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QUARTERLY REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
For the quarterly period ended
September 30, 2024
OR
☐
TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
For the transition period from to
Commission File Number
001-35169
RLJ LODGING TRUST
(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Its Charter)
Maryland
27-4706509
(State or Other Jurisdiction of Incorporation or Organization)
(I.R.S. Employer Identification No.)
7373 Wisconsin Avenue
,
Suite 1500
Bethesda,
Maryland
20814
(Address of Principal Executive Offices)
(Zip Code)
(
301
)
280-7777
(Registrant’s Telephone Number, Including Area Code)
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Exchange Act:
Title of Each Class
Trading Symbol
Name of Exchange on Which Registered
Common Shares of beneficial interest, par value $0.01 per share
RLJ
New York Stock Exchange
$1.95 Series A Cumulative Convertible Preferred Shares, par value $0.01 per share
RLJ-A
New York Stock Exchange
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant: (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days.
☒
Yes
☐
No
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically every Interactive Data File required to be submitted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit such files).
☒
Yes
☐
No
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting company, or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of "large accelerated filer," "accelerated filer," "smaller reporting company," and "emerging growth company" in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.
If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act.
☐
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act).
☐
Yes
☒
No
Indicate the number of shares outstanding of each of the issuer’s classes of common stock, as of the latest practicable date.
As of October 31, 2024,
153,307,887
common shares of beneficial interest of the Registrant, $0.01 par value per share, were outstanding.
(Amounts in thousands, except share and per share data)
(unaudited)
September 30, 2024
December 31, 2023
Assets
Investment in hotel properties, net
$
4,257,199
$
4,136,216
Investment in unconsolidated joint ventures
7,237
7,398
Cash and cash equivalents
385,384
516,675
Restricted cash reserves
38,958
38,652
Hotel and other receivables, net of allowance of $
294
and $
265
, respectively
26,437
26,163
Lease right-of-use assets
129,526
136,140
Prepaid expense and other assets
43,250
58,051
Total assets
$
4,887,991
$
4,919,295
Liabilities and Equity
Debt, net
$
2,218,826
$
2,220,778
Accounts payable and other liabilities
154,933
147,819
Advance deposits and deferred revenue
36,643
32,281
Lease liabilities
119,508
122,588
Accrued interest
12,114
22,539
Distributions payable
30,431
22,500
Total liabilities
2,572,455
2,568,505
Commitments and Contingencies (Note 11)
Equity
Shareholders’ equity:
Preferred shares of beneficial interest, $
0.01
par value,
50,000,000
shares authorized
Series A Cumulative Convertible Preferred Shares, $
0.01
par value,
12,950,000
shares authorized;
12,879,475
shares issued and outstanding, liquidation value of $
328,266
, at September 30, 2024 and December 31, 2023
366,936
366,936
Common shares of beneficial interest, $
0.01
par value,
450,000,000
shares authorized;
153,628,657
and
155,297,829
shares issued and outstanding at September 30, 2024 and December 31, 2023, respectively
1,536
1,553
Additional paid-in capital
2,990,553
3,000,894
Distributions in excess of net earnings
(
1,066,035
)
(
1,055,183
)
Accumulated other comprehensive income
8,835
22,662
Total shareholders’ equity
2,301,825
2,336,862
Noncontrolling interests:
Noncontrolling interest in the Operating Partnership
6,258
6,294
Noncontrolling interest in consolidated joint ventures
7,453
7,634
Total noncontrolling interests
13,711
13,928
Total equity
2,315,536
2,350,790
Total liabilities and equity
$
4,887,991
$
4,919,295
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.
RLJ Lodging Trust (the "Company") was formed as a Maryland real estate investment trust ("REIT") on January 31, 2011. The Company is a self-advised and self-administered REIT that owns primarily premium-branded, rooms-oriented, high-margin, focused-service and compact full-service hotels located within heart of demand locations. The Company elected to be taxed as a REIT, for U.S. federal income tax purposes, commencing with its taxable year ended December 31, 2011.
Substantially all of the Company’s assets and liabilities are held by, and all of its operations are conducted through, RLJ Lodging Trust, L.P. (the "Operating Partnership"). The Company is the sole general partner of the Operating Partnership. As of September 30, 2024, there were
154,400,488
units of limited partnership interest in the Operating Partnership ("OP units") outstanding and the Company owned, through a combination of direct and indirect interests,
99.5
% of the outstanding OP units.
As of September 30, 2024, the Company owned
96
hotel properties with approximately
21,300
rooms, located in
23
states and the District of Columbia. The Company, through wholly-owned subsidiaries, owned a
100
% interest in
94
of its hotel properties, a
95
% controlling interest in
one
hotel property, and a
50
% non-controlling interest in an entity owning
one
hotel property. The Company consolidates its real estate interests in the
95
hotel properties in which it holds a controlling interest, and the Company records the real estate interest in the
one
hotel property in which it holds an indirect
50
% non-controlling interest using the equity method of accounting. The Company leases
95
of the
96
hotel properties to its taxable REIT subsidiaries ("TRSs"), of which the Company owns a controlling financial interest.
2.
Summary of Significant Accounting Policies
The Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") on February 27, 2024 (the "Annual Report"), contains a discussion of the Company's significant accounting policies. Other than noted below, there have been no significant changes to the Company's significant accounting policies since December 31, 2023.
Basis of Presentation and Principles of Consolidation
The unaudited consolidated financial statements and related notes have been prepared on the accrual basis of accounting in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America ("GAAP") and in conformity with the rules and regulations of the SEC applicable to financial information. The unaudited financial statements include all adjustments of a normal recurring nature that are necessary, in the opinion of management, to fairly state the consolidated balance sheets, statements of operations and comprehensive income, statements of changes in equity and statements of cash flows.
The unaudited consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and notes thereto as of and for the year ended December 31, 2023, included in the Annual Report.
The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of the Company, the Operating Partnership and its wholly-owned subsidiaries, and joint ventures in which the Company has a majority voting interest and control. For the controlled subsidiaries that are not wholly-owned, the third-party ownership interest represents a noncontrolling interest, which is presented separately in the consolidated financial statements. The Company also records the real estate interest in
one
hotel property in which it holds a
50
% non-controlling interest using the equity method of accounting. All intercompany balances and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation.
Reclassifications
Certain prior year amounts in these financial statements have been reclassified to conform to the current year presentation with no impact to net income and comprehensive income, shareholders’ equity or cash flows.
The preparation of the Company’s financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of certain assets and liabilities and the amounts of contingent assets and liabilities at the balance sheet date and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates.
Recently Issued Accounting Pronouncements and Disclosure Rules
In November 2023, the Financial Accounting Standards Board ("FASB") issued Accounting Standards Update ("ASU") 2023-07,
Segment Reporting - Improvements to Reportable Segment Disclosures
, which is intended to improve reportable segment disclosures. The ASU expands public entities’ segment disclosures by requiring disclosure of significant segment expenses that are regularly provided to the chief operating decision maker and included within each reported measure of segment profit or loss. It also requires disclosure of the amount and description of the composition of other segment items, as well as interim disclosures of a reportable segment’s profit or loss and assets. The ASU also applies to entities with a single reportable segment. The new standard is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2023, and interim periods within fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2024, with early adoption permitted. The Company is currently evaluating the impact of this guidance on its consolidated financial statements and related disclosures.
In December 2023, the FASB issued ASU 2023-09,
Income Taxes (Topic 740): Improvements to Income Tax Disclosures
, which includes amendments that further enhance income tax disclosures, primarily through standardization and disaggregation of rate reconciliation categories and income taxes paid by jurisdiction. The amendments are effective for the Company beginning January 1, 2025, with early adoption permitted, and should be applied either prospectively or retrospectively. The Company is currently evaluating this ASU to determine its impact on the Company’s consolidated financial statements and related disclosures.
3.
Investment in Hotel Properties
Investment in hotel properties consisted of the following (in thousands):
September 30, 2024
December 31, 2023
Land and improvements
$
1,129,190
$
998,417
Buildings and improvements
4,186,098
4,117,210
Furniture, fixtures and equipment
839,541
798,410
6,154,829
5,914,037
Accumulated depreciation
(
1,897,630
)
(
1,777,821
)
Investment in hotel properties, net
$
4,257,199
$
4,136,216
For the three and nine months ended September 30, 2024, the Company recognized depreciation expense related to its investment in hotel properties of approximately $
44.9
million and $
133.9
million, respectively. For the three and nine months ended September 30, 2023, the Company recognized depreciation expense related to its investment in hotel properties of approximately $
44.7
million and $
134.6
million, respectively.
On January 29, 2024, the Company acquired the fee simple interest in its Wyndham Boston Beacon Hill hotel property in Boston, Massachusetts, which was previously owned via a leasehold interest that was subject to a ground lease, for a purchase price of approximately $
125.0
million. The acquisition was accounted for as an asset acquisition, whereby approximately $
0.2
million of transaction costs were capitalized as part of the cost of the acquisition. The existing right-of-use asset of $
1.3
million, lease liability of $
0.1
million and $
125.2
million cost of the acquisition were recorded as land in the accompanying consolidated balance sheet.
Also during the nine months ended September 30, 2024, the Company acquired a
100
% interest in the following property:
Property
Location
Acquisition Date
Management Company
Rooms
Purchase Price (in thousands)
Hotel Teatro
Denver, CO
June 13, 2024
Sage Hospitality
110
$
35,500
The acquisition of Hotel Teatro was accounted for as an asset acquisition, whereby approximately $
0.6
million of transaction costs were capitalized as part of the cost of the acquisition.
The allocation of the costs for the property acquired was as follows (in thousands):
September 30, 2024
Land and improvements
$
3,433
Buildings and improvements
29,716
Furniture, fixtures and equipment
2,996
Total purchase price
$
36,145
The value of the asset acquired was primarily based on a sales comparison approach (for land) and a depreciated replacement cost approach (for building and improvements and furniture, fixtures and equipment). The sales comparison approach used inputs of recent land sales in the hotel market. The depreciated replacement cost approach used inputs of both direct and indirect replacement costs using a nationally recognized authority on replacement cost information as well as the age, square footage and number of rooms of the asset.
5.
Sales of Hotel Properties
During the nine months ended September 30, 2024, the Company sold the following hotel properties in two separate transactions for a combined sales price of approximately $
20.8
million.
Hotel Property Name
Location
Sale Date
Rooms
Residence Inn Merrillville
Merrillville, IN
May 21, 2024
78
Fairfield Inn & Suites Denver Cherry Creek
Denver, CO
September 9, 2024
134
Total
212
The Company recorded net gains of $
4.8
million and $
8.3
million, respectively, for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2024 in connection with the sales of these hotel properties.
The Company's debt consisted of the following (in thousands):
September 30, 2024
December 31, 2023
Senior Notes, net
$
993,445
$
991,672
Revolver Outstanding
100,000
—
Term Loans, net
918,006
821,443
Mortgage loans, net
207,375
407,663
Debt, net
$
2,218,826
$
2,220,778
Senior Notes
The Company's senior notes (collectively, the "Senior Notes") consisted of the following (dollars in thousands):
Carrying Value at
Interest Rate
Maturity Date
September 30, 2024
December 31, 2023
2029 Senior Notes (1)
4.00
%
September 2029
$
500,000
$
500,000
2026 Senior Notes (1)
3.75
%
July 2026
500,000
500,000
1,000,000
1,000,000
Deferred financing costs, net
(
6,555
)
(
8,328
)
Total senior notes, net
$
993,445
$
991,672
(1)
Requires payment of interest only through maturity.
The indentures governing the Senior Notes contain customary covenants that limit the Operating Partnership’s ability and,
in certain instances, the ability of its subsidiaries, to incur additional debt, create liens on assets, make distributions and pay
dividends, make certain types of investments, issue guarantees of indebtedness, and make certain restricted payments. These
limitations are subject to a number of exceptions and qualifications set forth in the indentures.
A summary of the various restrictive covenants for the Senior Notes are as follows:
Covenant
Compliance
Maintenance Covenant
Unencumbered Asset to Unencumbered Debt Ratio
>
150.0
%
Yes
Incurrence Covenants
Consolidated Indebtedness less than Adjusted Total Assets
<
.65
x
Yes
Consolidated Secured Indebtedness less than Adjusted Total Assets
<
.45
x
Yes
Interest Coverage Ratio
>
1.5
x
Yes
Revolver and Term Loans
The Company has the following unsecured credit agreements in place:
•
$
600.0
million revolving credit facility with a scheduled maturity date of May 10, 2027 and either a
one-year
extension option or up to
two
six-month
extension options if certain conditions are satisfied (the "Revolver");
•
$
500.0
million term loan with a scheduled maturity date of September 24, 2027 and up to
two
one-year
extension options if certain conditions are satisfied (the "$
500
Million Term Loan Maturing 2027");
•
$
200.0
million term loan with a scheduled maturity date of January 31, 2026 and up to
two
one-year
extension options if certain conditions are satisfied (the "$
200
Million Term Loan Maturing 2026"); and
•
$
225.0
million term loan with a scheduled maturity date of May 10, 2026 and up to
two
one-year
extension options if certain conditions are satisfied (the "$
225
Million Term Loan Maturing 2026").
The $
500
Million Term Loan Maturing 2027, the $
200
Million Term Loan Maturing 2026, and the $
225
Million Term Loan Maturing 2026 are collectively referred to as the "Term Loans."
In September 2024, the Company entered into the $
500
Million Term Loan Maturing 2027, the proceeds of which were used to repay an existing $
400.0
million term loan with a scheduled maturity date of May 18, 2025 (the "$
400
Million Term Loan Maturing 2025") and $
100.0
million of outstanding borrowings under the Revolver. The $
500
Million Term Loan Maturing 2027 matures on September 24, 2027, with up to
two
one-year
extension options if certain conditions are satisfied. Borrowings under the $
500
Million Term Loan Maturing 2027 bear interest at a variable rate with the same terms as the $
400
Million Term Loan Maturing 2025. The Company paid approximately $
5.1
million in lender fees and legal costs related to the refinancing.
The Company's unsecured credit agreements consisted of the following (dollars in thousands):
Carrying Value at
Interest Rate at September 30, 2024 (1)
Maturity Date
September 30, 2024
December 31, 2023
Revolver (2)
6.59
%
May 2027
$
100,000
$
—
$
500
Million Term Loan Maturing 2027
4.82
%
September 2027 (4)
500,000
—
$
400
Million Term Loan Maturing 2025 (3)
N/A
N/A
—
400,000
$
200
Million Term Loan Maturing 2026
6.55
%
January 2026 (4)
200,000
200,000
$
225
Million Term Loan Maturing 2026
3.91
%
May 2026 (4)
225,000
225,000
1,025,000
825,000
Deferred financing costs, net (5)
(
6,994
)
(
3,557
)
Total Revolver and Term Loans, net
$
1,018,006
$
821,443
(1)
Interest rate at September 30, 2024 gives effect to interest rate hedges.
(2)
At September 30, 2024 and December 31, 2023, there was $
500.0
million and $
600.0
million, respectively, of borrowing capacity on the Revolver. The Company has the ability to extend the maturity date for an additional
one-year
period or up to
two
six-month
periods ending May 2028 if certain conditions are satisfied. In April 2024, the Company borrowed $
200.0
million under the Revolver and utilized the proceeds to repay a $
200.0
million maturing mortgage loan. In September 2024, the Company utilized part of the $
500
Million Term Loan Maturing 2027 proceeds to repay $
100.0
million of outstanding borrowings under the Revolver.
(3)
In September 2024, the Company utilized part of the $
500
Million Term Loan Maturing 2027 proceeds to pay off this term loan.
(4)
This Term Loan includes
two
one-year
extension options at the Company's discretion, subject to certain conditions.
(5)
Excludes $
4.3
million and $
5.6
million as of September 30, 2024 and December 31, 2023, respectively, related to deferred financing costs on the Revolver, which are included in prepaid expense and other assets in the accompanying consolidated balance sheets.
The Revolver and Term Loans are subject to various financial covenants. A summary of the most restrictive covenants is as follows:
Covenant
Compliance
Leverage ratio (1)
<=
7.25
x
Yes
Fixed charge coverage ratio (2)
>=
1.50
x
Yes
Secured indebtedness ratio
<=
45.0
%
Yes
Unencumbered indebtedness ratio
<=
60.0
%
Yes
Unencumbered debt service coverage ratio
>=
2.00
x
Yes
(1)
Leverage ratio is net indebtedness, as defined in the Revolver and Term Loan agreements, to corporate earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization ("EBITDA"), as defined in the Revolver and Term Loan agreements.
(2)
Fixed charge coverage ratio is Adjusted EBITDA, generally defined in the Revolver and Term Loan agreements as EBITDA less furniture, fixtures and equipment ("FF&E") reserves, to fixed charges, which is generally defined in the Revolver and Term Loan agreements as interest expense, all regularly scheduled principal payments, preferred dividends paid, and cash taxes paid.
The Company's mortgage loans consisted of the following (dollars in thousands):
Carrying Value at
Number of Assets Encumbered
Interest Rate at September 30, 2024
Maturity Date
September 30, 2024
December 31, 2023
Mortgage loan (1)
N/A
N/A
N/A
$
—
$
200,000
Mortgage loan (2)
3
4.78
%
(4)
April 2025
(5)
96,000
96,000
Mortgage loan (2)
4
5.29
%
(4)
April 2025
(5)
85,000
85,000
Mortgage loan (3)
1
5.06
%
January 2029
26,562
26,833
8
207,562
407,833
Deferred financing costs, net
(
187
)
(
170
)
Total mortgage loans, net
$
207,375
$
407,663
(1)
In April 2024, the Company repaid this mortgage loan using a $
200.0
million draw under its Revolver.
(2)
The hotels encumbered by the mortgage loan are cross-collateralized. Requires payments of interest only through maturity.
(3)
Includes $
1.6
million and $
1.8
million at September 30, 2024 and December 31, 2023, respectively, related to a fair value adjustment on this mortgage loan from purchase price allocation at hotel property acquisition. This mortgage loan requires payments of interest only through maturity.
(4)
Interest rate at September 30, 2024 gives effect to interest rate hedges.
(5)
This mortgage loan provides for a
one-year
extension option to April 2026, subject to certain conditions.
Certain mortgage agreements are subject to various maintenance covenants requiring the Company to maintain a minimum debt yield or debt service coverage ratio ("DSCR"). Failure to meet the debt yield or DSCR thresholds is not an event of default, but instead triggers a cash trap event. At September 30, 2024, all mortgage loans exceeded the minimum debt yield or DSCR thresholds.
Interest Expense
The components of the Company's interest expense consisted of the following (in thousands):
For the three months ended September 30,
For the nine months ended September 30,
2024
2023
2024
2023
Senior Notes
$
9,695
$
9,695
$
29,070
$
29,070
Revolver and Term Loans
14,228
7,365
37,075
23,176
Mortgage loans
2,671
5,727
10,939
15,286
Amortization of deferred financing costs
1,663
1,564
4,779
4,528
Non-cash interest expense related to interest rate hedges
The following interest rate swaps have been designated as cash flow hedges (in thousands):
Notional value at
Fair value at
Hedge type
Swap
rate
Effective Date
Maturity Date
September 30, 2024
December 31, 2023
September 30, 2024
December 31, 2023
Swap-cash flow-Daily SOFR
2.44
%
January 2021
December 2023
$
—
$
75,000
$
—
$
—
Swap-cash flow-Daily SOFR
2.31
%
January 2021
December 2023
—
75,000
—
—
Swap-cash flow-Daily SOFR
1.08
%
April 2021
April 2024
—
50,000
—
827
Swap-cash flow-Daily SOFR
1.13
%
April 2021
April 2024
—
50,000
—
819
Swap-cash flow-Daily SOFR
1.08
%
April 2021
April 2024
—
50,000
—
829
Swap-cash flow-Daily SOFR
0.97
%
April 2021
April 2024
—
50,000
—
849
Swap-cash flow-Daily SOFR
0.85
%
April 2021
April 2024
—
25,000
—
436
Swap-cash flow-Daily SOFR
0.88
%
April 2021
April 2024
—
25,000
—
434
Swap-cash flow-Daily SOFR
0.86
%
April 2021
April 2024
—
25,000
—
436
Swap-cash flow-Daily SOFR
0.83
%
April 2021
April 2024
—
25,000
—
439
Swap-cash flow-Term SOFR
4.37
%
April 2023
April 2024
—
200,000
—
673
Swap-cash flow-Daily SOFR
0.77
%
June 2020
December 2024
50,000
50,000
516
2,011
Swap-cash flow-Daily SOFR
0.63
%
June 2020
December 2024
50,000
50,000
533
2,081
Swap-cash flow-Daily SOFR
1.16
%
September 2021
September 2025
150,000
150,000
4,228
7,969
Swap-cash flow-Daily SOFR
0.56
%
July 2021
January 2026
50,000
50,000
2,108
3,556
Swap-cash flow-Daily SOFR
2.95
%
April 2024
April 2027
125,000
125,000
1,383
1,769
Swap-cash flow-Daily SOFR
2.85
%
April 2024
April 2027
65,000
65,000
885
1,103
Swap-cash flow-Daily SOFR
2.75
%
April 2024
April 2027
60,000
60,000
971
1,188
Swap-cash flow-Daily SOFR
3.70
%
July 2024
July 2027
25,000
25,000
(
231
)
(
254
)
Swap-cash flow-Daily SOFR
3.45
%
July 2024
July 2027
25,000
25,000
(
59
)
(
77
)
Swap-cash flow-Daily SOFR
3.71
%
July 2024
July 2027
25,000
25,000
(
236
)
(
259
)
Swap-cash flow-Daily SOFR
3.20
%
January 2025
January 2028
25,000
—
(
40
)
—
Swap-cash flow-Daily SOFR
3.40
%
January 2025
January 2028
25,000
—
(
184
)
—
Swap-cash flow-Daily SOFR
3.30
%
January 2025
January 2029
25,000
—
(
157
)
—
$
700,000
$
1,275,000
$
9,717
$
24,829
As of September 30, 2024 and December 31, 2023, the aggregate fair value of the interest rate swap assets of $
10.6
million and $
25.4
million, respectively, was included in prepaid expense and other assets in the accompanying consolidated balance sheets. As of September 30, 2024 and December 31, 2023, the aggregate fair value of the interest rate swap liabilities of $
0.9
million and $
0.6
million, respectively, was included in accounts payable and other liabilities in the accompanying consolidated balance sheets.
As of September 30, 2024 and December 31, 2023, there was approximately $
8.8
million and $
22.7
million, respectively, of unrealized gains included in accumulated other comprehensive income related to interest rate swaps. There was
no
ineffectiveness recorded during the three or nine month periods ended September 30, 2024 or 2023. For the three and nine
months ended September 30, 2024, gains of approximately $
4.9
million and $
16.3
million, respectively, included in accumulated other comprehensive income were reclassified into
interest expense
for the interest rate swaps. For the three and nine months ended September 30, 2023, gains of approximately $
8.3
million and $
21.8
million, respectively, included in accumulated other comprehensive income were reclassified into
interest expense
for the interest rate swaps. Approximately $
8.0
million of the unrealized gains included in accumulated other comprehensive income at September 30, 2024 is expected to be reclassified into earnings within the next 12 months
.
9.
Fair Value
Fair Value Measurement
Fair value is defined as the price that would be received upon the sale of an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date in the principal or most advantageous market. The fair value hierarchy has three levels of inputs, both observable and unobservable:
•
Level 1 — Inputs include quoted market prices in an active market for identical assets or liabilities.
•
Level 2 — Inputs are market data, other than Level 1, that are observable either directly or indirectly. Level 2 inputs include quoted market prices for similar assets or liabilities, quoted market prices in an inactive market, and other observable information that can be corroborated by market data.
•
Level 3 — Inputs are unobservable and corroborated by little or no market data.
Fair Value of Financial Instruments
The Company used the following market assumptions and/or estimation methods:
•
Cash and cash equivalents, restricted cash reserves, hotel and other receivables, accounts payable and other liabilities — The carrying amounts reported in the consolidated balance sheets for these financial instruments approximate fair value because of their short term maturities.
•
Debt — The Company estimated the fair value of the Senior Notes by using publicly available trading prices, which are Level 1 inputs in the fair value hierarchy. The Company estimated the fair value of the Revolver and Term Loans by using a discounted cash flow model and incorporating various inputs and assumptions for the effective borrowing rates for debt with similar terms, which are Level 2 and Level 3 inputs in the fair value hierarchy. The Company estimated the fair value of the mortgage loans by using a discounted cash flow model and incorporating various inputs and assumptions for the effective borrowing rates for debt with similar terms and the loan to estimated fair value of the collateral, which are Level 3 inputs in the fair value hierarchy.
The fair value of the Company's debt was as follows (in thousands):
The following table presents the Company’s fair value hierarchy for those financial assets and liabilities measured at fair value on a recurring basis as of September 30, 2024 (in thousands):
Fair Value at September 30, 2024
Level 1
Level 2
Level 3
Total
Interest rate swap asset
$
—
$
10,624
$
—
$
10,624
Interest rate swap liability
—
(
907
)
—
(
907
)
Total
$
—
$
9,717
$
—
$
9,717
The following table presents the Company’s fair value hierarchy for those financial assets and liabilities measured at fair value on a recurring basis as of December 31, 2023 (in thousands):
Fair Value at December 31, 2023
Level 1
Level 2
Level 3
Total
Interest rate swap asset
$
—
$
25,419
$
—
$
25,419
Interest rate swap liability
—
(
590
)
—
(
590
)
Total
$
—
$
24,829
$
—
$
24,829
The fair values of the derivative financial instruments are determined using widely accepted valuation techniques including a discounted cash flow analysis on the expected cash flows for each derivative. The Company determined that the significant inputs, such as interest yield curves and discount rates, used to value its derivatives fall within Level 2 of the fair value hierarchy and that the credit valuation adjustments associated with the Company’s counterparties and its own credit risk utilize Level 3 inputs, such as estimates of current credit spreads to evaluate the likelihood of default by itself and its counterparties. As of September 30, 2024, the Company assessed the significance of the impact of the credit valuation adjustments on the overall valuation of its derivative positions and determined that the credit valuation adjustments were not significant to the overall valuation of its derivatives. As a result, the Company determined that its derivative valuations in their entirety are classified in Level 2 of the fair value hierarchy.
10.
Income Taxes
The Company accounts for income taxes using the asset and liability method. Under this method, deferred tax assets and liabilities are recognized for the estimated future tax consequences attributable to the differences between the financial statement carrying amounts of existing assets and liabilities and their respective income tax bases, and for net operating loss ("NOL"), capital loss and tax credit carryforwards. The deferred tax assets and liabilities are measured using the enacted income tax rates in effect for the year in which those temporary differences are expected to be realized or settled. The effect on the deferred tax assets and liabilities from a change in tax rates is recognized in earnings in the period when the new rate is enacted. However, deferred tax assets are recognized only to the extent that it is more likely than not that they will be realized based on consideration of all available evidence, including the future reversals of existing taxable temporary differences, future projected taxable income and tax planning strategies. Valuation allowances are provided if, based upon the weight of the available evidence, it is more likely than not that some or all of the deferred tax assets will not be realized. The Company is still continuing to provide a full valuation allowance against the deferred tax assets related to the NOL carryforwards of RLJ Lodging Trust Master TRS, Inc., the Company's primary TRS.
The Company had
no
accruals for tax uncertainties as of September 30, 2024 and December 31, 2023.
11.
Commitments and Contingencies
Restricted Cash Reserves
The Company is obligated to maintain cash reserve funds for future capital expenditures, real estate taxes, insurance, and debt obligations where lenders hold restricted cash due to cash trap events. The management agreements, franchise agreements and/or mortgage loan documents require the Company to reserve cash ranging typically from
3.0
% to
5.0
% of the individual hotel’s revenues for future capital expenditures (including the periodic replacement or refurbishment of FF&E). Any unexpended amounts will remain the property of the Company upon termination of the management agreements, franchise agreements or mortgage loan documents. As of September 30, 2024 and December 31, 2023, approximately $
39.0
million and
$
38.7
million, respectively, was available in the restricted cash reserves for future capital expenditures, real estate taxes, and insurance.
Litigation
Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries is currently involved in any regulatory or legal proceedings that management believes will have a material and adverse effect on the Company's financial position, results of operations or cash flows.
Management Agreements
As of September 30, 2024,
95
of the Company's consolidated hotel properties were operated pursuant to management agreements with initial terms ranging from
three
to
25
years. This number includes
35
consolidated hotel properties that receive the benefits of a franchise agreement pursuant to management agreements with Hilton, Hyatt, or Marriott. Each management company receives a base management fee between
1.5
% and
3.5
% of hotel revenues. Management agreements that include the benefits of a franchise agreement incur a base management fee between
1.0
% and
7.0
% of hotel revenues. The management companies are also eligible to receive an incentive management fee if hotel operating income, as defined in the management agreements, exceeds certain thresholds. The incentive management fee is generally calculated as a percentage of hotel operating income after the Company has received a priority return on its investment in the hotel.
Management fees are included in management and franchise fee expense in the accompanying consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive income. For the three and nine months ended September 30, 2024, the Company incurred management fee expense of approximately $
10.2
million and $
31.4
million, respectively. For the three and nine months ended September 30, 2023, the Company incurred management fee expense of approximately $
10.4
million and $
32.3
million, respectively.
Franchise Agreements
As of September 30, 2024,
57
of the Company’s consolidated hotel properties were operated under franchise agreements with initial terms ranging from
one
to
30
years. This number excludes
35
consolidated hotel properties that receive the benefits of a franchise agreement pursuant to management agreements with Hilton, Hyatt, or Marriott. In addition,
three
hotels are not operated with a hotel brand so they do not have franchise agreements. Franchise agreements allow the hotel properties to operate under the respective brands. Pursuant to the franchise agreements, the Company pays a royalty fee between
2.0
% and
6.0
% of room revenue, plus additional fees for marketing, central reservation systems and other franchisor costs between
1.0
% and
4.3
% of room revenue. Certain hotels are also charged a royalty fee between
1.5
% and
3.0
% of food and beverage revenues.
Franchise fees are included in management and franchise fee expense in the accompanying consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive income. For the three and nine months ended September 30, 2024, the Company incurred franchise fee expense of approximately $
17.1
million and $
51.4
million, respectively. For the three and nine months ended September 30, 2023, the Company incurred franchise fee expense of approximately $
16.7
million and $
50.2
million, respectively.
12.
Equity
Common Shares of Beneficial Interest
During the nine months ended September 30, 2024, the Company declared a cash dividend of $
0.10
per common share in each of the first and second quarters of 2024 and a cash dividend of $
0.15
per common share in the third quarter of 2024. During the nine months ended September 30, 2023, the Company declared a cash dividend of $
0.08
per common share in each of the first and second quarters of 2023 and a cash dividend of $
0.10
per common share in the third quarter of 2023.
On April 26, 2024, the Company's board of trustees approved a new share repurchase program to acquire up to an
aggregate of $
250.0
million of common and preferred shares from May 9, 2024 to May 8, 2025 (the "2024 Share Repurchase
Program"). During the nine months ended September 30, 2024, the Company repurchased and retired approximately
2.0
million common shares for approximately $
19.0
million, of which $
1.3
million was repurchased under a share repurchase program authorized by the Company’s board of trustees in 2023, which expired May 8, 2024, and $
17.7
million was repurchased under the 2024 Share Repurchase Program. Subsequent to September 30, 2024, the Company repurchased and
retired approximately
0.3
million common shares for approximately $
3.0
million. As of November 7, 2024, the 2024 Share Repurchase Program had a remaining capacity of $
229.3
million.
During the nine months ended September 30, 2023, the Company repurchased and retired approximately
6.6
million common shares for approximately $
66.8
million.
Series A Preferred Shares
During the nine months ended September 30, 2024 and 2023, the Company declared a cash dividend of $
0.4875
on each Series A Preferred Share in each of the first, second and third quarters of 2024 and 2023.
The Series A Preferred Shares are convertible, in whole or in part, at any time, at the option of the holders into common shares at a conversion rate of
0.2806
common shares for each Series A Preferred Share.
Noncontrolling Interest in Consolidated Joint Ventures
The Company consolidates the joint venture that owns The Knickerbocker hotel property, which has a third-party partner that owns a noncontrolling
5
% ownership interest in the joint venture. The third-party ownership interest is included in the noncontrolling interest in consolidated joint ventures on the consolidated balance sheets.
Noncontrolling Interest in the Operating Partnership
The Company consolidates the Operating Partnership, which is a majority-owned limited partnership that has a noncontrolling interest. The outstanding OP units held by the limited partners are redeemable for cash, or at the option of the Company, for a like number of common shares. As of September 30, 2024,
771,831
outstanding OP units were held by the limited partners. The noncontrolling interest is included in the noncontrolling interest in the Operating Partnership on the consolidated balance sheets.
13.
Equity Incentive Plan
The Company may issue share-based awards to officers, employees, non-employee trustees and other eligible persons under the RLJ Lodging Trust 2021 Equity Incentive Plan (the "2021 Plan"). The 2021 Plan provides for a maximum of
6,828,527
common shares to be issued in the form of share options, share appreciation rights, restricted share awards, unrestricted share awards, share units, dividend equivalent rights, long-term incentive units, other equity-based awards and cash bonus awards.
Share Awards
From time to time, the Company may award unvested restricted shares as compensation to officers, employees and non-employee trustees. The issued shares vest over a period of time as determined by the board of trustees at the date of grant. The Company recognizes compensation expense for time-based unvested restricted shares on a straight-line basis over the vesting period based upon the fair market value of the shares on the date of issuance, adjusted for forfeitures.
Non-employee trustees may also elect to receive unrestricted shares as compensation that would otherwise be paid in cash for their services. The shares issued to non-employee trustees in lieu of cash compensation are unrestricted and include no vesting conditions. The Company recognizes compensation expense for the unrestricted shares issued in lieu of cash compensation on the date of issuance based upon the fair market value of the shares on that date.
A summary of the unvested restricted shares as of September 30, 2024 is as follows:
2024
Number of
Shares
Weighted-Average
Grant Date
Fair Value
Unvested at January 1, 2024
2,305,303
$
13.52
Granted
925,731
11.57
Vested
(
1,590,325
)
14.24
Forfeited
(
25,541
)
11.22
Unvested at September 30, 2024
1,615,168
$
11.73
For the three and nine months ended September 30, 2024, the Company recognized approximately $
2.3
million and $
9.4
million, respectively, of share-based compensation expense related to restricted share awards. For the three and nine months ended September 30, 2023, the Company recognized approximately $
4.0
million and $
11.4
million, respectively, of share-based compensation expense related to restricted share awards. As of September 30, 2024, there was $
13.5
million of total unrecognized compensation costs related to unvested restricted share awards and these costs are expected to be recognized over a weighted-average period of
1.9
years. The total fair value of the shares vested (calculated as the number of shares multiplied by the vesting date share price) during the nine months ended September 30, 2024 and 2023 was approximately $
17.6
million and $
9.7
million, respectively.
Performance Units
The Company aligns its executive officers with its long-term investors by awarding a significant percentage of their equity compensation in the form of multi-year performance unit awards that use both absolute and relative total shareholder return as the primary metrics. The performance units vest at the end of a
three year
period (the “performance units measurement period”).
The performance units granted in 2024 may convert into restricted shares at a range of
0
% to
200
% of the number of performance units granted contingent upon the Company achieving a relative shareholder return over the measurement period at specified percentiles of the peer group, as defined by the awards. These performance units are subject to modification based on the Company's absolute total shareholder return performance as follows: (1) if at the end of the measurement period the relative total shareholder return performance exceeds target and absolute total shareholder return is less than
zero
, payouts will be reduced by
25
%, but not below target and (2) if the absolute total shareholder return is down more than
15
% during the entire measurement period, the maximum payout will be capped at
115
% of target. The performance units granted prior to 2024 may convert into restricted shares at a range of
0
% to
200
% of the number of performance units granted contingent upon the Company achieving an absolute total shareholder return (
25
% of award) and a relative shareholder return (
75
% of award) over the measurement period at specified percentiles of the peer group, as defined by the awards.
At the end of the performance units measurement period, if the target criterion is met,
100
% of the performance units that are earned will vest immediately. The fair value of the performance units was determined using a Monte Carlo simulation. The Company estimates the compensation expense for the performance units on a straight-line basis using a calculation that recognizes
100
% of the grant date fair value over
three years
.
A summary of the performance unit awards is as follows:
Date of Award
Number of
Units Granted
Grant Date Fair
Value
Conversion Range
Risk Free Interest Rate
Volatility
February 2021 (1)
431,151
$
20.90
0
% to
200
%
0.23
%
69.47
%
February 2022
407,024
$
21.96
0
% to
200
%
1.70
%
70.15
%
February 2023
574,846
$
16.90
0
% to
200
%
4.33
%
66.70
%
February 2024
703,325
$
15.13
0
% to
200
%
4.43
%
35.60
%
(1) In February 2024, following the end of the measurement period, the Company met certain threshold criterion and the performance units converted into approximately
253,000
restricted shares, all of which vested immediately. The total fair value of the vested shares related to the conversion of the performance units (calculated as the number of vested shares multiplied by the vesting date share price) during the nine months ended September 30, 2024 was approximately $
3.0
million.
For the three and nine months ended September 30, 2024, the Company recognized approximately $
2.3
million and $
6.9
million, respectively, of share-based compensation expense related to the performance unit awards. For the three and nine months ended September 30, 2023, the Company recognized approximately $
2.3
million and $
6.7
million, respectively, of share-based compensation expense related to the performance unit awards. As of September 30, 2024, there was $
14.0
million of total unrecognized compensation costs related to the performance unit awards and these costs are expected to be recognized over a weighted-average period of
1.9
years.
As of September 30, 2024, there were
2,047,206
common shares available for future grant under the 2021 Plan, which includes potential common shares that may convert from performance units if certain target criterion is met.
14.
Earnings per Common Share
Basic earnings per common share is calculated by dividing net income attributable to common shareholders by the weighted-average number of common shares outstanding during the period excluding the weighted-average number of unvested restricted shares and unvested performance units outstanding during the period. Diluted earnings per common share is calculated by dividing net income attributable to common shareholders by the weighted-average number of common shares outstanding during the period, plus any shares that could potentially be outstanding during the period. The potential shares consist of the unvested restricted share grants and unvested performance units, calculated using the treasury stock method, and convertible Series A Preferred Shares, calculated using the if-converted method. Any anti-dilutive shares have been excluded from the diluted earnings per share calculation.
Unvested share-based payment awards that contain non-forfeitable rights to dividends or dividend equivalents (whether paid or unpaid) are participating shares and are considered in the computation of earnings per share pursuant to the two-class method. If there were any undistributed earnings allocable to the participating shares, they would be deducted from net income attributable to common shareholders used in the basic and diluted earnings per share calculations.
The limited partners’ outstanding OP units (which may be redeemed for common shares under certain circumstances) have been excluded from the diluted earnings per share calculation as there was no effect on the amounts for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2024 and 2023, since the limited partners’ share of income would also be added back to net income attributable to common shareholders.
15.
Supplemental Information to Statements of Cash Flows (in thousands)
For the nine months ended September 30,
2024
2023
Reconciliation of cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash reserves
Cash and cash equivalents
$
385,384
$
494,563
Restricted cash reserves
38,958
35,807
Cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash reserves
$
424,342
$
530,370
Interest paid
$
86,921
$
76,935
Income taxes paid
$
2,097
$
1,910
Operating cash flow lease payments for operating leases
$
11,614
$
13,005
Right-of-use asset obtained in exchange for lease obligation
$
—
$
5,016
Right-of-use asset and lease liability adjustments due to remeasurement
$
(
1,165
)
$
—
Right-of-use asset and lease liability reclassifications to land due to acquisition
$
1,187
$
—
Supplemental investing and financing transactions
In connection with acquisitions, the Company recorded the following:
Purchase prices
$
160,500
$
—
Application of purchase deposit
(
2,400
)
—
Transaction costs
887
—
Operating prorations
(
243
)
—
Acquisitions, net
$
158,744
$
—
In connection with the sales of hotel properties, the Company recorded the following:
Sales prices
$
20,778
$
—
Transaction costs
(
1,077
)
(
28
)
Operating prorations
(
159
)
—
Proceeds from sales of hotel properties, net
$
19,542
$
(
28
)
Supplemental non-cash transactions
Accrued capital expenditures
$
18,241
$
13,645
Item 2. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations
The following discussion and analysis should be read in conjunction with our consolidated financial statements and related notes included elsewhere in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, as well as the information contained in our Annual Report, which is accessible on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov.
Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Information
The following information contains certain statements, other than purely historical information, including estimates, projections, statements relating to our business plans, objectives and expected operating results, and the assumptions upon which those statements are based, that are "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act") and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "Exchange Act"). These forward-looking statements generally are identified by the use of the words "believe," "project," "expect," "anticipate," "estimate," "plan," "may," "will," "will continue," "intend,"
"should," or similar expressions. Although we believe that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are based upon reasonable assumptions, beliefs and expectations, such forward-looking statements are not predictions of future events or guarantees of future performance and our actual results could differ materially from those set forth in the forward-looking statements.
Except as required by law, we undertake no obligation to update or revise publicly any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. We caution investors not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements and urge investors to carefully review the disclosures we make concerning risks and uncertainties in the sections entitled "Special Note About Forward-Looking Statements," "Risk Factors," and "Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations" in our Annual Report, as well as the risks, uncertainties and other factors discussed in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q and identified in other documents filed by us with the SEC.
Overview
We are a self-advised and self-administered Maryland REIT that owns primarily premium-branded, rooms-oriented, high-margin, focused-service and compact full-service hotels located within heart of demand locations. We own a geographically diversified portfolio of hotels located in high-growth urban markets that exhibit multiple demand generators and attractive long-term growth prospects. We believe that our investment strategy allows us to generate high levels of Revenue per Available Room ("RevPAR"), strong operating margins and attractive returns.
Our strategy is to own primarily premium-branded, rooms-oriented, high-margin, focused-service and compact full-service hotels located within heart of demand locations. Focused-service and compact full-service hotels typically generate most of their revenue from room rentals, have limited food and beverage outlets and meeting space, and require fewer employees than traditional full-service hotels. We believe these types of hotels have the potential to generate attractive returns relative to other types of hotels due to their ability to achieve RevPAR levels at or close to those achieved by traditional full-service hotels while achieving higher profit margins due to their more efficient operating model and less volatile cash flows.
As of September 30, 2024, we owned 96 hotel properties with approximately 21,300 rooms, located in 23 states and the District of Columbia. We owned, through wholly-owned subsidiaries, a 100% interest in 94 of our hotel properties, a 95% controlling interest in one hotel property, and a 50% non-controlling interest in an entity owning one hotel property. We consolidate our real estate interests in the 95 hotel properties in which we hold a controlling interest, and we record the real estate interest in the one hotel property in which we hold an indirect 50% non-controlling interest using the equity method of accounting. We lease 95 of the 96 hotel properties to our TRSs, of which we own a controlling financial interest.
For U.S. federal income tax purposes, we elected to be taxed as a REIT commencing with our taxable year ended December 31, 2011. Substantially all of our assets and liabilities are held by, and all of our operations are conducted through our Operating Partnership. We are the sole general partner of the Operating Partnership. As of September 30, 2024, we owned, through a combination of direct and indirect interests, 99.5% of the units of limited partnership interest in the OP units.
2024 Significant Activities
Our significant activities reflect our commitment to creating long-term shareholder value through enhancing our hotel portfolio's quality, recycling capital and maintaining a prudent capital structure. The following significant activities have taken place in 2024:
•
Acquired a fee simple interest in the land at our Wyndham Boston Beacon Hill hotel property for approximately $125.0 million.
•
Exercised one-year extension options on $181.0 million in mortgage loans to extend the maturities to April 2025.
•
Fully repaid a $200.0 million maturing mortgage loan with a $200.0 million draw on our Revolver.
•
Approved a new share repurchase program to acquire up to an aggregate of $250.0 million of common and preferred shares from May 9, 2024 to May 8, 2025.
•
Sold two hotel properties for a combined sales price of approximately $20.8 million.
•
Acquired the 110-room Hotel Teatro in Denver, Colorado for $35.5 million.
•
Entered into a new $500.0 million Term Loan, the proceeds of which were used to repay our $400.0 million term loan maturing in 2025 and $100.0 million of borrowings under our Revolver.
•
Repurchased and retired approximately 2.3 million common shares for approximately $22.0 million.
Our Customers
The majority of our hotels consist of premium-branded, focused-service and compact full-service hotels. As a result of this property profile, the majority of our customers are transient in nature. Transient business typically represents individual business or leisure travelers. The majority of our hotels are located in business districts within major metropolitan areas. Accordingly, business travelers represent the majority of the transient demand at our hotels. As a result, macroeconomic factors impacting business travel have a greater effect on our business than factors impacting leisure travel.
Group business is typically defined as a minimum of 10 guestrooms booked together as part of the same piece of business. Group business may or may not use the meeting space at any given hotel. Given the limited meeting space at the majority of our hotels, group business that utilizes meeting space represents a small component of our customer base.
A number of our hotel properties are affiliated with brands marketed toward extended-stay customers. Extended-stay customers are generally defined as those staying five nights or longer.
Our Revenues and Expenses
Our revenues are primarily derived from the operation of hotels, including the sale of rooms, food and beverage revenue and other revenue, which consists of parking fees, resort fees, gift shop sales and other guest service fees.
Our operating costs and expenses consist of the costs to provide hotel services, including room expense, food and beverage expense, management and franchise fees and other operating expenses. Room expense includes housekeeping and front office wages and payroll taxes, reservation systems, room supplies, laundry services and other costs. Food and beverage expense primarily includes the cost of food, the cost of beverages and the associated labor costs. Other operating expenses include labor and other costs associated with the other operating department revenue, as well as labor and other costs associated with administrative departments, sales and marketing, repairs and maintenance and utility costs. Our hotels that are subject to franchise agreements are charged a royalty fee, plus additional fees for marketing, central reservation systems and other franchisor costs, in order for the hotel properties to operate under the respective brands. Franchise fees are based on a percentage of room revenue and for certain hotels additional franchise fees are charged for food and beverage revenue. Our hotels are managed by independent, third-party management companies under long-term agreements pursuant to which the management companies typically earn base and incentive management fees based on the levels of revenues and profitability of each individual hotel property. We generally receive a cash distribution from the management companies on a monthly basis, which reflects hotel-level sales less hotel-level operating expenses.
Key Indicators of Financial Performance
We use a variety of operating, financial and other information to evaluate the operating performance of our business. These key indicators include financial information that is prepared in accordance with GAAP as well as other financial measures that are non-GAAP measures. In addition, we use other information that may not be financial in nature, including industry standard statistical information and comparative data. We use this information to measure the operating performance of our individual hotels, groups of hotels and/or business as a whole. We also use these metrics to evaluate the hotels in our portfolio and potential acquisition opportunities to determine each hotel's contribution to cash flow and its potential to provide attractive long-term total returns. The key indicators include:
•
Average Daily Rate ("ADR")
•
Occupancy
•
RevPAR
ADR, Occupancy and RevPAR are commonly used measures within the lodging industry to evaluate operating performance. RevPAR is an important statistic for monitoring operating performance at the individual hotel property level and across our entire business. We evaluate individual hotel RevPAR performance on an absolute basis with comparisons to budget and prior periods, as well as on a regional and company-wide basis. ADR and RevPAR include only room revenue.
We also use non-GAAP measures such as FFO, Adjusted FFO, EBITDA, EBITDA
re
and Adjusted EBITDA to evaluate the operating performance of our business. For a more in depth discussion of the non-GAAP measures, please refer to the "Non-GAAP Financial Measures" section.
Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates
The preparation of the financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amount of assets and liabilities at the date of our financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. It is possible that the actual amounts may differ significantly from these estimates and assumptions. We evaluate our estimates, assumptions and judgments on an ongoing basis, based on information that is available to us, our business and industry experience, and various other matters that we believe are reasonable and appropriate for consideration under the circumstances. Our Annual Report contains a discussion of our critical accounting policies and estimates. There have been no significant changes to our critical accounting policies and estimates since December 31, 2023.
Results of Operations
At September 30, 2024 and 2023, we owned 96 and 97 hotel properties, respectively. Based on when a hotel property is acquired or sold, the operating results for certain hotel properties are not comparable for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2024 and 2023. The non-comparable properties include two hotel properties that were sold and one hotel property that was acquired in 2024.
Total revenues increased $11.3 million to $345.7 million for the three months ended September 30, 2024 from $334.4 million for the three months ended September 30, 2023. The increase was the result of a $6.5 million increase in room revenue, a $2.8 million increase in food and beverage revenue, and a $2.0 million increase in other revenue.
Room Revenue
Room revenue increased $6.5 million to $283.6 million for the three months ended September 30, 2024 from $277.1 million for the three months ended September 30, 2023. The increase was the result of a $5.6 million increase in room revenue attributable to the comparable properties, primarily due to an increase in corporate and group travel.
The following are the quarter-to-date key hotel operating statistics for the comparable properties:
For the three months ended September 30,
2024
2023
Occupancy
75.1
%
74.1
%
ADR
$
193.07
$
191.92
RevPAR
$
144.97
$
142.20
Food and Beverage Revenue
Food and beverage revenue increased $2.8 million to $37.0 million for the three months ended September 30, 2024 from $34.2 million for the three months ended September 30, 2023. The increase in food and beverage revenue was primarily due to increases in outlet revenue and the ramping up of our recently converted and renovated hotels.
Other Revenue
Other revenue increased $2.0 million to $25.1 million for the three months ended September 30, 2024 from $23.1 million for the three months ended September 30, 2023. The increase in other revenue was primarily due to an increase in parking and resort fees.
Property Operating Expenses
Property operating expenses increased $10.1 million to $223.6 million for the three months ended September 30, 2024 from $213.5 million for the three months ended September 30, 2023. The increase was due to a $9.2 million increase in property operating expenses from the comparable properties.
The components of our property operating expenses for the comparable properties were as follows (in thousands):
For the three months ended September 30,
2024
2023
$ Change
Room expense
$
73,898
$
70,799
$
3,099
Food and beverage expense
28,977
27,430
1,547
Management and franchise fee expense
27,123
26,842
281
Other operating expenses
91,388
87,164
4,224
Total property operating expenses
$
221,386
$
212,235
$
9,151
The increase in property operating expenses from the comparable properties was primarily due to increases in wages and benefits, as well as increases in room and food and beverage expenses, and increases in other operating expenses, primarily due to increases in sales and marketing, utilities, and administrative expenses.
Property Tax, Insurance and Other
Property tax, insurance and other expense decreased $2.8 million to $24.2 million for the three months ended September 30, 2024 from $26.9 million for the three months ended September 30, 2023. The decrease was primarily attributable to the
beneficial impact of successful real estate tax appeals in the current quarter, partially offset by increases in insurance premiums.
General and Administrative
General and administrative expense decreased $2.0 million to $12.8 million for the three months ended September 30, 2024 from $14.7 million for the three months ended September 30, 2023. The decrease was primarily attributable to a decrease in non-cash compensation expense.
Other Income, net
Other income, net decreased $1.1 million to $0.8 million for the three months ended September 30, 2024 from $1.9 million for the three months ended September 30, 2023. The decrease was primarily attributable to the receipt of certain COVID-19 relief awards during the three months ended September 30, 2023.
Interest Income
Interest income decreased $1.0 million to $4.3 million for the three months ended September 30, 2024 from $5.3 million for the three months ended September 30, 2023. The decrease was attributable to lower average cash balances during the current quarter compared with those during the three months ended September 30, 2023.
Interest Expense
Interest expense increased $3.8 million to $28.6 million for the three months ended September 30, 2024 from $24.8 million for the three months ended September 30, 2023. The increase was attributable to higher interest rates on our unhedged variable rate debt combined with an increase in the amount of debt that was unhedged. The components of our interest expense for the three months ended September 30, 2024 and 2023 were as follows (in thousands):
For the three months ended September 30,
2024
2023
$ Change
Senior Notes
$
9,695
$
9,695
$
—
Revolver and Term Loans
14,228
7,365
6,863
Mortgage loans
2,671
5,727
(3,056)
Amortization of deferred financing costs
1,663
1,564
99
Non-cash interest expense related to interest rate hedges
386
482
(96)
Total interest expense
$
28,643
$
24,833
$
3,810
Gain on Sale of Hotel Properties, net
During the three months ended September 30, 2024, we sold one hotel property for a sale price of approximately $12.7 million and recorded a net gain on the sale of approximately $4.8 million. There were no hotels sold during the three months ended September 30, 2023.
Total revenues increased $33.6 million to $1,039.5 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2024 from $1,005.9 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2023. The increase was the result of a $20.5 million increase in room revenue, a $7.9 million increase in food and beverage revenue, and a $5.2 million increase in other revenue.
Room Revenue
Room revenue increased $20.5 million to $853.9 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2024 from $833.4 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2023. The increase was the result of a $19.6 million increase in room revenue attributable to the comparable properties and was primarily due to an increase in corporate and group travel.
The following are the year-to-date key hotel operating statistics for the comparable properties:
For the nine months ended September 30,
2024
2023
Occupancy
73.7
%
72.6
%
ADR
$
199.43
$
198.67
RevPAR
$
147.04
$
144.28
Food and Beverage Revenue
Food and beverage revenue increased $7.9 million to $113.5 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2024 from $105.6 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2023. The increase in food and beverage revenue was primarily due to increases in outlet revenue and banquet and catering revenue.
Other Revenue
Other revenue increased $5.2 million to $72.0 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2024 from $66.9 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2023. The increase in other revenue was primarily due to an increase in parking and resort fees.
Property Operating Expenses
Property operating expenses increased $35.5 million to $661.9 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2024 from $626.4 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2023. The increase was due to a $34.4 million increase in property operating expenses from the comparable properties.
The components of our property operating expenses for the comparable properties were as follows (in thousands):
For the nine months ended September 30,
2024
2023
$ Change
Room expense
$
216,319
$
206,365
$
9,954
Food and beverage expense
87,865
81,604
6,261
Management and franchise fee expense
82,199
81,891
308
Other operating expenses
270,867
252,983
17,884
Total property operating expenses
$
657,250
$
622,843
$
34,407
The increase in property operating expenses from the comparable properties was primarily due to increases in wages and benefits, as well as increases in room and food and beverage expenses, and increases in other operating expenses, primarily due to increases in sales and marketing, utilities, and administrative expenses.
Property Tax, Insurance and Other
Property tax, insurance and other expense increased $4.5 million to $80.7 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2024 from $76.3 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2023. The increase was primarily attributable to increases in property taxes and insurance premiums, partially offset by the impact of successful real estate tax appeals in the current period.
General and administrative expense decreased $1.2 million to $41.8 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2024 from $43.0 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2023. The decrease was primarily attributable to a decrease in non-cash compensation expense.
Other Income, net
Other income, net increased $1.2 million to $4.7 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2024 from $3.5 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2023. The increase was primarily attributable to the receipt of certain COVID-19 relief awards during the nine months ended September 30, 2024.
Interest Income
Interest income decreased $0.8 million to $13.2 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2024 from $14.0 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2023. The decrease was attributable to lower average cash balances, partially offset by higher interest rates.
Interest Expense
Interest expense increased $9.6 million to $83.2 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2024 from $73.5 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2023. The increase was attributable to higher interest rates on our unhedged variable rate debt combined with an increase in the amount of our debt that was unhedged. The components of our interest expense for the nine months ended September 30, 2024 and 2023 were as follows (in thousands):
For the nine months ended September 30,
2024
2023
$ Change
Senior Notes
$
29,070
$
29,070
$
—
Revolver and Term Loans
37,075
23,176
13,899
Mortgage loans
10,939
15,286
(4,347)
Amortization of deferred financing costs
4,779
4,528
251
Non-cash interest expense related to interest rate hedges
1,287
1,446
(159)
Total interest expense
$
83,150
$
73,506
$
9,644
Gain (Loss) on Sale of Hotel Properties, net
During the nine months ended September 30, 2024, we sold two hotel properties for a combined sales price of approximately $20.8 million and recorded net gains on sale of approximately $8.3 million. There were no hotels sold during the nine months ended September 30, 2023.
Non-GAAP Financial Measures
We consider the following non-GAAP financial measures useful to investors as key supplemental measures of our performance: (1) FFO, (2) Adjusted FFO, (3) EBITDA, (4) EBITDA
re
and (5) Adjusted EBITDA. These non-GAAP financial measures should be considered along with, but not as alternatives to, net income or loss as a measure of our operating performance. FFO, Adjusted FFO, EBITDA, EBITDA
re,
and Adjusted EBITDA, as calculated by us, may not be comparable to FFO, Adjusted FFO, EBITDA, EBITDA
re
and Adjusted EBITDA as reported by other companies that do not define such terms exactly as we define such terms.
Funds From Operations
We calculate funds from operations ("FFO") in accordance with standards established by the National Association of Real Estate Investment Trusts ("NAREIT"), which defines FFO as net income or loss, excluding gains or losses from sales of real estate, impairment, the cumulative effect of changes in accounting principles, plus depreciation and amortization, and adjustments for unconsolidated partnerships and joint ventures. Historical cost accounting for real estate assets implicitly
assumes that the value of real estate assets diminishes predictably over time. Since real estate values instead have historically risen or fallen with market conditions, most real estate industry investors consider FFO to be helpful in evaluating a real estate company’s operations. We believe that the presentation of FFO provides useful information to investors regarding our operating performance and can facilitate comparisons of operating performance between periods and between REITs, even though FFO does not represent an amount that accrues directly to common shareholders. Our calculation of FFO may not be comparable to measures calculated by other companies who do not use the NAREIT definition of FFO or do not calculate FFO per diluted share in accordance with NAREIT guidance. Additionally, FFO may not be helpful when comparing us to non-REITs. We present FFO attributable to common shareholders, which includes our OP units, because our OP units may be redeemed for common shares. We believe it is meaningful for the investor to understand FFO attributable to all common shares and OP units.
We further adjust FFO for certain additional items that are not in NAREIT’s definition of FFO, such as transaction costs, pre-opening costs, gains or losses on extinguishment of indebtedness, non-cash income tax expense or benefit, amortization of share-based compensation, non-cash interest expense related to discontinued interest rate hedges, derivative gains or losses in accumulated other comprehensive income reclassified to earnings, and certain other income or expenses that we consider outside the normal course of operations. We believe that Adjusted FFO provides useful supplemental information to investors regarding our ongoing operating performance that, when considered with net income and FFO, is beneficial to an investor’s understanding of our operating performance.
The following table is a reconciliation of our GAAP net income to FFO attributable to common shareholders and unitholders and Adjusted FFO attributable to common shareholders and unitholders for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2024 and 2023 (in thousands):
For the three months ended September 30,
For the nine months ended September 30,
2024
2023
2024
2023
Net income
$
20,643
$
16,343
$
62,680
$
68,577
Preferred dividends
(6,279)
(6,279)
(18,836)
(18,836)
Depreciation and amortization
44,892
44,727
134,045
134,648
(Gain) loss on sale of hotel properties, net
(4,755)
(16)
(8,301)
28
Noncontrolling interest in consolidated joint ventures
8
137
181
131
Adjustments related to consolidated joint venture (1)
(47)
(44)
(139)
(131)
Adjustments related to unconsolidated joint venture (2)
227
236
685
709
FFO
54,689
55,104
170,315
185,126
Transaction costs
209
2
299
26
Pre-opening costs (3)
888
327
1,088
1,188
Loss on extinguishment of indebtedness, net
129
—
129
169
Amortization of share-based compensation
4,550
6,247
16,260
18,028
Non-cash interest expense related to discontinued interest rate hedges
386
482
1,287
1,446
Other expenses (4)
304
930
2,256
1,026
Adjusted FFO
$
61,155
$
63,092
$
191,634
$
207,009
(1)
Includes depreciation and amortization expense allocated to the noncontrolling interest in the consolidated joint venture.
(2)
Includes our ownership interest in the depreciation and amortization expense of the unconsolidated joint venture.
(3)
Represents expenses related to the brand conversions of certain hotel properties prior to opening.
(4)
Represents expenses and income outside of the normal course of operations.
EBITDA and EBITDA
re
EBITDA is defined as net income or loss excluding: (1) interest expense; (2) income tax expense; and (3) depreciation and amortization expense. We consider EBITDA useful to an investor in evaluating and facilitating comparisons of our operating performance between periods and between REITs by removing the impact of our capital structure (primarily interest expense) and asset base (primarily depreciation and amortization expense) from our operating results. In addition, EBITDA is used as one measure in determining the value of hotel acquisitions and disposals.
In addition to EBITDA, we present EBITDA
re
in accordance with NAREIT guidelines, which defines EBITDA
re
as net income or loss excluding interest expense, income tax expense, depreciation and amortization expense, gains or losses from sales of real estate, impairment, and adjustments for unconsolidated joint ventures. We believe that the presentation of EBITDA
re
provides useful information to investors regarding our operating performance and can facilitate comparisons of operating performance between periods and between REITs.
We also present Adjusted EBITDA, which includes additional adjustments for items such as transaction costs, pre-opening costs, gains or losses on extinguishment of indebtedness, amortization of share-based compensation, derivative gains or losses in accumulated other comprehensive income reclassified to earnings, and certain other income or expenses that we consider outside the normal course of operations. We believe that Adjusted EBITDA provides useful supplemental information to investors regarding our ongoing operating performance that, when considered with net income, EBITDA, and EBITDA
re
, is beneficial to an investor’s understanding of our operating performance.
The following table is a reconciliation of our GAAP net income to EBITDA, EBITDA
re
and Adjusted EBITDA for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2024 and 2023 (in thousands):
For the three months ended September 30,
For the nine months ended September 30,
2024
2023
2024
2023
Net income
$
20,643
$
16,343
$
62,680
$
68,577
Depreciation and amortization
44,892
44,727
134,045
134,648
Interest expense, net of interest income
24,357
19,531
69,959
59,529
Income tax expense
379
332
1,081
1,028
Adjustments related to unconsolidated joint venture (1)
331
344
998
1,034
EBITDA
90,602
81,277
268,763
264,816
(Gain) loss on sale of hotel properties, net
(4,755)
(16)
(8,301)
28
EBITDA
re
85,847
81,261
260,462
264,844
Transaction costs
209
2
299
26
Pre-opening costs (2)
888
327
1,088
1,188
Loss on extinguishment of indebtedness, net
129
—
129
169
Amortization of share-based compensation
4,550
6,247
16,260
18,028
Other expenses (3)
304
930
2,256
1,026
Adjusted EBITDA
$
91,927
$
88,767
$
280,494
$
285,281
(1)
Includes our ownership interest in the interest, depreciation, and amortization expense of the unconsolidated joint venture.
(2)
Represents expenses related to the brand conversions of certain hotel properties prior to opening.
(3)
Represents expenses and income outside of the normal course of operations.
Liquidity and Capital Resources
Our liquidity requirements consist primarily of the funds necessary to pay for operating expenses and other expenditures directly associated with our hotel properties, including:
•
funds necessary to pay for the costs of acquiring hotel properties;
•
redevelopments, conversions, renovations and other capital expenditures that need to be made periodically to our hotel properties;
•
recurring maintenance and capital expenditures necessary to maintain our hotel properties in accordance with brand standards;
•
interest expense and scheduled principal payments on outstanding indebtedness;
•
distributions on common and preferred shares;
•
share repurchases under our share repurchase programs; and
•
corporate and other general and administrative expenses.
As of September 30, 2024, we had $424.3 million of cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash reserves as compared to $555.3 million at December 31, 2023.
Sources and Uses of Cash
Cash flows from Operating Activities
The net cash flow provided by operating activities totaled $214.4 million and $226.2 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2024 and 2023, respectively. Our cash flows provided by operating activities generally consist of the net cash generated by our hotel operations, the cash paid for corporate expenses and other working capital changes. Refer to the "Results of Operations" section for further discussion of our operating results for the nine months ended September 30, 2024 and 2023.
Cash flows from Investing Activities
The net cash flow used in investing activities totaled $246.3 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2024 primarily due to a $122.8 million acquisition of a fee simple interest in our Wyndham Boston Beacon Hill hotel property, a $35.9 million acquisition of a hotel property, and $107.0 million in capital improvements and additions to our hotel properties and other assets. The net cash flow used in investing activities was partially offset by $19.5 million in proceeds from the sales of two hotel properties.
The net cash flow used in investing activities totaled $102.0 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2023 primarily due to capital improvements and additions to our hotel properties.
Cash flows from Financing Activities
The net cash flow used in financing activities totaled $99.1 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2024. The sources of cash included $500.0 million in borrowings on a Term Loan and $200.0 million in borrowings on our Revolver. The uses of cash included $400.0 million in repayment of a term loan, $200.0 million in repayment of a maturing mortgage loan, $100.0 million in repayment of our Revolver, $19.0 million paid to repurchase common shares under our share repurchase programs, $65.8 million in distributions to shareholders and unitholders, $9.0 million paid to repurchase common shares to satisfy employee tax withholding requirements, and $5.3 million in deferred financing cost payments.
The net cash flow used in financing activities totaled $130.2 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2023 primarily due to $66.8 million paid to repurchase common shares under our share repurchase programs, $52.6 million in distributions to shareholders and unitholders, $4.4 million paid to repurchase common shares to satisfy employee tax withholding requirements, and $7.8 million in deferred financing cost payments.
Capital Expenditures and Reserve Funds
We maintain each of our hotel properties in good repair and condition and in conformity with applicable laws and regulations, franchise agreements and management agreements. The cost of routine improvements and alterations are paid out of FF&E reserves, which are funded by a portion of each hotel property’s gross revenues. Routine capital expenditures may be administered by the property management companies. However, we have approval rights over the capital expenditures as part of the annual budget process for each of our hotel properties.
From time to time, certain of our hotel properties may undergo renovations as a result of our decision to upgrade portions of the hotels, such as guestrooms, public space, meeting space, and/or restaurants, in order to better compete with other hotels and alternative lodging options in our markets. In addition, upon acquisition of a hotel property we often are required to complete a property improvement plan in order to bring the hotel up to the respective franchisor’s standards. If permitted by the terms of the management agreement, funding for a renovation will first come from the FF&E reserves. To the extent that the FF&E reserves are not available or sufficient to cover the cost of the renovation, we will fund all or the remaining portion of the renovation with cash and cash equivalents on hand, our Revolver and/or other sources of available liquidity.
With respect to some of our hotels that are operated under franchise agreements with major national hotel brands and for some of our hotels subject to first mortgage liens, we are obligated to maintain FF&E reserve accounts for future capital expenditures at these hotels. The amount funded into each of these reserve accounts is generally determined pursuant to the
management agreements, franchise agreements and/or mortgage loan documents for each of the respective hotels, and typically ranges between 3.0% and 5.0% of the respective hotel’s total gross revenue. As of September 30, 2024, approximately $39.0 million was held in FF&E reserve accounts for future capital expenditures.
Item 3. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk
Market risk includes the risks that arise from changes in interest rates, equity prices and other market changes that affect market sensitive instruments. Our primary market risk exposure is to changes in interest rates on our variable rate debt. As of September 30, 2024, we had approximately $1.2 billion of total variable rate debt outstanding (or 54.1% of total indebtedness) with a weighted-average interest rate of 5.12% per annum. After taking into consideration the effect of interest rate swaps, 74.0% of our total indebtedness was fixed or effectively fixed. As of September 30, 2024, if market interest rates on our variable rate debt not subject to interest rate swaps were to increase by 1.00%, or 100 basis points, interest expense would decrease future earnings and cash flows by approximately $5.8 million annually, taking into account our existing contractual hedging arrangements.
Our interest rate risk objectives are to limit the impact of interest rate fluctuations on earnings and cash flows and to lower our overall borrowing costs. To achieve these objectives, we manage our exposure to fluctuations in market interest rates through the use of fixed rate debt instruments to the extent that reasonably favorable rates are obtainable. We have entered into derivative financial instruments such as interest rate swaps to mitigate our interest rate risk or to effectively lock the interest rate on a portion of our variable rate debt. We do not enter into derivative or interest rate transactions for speculative purposes.
The following table provides information about our financial instruments that are sensitive to changes in interest rates. For debt obligations outstanding as of September 30, 2024, the following table presents the principal repayments and related weighted-average interest rates by contractual maturity dates (in thousands):
2024
2025
2026
2027
2028
Thereafter
Total
Fixed rate debt (1)(2)
$
—
$
—
$
500,000
$
—
$
—
$
525,000
$
1,025,000
Weighted-average interest rate
—
%
—
%
3.75
%
—
%
—
%
4.05
%
3.90
%
Variable rate debt (1)
$
—
$
181,000
$
425,000
$
600,000
$
—
$
—
$
1,206,000
Weighted-average interest rate (3)
—
%
5.02
%
5.15
%
5.12
%
—
%
—
%
5.12
%
Total
$
—
$
181,000
$
925,000
$
600,000
$
—
$
525,000
$
2,231,000
(1)
Excludes $7.0 million, $0.2 million and $6.6 million of net deferred financing costs on the Term Loans, mortgage loans and Senior Notes, respectively.
(2)
Excludes $1.6 million related to a fair value adjustment on debt.
(3)
The weighted-average interest rate gives effect to interest rate swaps, as applicable.
Our ultimate realized gain or loss with respect to interest rate fluctuations will depend on the exposures that arise during future periods, prevailing interest rates and our hedging strategies at that time.
Changes in market interest rates on our fixed rate debt impact the fair value of our debt, but such changes have no impact on our consolidated financial statements. As of September 30, 2024, the estimated fair value of our fixed rate debt was $974.8 million, which was based on having the same debt service requirements that could have been borrowed at the date presented, at prevailing current market interest rates. If interest rates were to rise by 1.00%, or 100 basis points, and our fixed rate debt balance remained constant, we expect the fair value of our debt would decrease by approximately $29.7 million.
Item 4.
Controls and Procedures
Evaluation of Disclosure Controls and Procedures
In accordance with Rule 13a-15(b) of the Exchange Act, the Company’s management, under the supervision and participation of the Company's Chief Executive Officer and the Chief Financial Officer, has evaluated the effectiveness of the Company’s disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e) of the Exchange Act) as of the end of the period covered by this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q. Based on that evaluation, the Company’s Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer concluded that the Company’s disclosure controls and procedures were effective as of September 30, 2024.
Changes in Internal Control over Financial Reporting
There have been no changes in the Company’s internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Rule 13a-15 and 15d-15 of the Exchange Act) during the period ended September 30, 2024 that have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, the Company’s internal control over financial reporting.
PART II. OTHER INFORMATION
Item 1.
Legal Proceedings
The nature of the operations of our hotels exposes our hotel properties, the Company and the Operating Partnership to the risk of claims and litigation in the normal course of their business. Other than routine litigation arising out of the ordinary course of business, the Company is not presently subject to any material litigation nor, to the Company's knowledge, is any material litigation threatened against the Company.
Item 1A.
Risk Factors
For a discussion of our potential risks and uncertainties, please refer to the "Risk Factors" section in our Annual Report, which is accessible on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov. There have been no material changes to the risk factors previously disclosed in our Annual Report.
Item 2.
Unregistered Sales of Equity Securities and Use of Proceeds
Unregistered Sales of Equity Securities
The Company did not sell any securities during the quarter ended September 30, 2024 that were not registered under the Securities Act.
Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities
The following table summarizes all of the share repurchases during the three months ended September 30, 2024:
Period
Total number
of shares
purchased
Average price
paid per share
Total number of
shares purchased as
part of publicly
announced plans or
programs
Maximum number
of shares that may
yet be purchased
under the plans or
programs (1)
July 1, 2024 through July 31, 2024
214,550
$
9.56
214,550
25,954,053
August 1, 2024 through August 31, 2024
335,894
$
9.31
335,894
25,460,983
September 1, 2024 through September 30, 2024
1,056,192
$
9.11
1,056,192
25,300,188
Total
1,606,636
1,606,636
(1)
The 2024 Share Repurchase Program to acquire up to an aggregate of $250.0 million of common and preferred shares was approved in April 2024 and is set to expire on May 8, 2025. The maximum number of shares that may yet be repurchased under a share repurchase program is calculated by dividing the total dollar amount available to repurchase shares by the closing price of our common shares on the last business day of the respective month.
During the three months ended September 30, 2024,
none
of the Company’s trustees or officers adopted or terminated any contract, instruction or written plan for the purchase or sale of Company securities that was intended to satisfy the affirmative defense conditions of Rule 10b5-1(c) or any “non-Rule 10b5-1 trading arrangement."
Entry into Second Amended and Restated Employment Agreement with Sean Mahoney
On November 1, 2024, the Company and the Operating Partnership entered into a second amended and restated employment agreement with Sean M. Mahoney, the Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of the Company. The employment agreement (the “Mahoney Employment Agreement”), which supersedes the amended and restated employment agreement previously entered into between the parties, contains terms and conditions that are substantially the same as such prior amended and restated employment agreement. Pursuant to the Mahoney Employment Agreement, Mr. Mahoney will continue in his role as the Company’s Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer.
The Mahoney Employment Agreement is effective as of November 1, 2024. Including the automatic renewal term set forth in the agreement, the term of the Mahoney Employment Agreement runs until May 2027. Mr. Mahoney’s annual base salary will continue to be $550,000, which base salary is subject to annual review and may be increased but not decreased from time to time. Mr. Mahoney is eligible to receive (i) an annual cash bonus, with a target cash bonus opportunity equal to 100% of his then-current base salary, and (ii) ongoing equity incentive awards.
The Mahoney Employment Agreement also (i) sets forth Mr. Mahoney’s right to severance payments and/or benefits upon his termination of employment and (ii) contains customary non-competition and non-solicitation covenants that apply during the term and for 12 months following the earliest to occur of (i) October 31, 2024 or (ii) expiration or termination of Mr. Mahoney’s employment.
A copy of the Mahoney Employment Agreement is attached to this report as Exhibit 10.3 and incorporated herein by reference. The summary set forth above is qualified in its entirety by reference to Exhibit 10.3.
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned thereunto duly authorized.
RLJ LODGING TRUST
Dated: November 7, 2024
/s/ LESLIE D. HALE
Leslie D. Hale
President and Chief Executive Officer
Dated: November 7, 2024
/s/ SEAN M. MAHONEY
Sean M. Mahoney
Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
(Principal Financial Officer)
Dated: November 7, 2024
/s/ CHRISTOPHER A. GORMSEN
Christopher A. Gormsen
Senior Vice President and Chief Accounting Officer
Insider Ownership of RLJ Lodging Trust
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