Exhibit 5.1

May 15, 2015

Board of Directors

Ashford Hospitality Trust, Inc.

14185 Dallas Parkway

Suite 1100

Dallas, TX 75254

Ladies and Gentlemen:

We are acting as Maryland counsel to Ashford Hospitality Trust, Inc., a Maryland corporation (the “Company”), in connection with the proposed public offering of up to 30,000,000 shares of Common Stock, $0.01 par value per share (the “Shares”) that are being offered and sold pursuant to the terms of the Equity Distribution Agreement, dated May 15, 2015, by and between the Company and the parties named therein (the “Agreement”). This opinion letter is furnished to you at your request to enable you to fulfill the requirements of Item 601(b)(5) of Regulation S-K, 17 C.F.R. § 229.601(b)(5), in connection with the Registration Statement.

For purposes of this opinion letter, we have examined copies of such agreements, instruments and documents as we have deemed an appropriate basis on which to render the opinions hereinafter expressed.  In our examination of the aforesaid documents, we have assumed the genuineness of all signatures, the legal capacity of all natural persons, the accuracy and completeness of all documents submitted to us, the authenticity of all original documents, and the conformity to authentic original documents of all documents submitted to us as copies (including telecopies).  As to all matters of fact, we have relied on the representations and statements of fact made in the documents so reviewed, and we have not independently established the facts so relied on.  This opinion letter is given, and all statements herein are made, in the context of the foregoing.

For purposes of this opinion letter, we have assumed that (i) at the time of offer, issuance and sale of the Shares, the Registration Statement will have been declared effective under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Act”), and no stop order suspending its effectiveness will have been issued and remain in effect; and (ii) the Shares will not be issued in violation of the ownership limit contained in the Company’s Articles of Incorporation, as amended and supplemented.

This opinion letter is based as to matters of law solely on the applicable provisions of the Maryland General Corporation Law, as amended and currently in effect. We express no opinion herein as to any other laws, statutes, ordinances, rules, or regulations (and in particular, we express no opinion as to any effect that such other laws, statutes, ordinances, rules, or regulations may have on the opinions expressed herein).

Hogan Lovells US LLP is a limited liability partnership registered in the District of Columbia.  “Hogan Lovells” is an international legal practice that includes Hogan Lovells US LLP and Hogan Lovells International LLP, with offices in:  Alicante Amsterdam Baltimore Beijing Berlin Brussels Caracas Colorado Springs Denver Dubai Dusseldorf Frankfurt Hamburg Hanoi Ho Chi Minh City Hong Kong Houston London Los Angeles Madrid Miami Milan Moscow Munich New York Northern Virginia Paris Philadelphia Prague Rio de Janeiro Rome San Francisco Shanghai Silicon Valley Singapore Tokyo Ulaanbaatar Warsaw Washington DC Associated offices: Budapest Jakarta Jeddah Riyadh Zagreb.  For more information see www.hoganlovells.com

Hogan Lovells US LLP is a limited liability partnership registered in the District of Columbia.  “Hogan Lovells” is an international legal practice that includes Hogan Lovells US LLP and Hogan Lovells International LLP, with offices in:  Alicante   Amsterdam   Baltimore   Beijing   Berlin   Brussels   Caracas   Colorado Springs   Denver   Dubai   Dusseldorf   Frankfurt   Hamburg   Hanoi   Ho Chi Minh City   Hong Kong   Houston   London   Los Angeles   Madrid   Miami   Milan   Moscow   Munich   New York   Northern Virginia   Paris   Philadelphia   Prague   Rio de Janeiro   Rome   San Francisco   Shanghai   Silicon Valley   Singapore   Tokyo   Ulaanbaatar   Warsaw   Washington DC   Associated offices: Budapest   Jakarta   Jeddah   Riyadh   Zagreb.  For more information see www.hoganlovells.com

Based upon, subject to and limited by the foregoing, we are of the opinion that:

The Shares, upon issuance pursuant to the Agreement and receipt by the Company of the consideration specified in the resolutions of the Board of Directors of the Company authorizing the Shares, will be validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable.

This opinion letter has been prepared for use in connection with the registration of the Shares pursuant to the Registration Statement.  We assume no obligation to advise you of any changes in the foregoing subsequent to the registration of the Shares.

We hereby consent to the filing of this opinion letter as Exhibit 5.1 to the Current Report on Form 8-K related to the public offering of the Shares.  In giving this consent, we do not thereby admit that we are an “expert” within the meaning of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.

Very truly yours,

/s/ Hogan Lovells US LLP

HOGAN LOVELLS US LLP