A WOMAN woke up to a man sexually assaulting her in her hotel bed after Travelodge staff gave him her room key card.
Kyran Smith, 29, lied to reception saying he was the victim’s boyfriend and the hotel staff handed over the key card and her room number.
He then entered her room in the early hours and sexually assaulted her while she was asleep.
When the victim, now in her 30s, reported the attack to the staff in the morning they offered her a £30 refund.
Smith, from Staines, was jailed for seven years and six months for trespass with intent to commit a relevant sexual offence and sexual assault on January 23.
The pair had both been out in Maidenhead in December 2022 and had been staying in individual rooms at the hotel.
At 2am Smith went to reception and despite only knowing the victim’s name passed the hotel chain’s security measures, the woman claimed.
Travelodge said Smith passed their security procedures and showed text messages he claimed were between the pair – but the victim said he didn’t have her number.
The woman awoke to Smith carrying out his sexual assault in her bed and she shouted at him to get out.
He put his clothes on and returned the key to the reception and went back to his own room.
The next morning, the victim was offered a £30 refund when she reported the assault.
She said: “I saw it as very insulting. It would have been better if they hadn’t offered it.”
The hotel chain has since admitted that this was an inappropriate offer.
The victim – who had never stayed in a hotel on her own before – is now calling for Travelodge to change their security measures.
She said she feels “failed” by the company after they let someone into her room while she was asleep without phoning or coming to check.
“It’s not protecting people staying in hotels if you can just access by saying things to reception – that’s not OK,” she said.
The victim said she had double checked the lock on the door and taken all the necessary measures for staying in a hotel room.
“I feel like they failed me, it makes me more frustrated that they haven’t said ‘OK yes we did this wrong’. Instead they’ve put the blame aside.” she added.
Following the sentencing, Investigating officer Detective Constable Arshid Ali said: “I welcome the sentencing which reflects the seriousness of the offence and the dangerous nature of the defendant.
“Thames Valley Police treat all sexual offences with the utmost seriousness, particularly those committed against women, which fall within the national framework of Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG).
“Our officers are committed to investigating these crimes thoroughly, supporting victims throughout the criminal justice process and working with partner agencies to reduce offending.
“We will continue to prioritise the identification, arrest and prosecution of those who commit sexual violence.”
A spokesperson for Travelodge told The Sun: “The safety and security of our guests is our priority and we were deeply concerned to hear of this distressing incident and our sympathies are with the victim.
“At the time of the incident our hotel team followed the correct security procedures. We continue to ensure our hotel and customer services teams are trained to follow our approved policies.”
