourism minister Stephanie Peacock has said everyone from guests to staff should feel secure in hotels.

Why does this matter if you're planning a trip? Safer Tourism Foundation research found just 49 per cent of women feel confident managing their personal safety when travelling solo or in women-only groups — and women already spend extra to protect themselves, booking daytime arrivals and taxis after dark. The charity's "She Travels Safe" campaign is pushing for hotels to be transparent about what they actually do: not vague reassurances, but specifics on room allocation, key card rules and staff training. For anyone booking a stay alone, the practical takeaway is to ask those questions before you check in — whether your hotel will skip reading out your room number, where your room sits in the building, and what its policy is on reissuing keys. The sector is slowly being held to a higher standard, and travellers asking directly helps keep it that way.

Story via The Independent Travel.