MP calls for 'wholesale change' after Travelodge meeting

An MP has called for "wholesale change" at Travelodge after a meeting with company bosses to discuss the hotel chain's security. Dozens of people have shared their stories after a woman told the BBC how she woke up to find she was being sexually assaulted in Maidenhead, Berkshire, in 2022 by a man who had lied to staff to get a key card to her room. Speaking after the meeting, held in his constituency at Travelodge's Thame headquarters in Oxfordshire, Liberal Democrat MP Freddie van Mierlo said he did not think enough was being done to address the problems identified. Travelodge said the meeting was constructive and that "hotel security is - and remains - a priority". The MP told the BBC: "What I really want to see is wholesale change within their business. I have concerns about how their business model operates. "They offer low cost stays, which is a really good thing - but that can never come at the cost of safety of their guests and indeed their staff as well." He said he believed Travelodge was not "doing enough at the moment". "I want this company to succeed," van Mierlo said. "It is a big employer in my constituency in Thame. It employs over 300 people locally. "But the busin

Apr 22, 2026 → Apr 22, 2026