A family claims their stay at Travelodge turned nightmarish after being forced to sleep in a laundry room due to a broken door lock
Derby: A family had a pretty rough night at a Travelodge. They say they were forced to sleep in the laundry room after their door lock broke. Danielle Barclay, 39, and her husband Jamie, also 39, were there with their two kids after a wedding nearby.
Things went south when their keycard stopped working. They ended up sitting in the hallway for an hour with their upset daughter Marlie, 8, and son Jensen, 12. With no spare rooms available, they were shocked to be offered a makeshift bed in the laundry room instead of moving to another hotel 20 miles away.
The kids had to sleep on a broken mattress in a cold room, which left Marlie feeling scared and upset. Eventually, maintenance helped them back into their room hours later. Danielle shared their experience on TikTok, and it quickly went viral, racking up over 255,900 views.
One photo shows Marlie looking really sad while waiting outside their hotel room. Another shows her and Jensen trying to catch some sleep on that makeshift bed. Many people online were outraged by how the family was treated, while others pointed out that the hotel didn’t have many options.
Travelodge apologized, admitting they didn’t meet their usual standards. They offered the family a full refund and a complimentary stay. But even with the refund, Danielle said she wouldn’t want to stay at a Travelodge again. She described the whole experience as traumatizing for the kids.
Danielle explained that they returned from the wedding around midnight, and when the keycard didn’t work, they went to the front desk for help. The staff tried to fix it but couldn’t. They ended up sitting on the floor for about an hour, with Marlie crying and Jensen trying to sleep.
With the hotel fully booked and maintenance not arriving until 4 a.m., they were offered the option to go to another Travelodge. But Danielle felt that wasn’t a good choice at 2 a.m. with tired kids. They would have had to pack up and risk missing their train home the next day.
When they were finally taken to the laundry room, Danielle was shocked. They were given a broken mattress on the floor with a quilt and two pillows. It was freezing, and there were no toilet facilities. They had to wait all night without any refreshments, which felt pretty unhygienic.
After getting back into their room at 4:15 a.m., they found they still couldn’t lock the door. The staff suggested using a rubber wedge to keep it shut. By then, the night was already ruined, and the kids were exhausted.
Even though they received a full refund, Danielle said she wouldn’t stay at Travelodge again. They offered her a small amount of compensation, but she felt it wasn’t enough. Many people online supported her, while some criticized her for not accepting the alternative hotel offer.
A Travelodge spokesperson said they were sorry for the family’s experience and acknowledged that they fell short of their usual standards. They mentioned it was an isolated technical issue and that they promptly offered alternative accommodation.
