Chesapeake Lodging Trust Reports Second Quarter Results

Chesapeake Lodging Trust (NYSE:CHSP), a lodging real estate investment trust (REIT), reported today its financial results for the quarter ended June 30, 2014.

HIGHLIGHTS

• RevPAR: 7.0% pro forma increase for the 17-hotel portfolio and 3.4% pro forma increase for the 20-hotel portfolio over the same period in 2013.
• Adjusted Hotel EBITDA Margin: 250 basis point pro forma increase for the 17-hotel portfolio and 170 basis point pro forma increase for the 20-hotel portfolio over the same period in 2013.
• Adjusted Hotel EBITDA: $47.1 million.
• Adjusted Corporate EBITDA: $43.2 million.
• Adjusted FFO: $31.2 million or $0.64 per diluted common share.
• Financing: Subsequent to quarter end, refinanced an existing $60.0 million loan, replacing it with a $90.0 million, 10-year loan at 4.30%.

"We are pleased with the performance of our hotel portfolio in the second quarter. Our 17-hotel portfolio achieved an occupancy level of over 87% which allowed our hotel managers to increase daily rates resulting in RevPAR growth at the top end of our guidance range. With the ADR-driven RevPAR growth for the quarter and our continued focus on reducing or limiting increases in expenses, we were able to expand hotel EBITDA margins by 250 basis points, well exceeding our guidance range for the quarter," said James L. Francis, Chesapeake Lodging Trust’s President and Chief Executive Officer.

Mr. Francis continued, "We are very proud of the renovated product at our W Chicago – Lakeshore, which we completed in the second quarter on-time and within budget. We have commenced the comprehensive renovations and rebrandings of the former W New Orleans and the former Holiday Inn New York City Midtown – 31st Street, which are scheduled to be completed in the Fall. We expect these three newly renovated hotels will provide outsized growth and add significant value to our overall hotel portfolio."

CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL RESULTS

The following is a summary of the consolidated financial results for the three and six months ended June 30, 2014 and 2013 (in millions, except share and per share amounts):

HOTEL OPERATING RESULTS

Management assesses the operating performance of its hotels irrespective of the hotel owner during the periods compared. The Trust uses the term “pro forma” to refer to metrics that include, or comparisons of metrics that are based on, the operating results of hotels under previous ownership for either a portion of or the entire period. Since five of the Trust’s hotels owned as of June 30, 2014 were acquired at various times during 2013, the key operating metrics for the 17-hotel portfolio and 20-hotel portfolio reflect the pro forma operating results of three of those hotels for the three months ended June 30, 2013 and five of those hotels for the six months ended June 30, 2013. Included in the following table are comparisons of occupancy, average daily rate (ADR), room revenue per available room (RevPAR), Adjusted Hotel EBITDA, and Adjusted Hotel EBITDA Margin, the key operating metrics that management uses to assess the performance of its hotels, for the three and six months ended June 30, 2014 and 2013 (in thousands, except ADR and RevPAR):

Hotel EBITDA, Adjusted Hotel EBITDA, Adjusted Hotel EBITDA Margin, Corporate EBITDA, Adjusted Corporate EBITDA, FFO, FFO available to common shareholders and AFFO available to common shareholders are non-GAAP financial measures within the meaning of the rules of the Securities and Exchange Commission. See the discussion included in this press release for information regarding these non-GAAP financial measures.

MAJOR REPOSITIONINGS

The comprehensive renovation at the 520-room W Chicago – Lakeshore, which commenced in the third quarter of 2013, was completed in the second quarter of 2014 with a total expected cost of approximately $38.0 million.

The comprehensive renovation at the former 410-room W New Orleans to reposition the hotel commenced in the second quarter of 2014. In July 2014, the Trust and its hotel manager, Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc., agreed to remove the W brand from the hotel for the duration of the renovation and rename it the Hotel New Orleans Downtown. The Trust continues to expect the renovation will cost approximately $29.0 million and be completed in the fourth quarter of 2014, at which time the hotel will be re-branded as the Le Meridien New Orleans.

The comprehensive renovation at the former 122-room Holiday Inn New York City Midtown – 31st Street to reposition the hotel as the Hyatt Herald Square commenced in the third quarter of 2014 with the closure of the hotel on August 1, 2014. The Trust expects the renovation to be completed and the hotel to re-open by October 1, 2014 and that the renovation will cost approximately $6.5 million.

CAPITAL MARKETS

The Trust did not sell any common shares under the continuous at-the-market (ATM) program during the second quarter of 2014 and through the date of this release.

DIVIDENDS

On April 15, 2014, the Trust paid dividends in the amounts of $0.30 per share to its common shareholders and $0.484375 per share to its preferred shareholders, both of record as of March 31, 2014. On May 16, 2014, the Trust declared dividends in the amounts of $0.30 per share payable to its common shareholders and $0.484375 per share payable to its preferred shareholders, both of record as of June 30, 2014. Both dividends were paid on July 15, 2014.

FINANCING ACTIVITY

On July 3, 2014, the Trust completed the refinancing of its $60.0 million term loan secured by the Hyatt Herald Square (formerly the Holiday Inn New York City Midtown – 31st Street) and the Hyatt Place New York Midtown South. The term loan was refinanced with a new 10-year, $90.0 million, fixed-rate mortgage loan secured by the two hotels mentioned previously. The loan carries a fixed interest rate of 4.30% per annum and requires interest-only payments for the first two years and principal and interest payments thereafter based on a 30-year principal amortization. Excess proceeds from the refinancing were used to repay outstanding borrowings under the Trust’s revolving credit facility.

2014 OUTLOOK

The Trust is updating its 2014 outlook to incorporate its second quarter results, recent operating trends and fundamentals, and the refinancing of the $60.0 million term loan. The updated outlook assumes no additional acquisitions, dispositions, or financing transactions (in millions, except RevPAR and per share amounts):

NON-GAAP FINANCIAL MEASURES

The Trust reports the following eight non-GAAP financial measures that it believes are useful to investors as key measures of its operating performance: (1) Hotel EBITDA, (2) Adjusted Hotel EBITDA, (3) Adjusted Hotel EBITDA Margin, (4) Corporate EBITDA, (5) Adjusted Corporate EBITDA, (6) FFO, (7) FFO available to common shareholders and (8) AFFO available to common shareholders. Reconciliations of these non-GAAP financial measures to the most comparable GAAP measure are included in the accompanying financial tables.

Hotel EBITDA – Hotel EBITDA is defined as total revenues less total hotel operating expenses. The Trust believes that Hotel EBITDA provides investors a useful financial measure to evaluate the Trust’s hotel operating performance.

Adjusted Hotel EBITDA – The Trust further adjusts Hotel EBITDA for certain additional recurring and non-recurring items. Specifically, the Trust adjusts for non-cash amortization of intangible assets and liabilities, including ground lease assets and unfavorable contract liabilities, deferred franchise costs, and deferred key money, all of which are recurring items. The Trust believes that Adjusted Hotel EBITDA provides investors with another useful financial measure to evaluate the Trust’s hotel operating performance.

Adjusted Hotel EBITDA Margin – Adjusted Hotel EBITDA Margin is defined as Adjusted Hotel EBITDA as a percentage of total revenues. The Trust believes that Adjusted Hotel EBITDA Margin provides investors another useful financial measure to evaluate the Trust’s hotel operating performance.

Corporate EBITDA – Corporate EBITDA is defined as net income before interest, income taxes, and depreciation and amortization. The Trust believes that Corporate EBITDA provides investors a useful financial measure to evaluate the Trust’s operating performance, excluding the impact of the Trust’s capital structure (primarily interest expense) and the Trust’s asset base (primarily depreciation and amortization).

Adjusted Corporate EBITDA – The Trust further adjusts Corporate EBITDA for certain additional recurring and non-recurring items. Specifically, the Trust adjusts for hotel acquisition costs and non-cash amortization of intangible assets and liabilities, including air rights contracts, ground lease assets and unfavorable contract liabilities, deferred franchise costs, and deferred key money, all of which are recurring items. The Trust believes that Adjusted Corporate EBITDA provides investors with another financial measure of its operating performance that provides for greater comparability of its core operating results between periods.

FFO – The Trust calculates FFO in accordance with standards established by the National Association of Real Estate Investment Trusts (NAREIT), which defines FFO as net income (calculated in accordance with GAAP), excluding depreciation and amortization, impairment charges, gains (losses) from sales of real estate, the cumulative effect of changes in accounting principles, 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 industry investors consider presentations of operating results for real estate companies that use historical cost accounting to be insufficient by themselves. By excluding the effect of depreciation and amortization and gains (losses) from sales of real estate, both of which are based on historical cost accounting and which may be of lesser significance in evaluating current performance, the Trust believes that FFO provides investors a useful financial measure to evaluate the Trust’s operating performance.

FFO available to common shareholders – The Trust reduces FFO for preferred share dividends and dividends declared on and earnings allocated to unvested time-based awards (consistent with adjustments required by GAAP in reporting net income available to common shareholders and related per share amounts). FFO available to common shareholders provides investors another financial measure to evaluate the Trust’s operating performance after taking into account the interests of holders of the Trust’s preferred shares and unvested time-based awards.

AFFO available to common shareholders – The Trust further adjusts FFO available to common shareholders for certain additional recurring and non-recurring items that are not in NAREIT’s definition of FFO. Specifically, the Trust adjusts for hotel acquisition costs and non-cash amortization of intangible assets and liabilities, including air rights contracts, ground lease assets and unfavorable contract liabilities, deferred franchise costs, and deferred key money, all of which are recurring items. The Trust believes that AFFO available to common shareholders provides investors with another financial measure of its operating performance that provides for greater comparability of its core operating results between periods.

CONFERENCE CALL

The Trust will host a conference call on Monday, August 4, 2014 at 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time to discuss its financial results. Interested individuals are invited to listen to the call by dialing (877) 683-0303 (U.S./Canadian callers) or (706) 643-5037 (International callers). The conference call ID is 75660019. A simultaneous webcast of the call will be available on the Trust’s website at www.chesapeakelodgingtrust.com. It is recommended that participants call or log on 10 minutes ahead of the scheduled start time to ensure proper connection.

A replay of the conference call will be available two hours after the live call until midnight on August 11, 2014. To access the replay, dial (855) 859-2056 (U.S./Canadian callers) or (404) 537-3406 (International callers). The conference call ID is 75660019. A webcast replay and transcript of the conference call will be archived and available on the Trust’s website for 12 months.

ABOUT CHESAPEAKE LODGING TRUST

Chesapeake Lodging Trust is a self-advised lodging real estate investment trust (REIT) focused on investments primarily in upper-upscale hotels in major business and convention markets and, on a selective basis, premium select-service hotels in urban settings or unique locations in the United States. The Trust owns 20 hotels with an aggregate of 5,932 rooms in eight states and the District of Columbia. Additional information can be found on the Trust’s website at www.chesapeakelodgingtrust.com.

Note: This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of federal securities regulations. These forward-looking statements are identified by their use of terms and phrases such as “anticipate,” “believe,” “could,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intend,” “may,” “should,” “plan,” “predict,” “project,” “will,” “continue” and other similar terms and phrases, including references to assumptions and forecasts, such as the Trust’s expectations regarding the future Hotel EBITDA and Adjusted Hotel EBITDA of its existing hotels and the Trust’s 2014 outlook, and the Trust’s expectation of its ability and the cost and timing of completing various renovations at its existing hotels. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results to differ materially from those anticipated at the time the forward-looking statements are made. These risks include, but are not limited to: the Trust’s ability to complete renovations timely and within expected costs; the Trust’s ability to continue to satisfy complex rules in order for it to remain a REIT for federal income tax purposes; and other risks and uncertainties associated with the Trust’s business described in its filings with the SEC. Although the Trust believes the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are based upon reasonable assumptions, it can give no assurance that the expectations will be attained or that any deviation will not be material. All information in this release is as of August 4, 2014, and the Trust undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statement to conform the statement to actual results or changes in the Trust’s expectations, except as required by law.

The following table reconciles forecasted net income to Corporate EBITDA and Adjusted Corporate EBITDA for the year ending December 31, 2014:

The following table reconciles forecasted net income to FFO, FFO available to common shareholders, and AFFO available to common shareholders for the year ending December 31, 2014: