Hotel security: How safe are guests, what improvements are needed and what should you watch for?

The shocking case of a woman sexually assaulted in a Travelodge by an attacker who was handed a key to her room has drawn attention to serious lapses in hotel security.

The woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was staying at the hotel in Maidenhead, Berkshire. The attacker, Kylan Smith, told reception staff he was her boyfriend and was given a keycard enabling him to carry out the assault.

He was jailed in February for seven-and-a-half years following the attack. Initially, the survivor was offered a £30 refund.

Travelodge has promised to improve its procedures. But how can it have happened, and what other risks are there?

Was this an isolated event?

Sadly, not. The Travelodge chief executive, Jo Boydell, told Good Morning Britain: “We’ve certainly heard of other instances, different to this one, in terms of not keys being obtained by deception, but instances of somebody entering a customer’s room that they haven’t given explicit permission to.”

Natalie Wilson, senior travel writer for The Independent, said: “I think it’s very scary and seriously concerning, especially as a woman that travels solo. I think people’s main concern with hotels isn’t the amenities – it is safety.

“Each hotel seems to operate differently. I stayed in one in Cardiff where you’re not given a key at all; someone lets you in and out of your room every time you come and go through reception. A friend of mine, who I was expecting, just said my name at reception and the guy opened the door with a key and then she was in my room. I was very surprised to see her.”

When a guest checks into a hotel, they have to accept that they are sharing the property with a random selection of humanity. But every hotel guest has the right to expect privacy and safety in their room.

A minimum level of security at any hotel should be to verify that the room occupant is expecting a guest, by calling the room or going to knock on the door. Limiting room keys to people listed on the booking who can provide ID would be another valuable option.

How common are these issues?

They certainly can in a high-pressure, customer-facing environment. In each of the last two years, I have checked into a hotel and been given a key to a room that was already occupied. On the first occasion, in Berlin in 2024, I let myself into room 509 to find a rumpled bed, casually strewn towels and half-consumed bottles. The guests were out, fortunately, and I was assigned a different room.

Late in 2025, at a chain hotel in Manchester, I was given the key for a room that was already occupied. The gentleman who was staying there was surprised and furious when I unlocked the door – but he had put the bar across the door.

On each of these misassignments the hotel has been particularly busy, with staff under pressure. In Manchester, the hotel turned out to be overbooked and I was sent to another property across the city. But this being the 21st century, it’s surprising that hotel systems can allow a key to be issued to two different people with different bookings.

Why are hotels seemingly lax in their procedures?

There is a fundamental contradiction between maximising security and the hospitality industry. Hotel staff have a difficult tightrope to walk. They naturally want to be accessible to guests, and they want to provide friendly and friction-free hospitality.

Hotels are by their nature transient, with sometimes hundreds of people coming and going every day. No one knows who exactly is a guest.

When I am out and about in a city I will sometimes pop into the public area of a hotel to use the wifi or the loo; I am always impressed when challenged, in a friendly way, to explain what I am doing there.

In my experience, the posher of the hotel, the more emphasis is put on discreet security: personnel will be stationed at the public entrances, the CCTV images of who is coming and going will be constantly monitored. There is a counter view, which is that five-star hotels are very concerned not to upset their guests and so may not be as inquisitive as they might be.

What security procedures should guests follow?

Use whatever precautions are available: a door chain or bar to stop the door being opened very far, and a deadlock if there is one. Otherwise – and this is particularly useful when travelling alone – a cheap rubber door wedge. They cost about £3 and constitute a valuable line of defence.

Bear in mind that criminals can sometimes pretend to be hotel staff. If you get an unexpected knock on the door, call reception to verify the person’s identity.

Is theft a problem in hotels?

Yes. Thieves may wander unchallenged into public areas and steal from guests – even grabbing bags as guests are checking in at reception.

There is also the problem of stealing from rooms that are occupied but where the guest is out. This can be as rudimentary as someone asking a housekeeper: “Oh I’m in room 219 and I’ve left my key inside. Can you let me in, please?” Almost every time such requests will be genuine, but conscientious staff should make check.

In addition, you should not put all your trust in the hotel safe; as a basic principle never travel with something you can’t afford to lose.

Any improvements in sight?

Facial recognition has a part to play in both accellerating the check-in process and improving security.

Read more: My joyful stay in the amazing House of Tugu in Jakarta, Indonesia