Travelodge has apologised to a Jewish guest after a message saying "Free Palestine" appeared on his hotel room TV.
The guest, reported by Jewish News to be 24-year-old Sruly Fogel from New York, said he was “frightened” after seeing the message at London Manor House Travelodge in north London earlier this month.
The publication described Mr Fogel as "visibly Orthodox Jewish", and said he had been visiting the UK for a wedding.
Mr Fogel said: “We just went to our room and all of a sudden someone put on the TV, and it came up, ‘Hi, welcome, Free Palestine’.
“It was really, really uncomfortable and I didn’t feel safe.”
He added that the five-member group booked two rooms at the hotel, both of which displayed the message.
The guest has also alleged that a member of staff appeared hostile towards him on check-in, but Travelodge said its investigation found no evidence of misconduct.
A video showing the message has been shared online by Jewish community watch group Shomrim, with a caption stating: “This behaviour bears all the hallmarks of targeted antisemitism.”
🚨 Travelodge Manor House Greets Jewish Guests
— Shomrim (London North & East) (@Shomrim) June 3, 2026
📺 With a "Free Palestine" message on their room TV
😟 Two visibly Jewish guests report finding the message displayed on their televisions upon arrival.
❗ Allegations of hostile treatment by a member of staff have further… pic.twitter.com/7L8b9yo0Js
London Manor House Travelodge is situated just a mile from Stamford Hill, the largest strictly Orthodox Jewish community in Europe.
Travelodge has launched an investigation into the incident and reported it to the Metropolitan Police, but has not yet ascertained who was responsible for the message.
It is understood that the investigation looked into all aspects of the guest's stay, including analysis of CCTV and key card access, as well as interviews with staff members.
A Travelodge spokesperson said: “We have treated this incident very seriously from the outset as there is no place for antisemitism in this country and we took action immediately to address this.
“Our CEO has spoken with the guest to express our apologies for their experience. We have also been engaging closely with leaders and groups within the Jewish community to reiterate our absolute zero-tolerance stance on antisemitism and any form of discrimination and our commitment to ensuring that the Jewish community feels safe and welcome at all of our hotels.”
CEO Jo Boydell said that she apologised “unreservedly” to the guest and “further apologises for any distress or concern caused to the wider Jewish community”.
Travelodge has also confirmed that they are currently in discussions with a leading organisation in the Jewish community to facilitate a training programme on cultural sensitivity and antisemitism in response to the incident.
The Met Police has said that its investigation was now closed subject to any further information coming to light.
