UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549



FORM 10-Q



(Mark One)



☒QUARTERLY REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934



For the quarterly period ended March 31, 2017



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: 001-14765



HERSHA HOSPITALITY TRUST

(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Its Charter)







Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: (717) 236-4400



Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (i) 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 (ii) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days.    ☒Yes ☐No

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically and posted on its corporate Web site, if any, every Interactive Data File required to be submitted and posted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (Sec.232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit and post 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. (Check one):





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.    ☐Yes ☐No



Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Act).    ☐Yes ☒No

As of April 25, 2017,  the number of Class A common shares of beneficial interest outstanding was  41,795,638  and there were no Class B common shares of beneficial interest outstanding.

 Hersha Hospitality Trust

Table of Contents



























The Accompanying Notes Are an Integral Part of These Consolidated Financial Statements.







The Accompanying Notes Are an Integral Part of These Consolidated Financial Statements.













*Income allocated to noncontrolling interest in Hersha Hospitality Limited Partnership (the “Operating Partnership” or “HHLP”) has been excluded from the numerator and the Class A common shares issuable upon any redemption of the Operating Partnership’s common units of limited partnership interest (“Common Units”) and the Operating Partnership’s vested LTIP units (“Vested LTIP Units”) have been omitted from the denominator for the purpose of computing diluted earnings per share because the effect of including these shares and units in the numerator and denominator would have no impact.  In addition, potentially dilutive common shares, if any, have been excluded from the denominator if they are anti-dilutive to income applicable to common shareholders.



The following table summarizes potentially dilutive securities that have been excluded from the denominator for the purpose of computing diluted earnings per share:











The Accompanying Notes Are an Integral Part of These Consolidated Financial Statements.







The Accompanying Notes are an Integral Part of These Consolidated Financial Statements.

















The Accompanying Notes are an Integral Part of These Consolidated Financial Statements.













The Accompanying Notes are an Integral Part of These Consolidated Financial Statements.























The Accompanying Notes are an Integral Part of These Consolidated Financial Statements.













The Accompanying Notes are an Integral Part of These Consolidated Financial Statements.





NOTE 1 – BASIS OF PRESENTATION



The accompanying unaudited consolidated financial statements of Hersha Hospitality Trust (“we,” “us,” “our” or the “Company”) have been prepared in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“US GAAP”) for interim financial information and with the general instructions to Form 10-Q and Rule 10-01 of Regulation S-X. Accordingly, they do not include all of the information and notes required by US GAAP for complete financial statements. In the opinion of management, all adjustments (consisting of normal recurring accruals), considered necessary for a fair presentation have been included. Operating results for the three months ended March 31, 2017 are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected for the year ending December 31, 2017 or any future period.  Accordingly, readers of these consolidated interim financial statements should refer to the Company’s audited financial statements prepared in accordance with US GAAP, and the related notes thereto, for the year ended December 31, 2016, which are included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2016, as certain footnote disclosures normally included in financial statements prepared in accordance with US GAAP have been condensed or omitted from this report pursuant to the rules of the Securities and Exchange Commission.



We are a self-administered Maryland real estate investment trust that was organized in May 1998 and completed our initial public offering in January 1999. Our common shares are traded on the New York Stock Exchange (the “NYSE”) under the symbol “HT.” We own our hotels and our investments in joint ventures through our operating partnership, Hersha Hospitality Limited Partnership (“HHLP” or “the Partnership”), for which we serve as the sole general partner.  As of March 31, 2017, we owned an approximate 93.3%  partnership interest in HHLP, including a 1.0% general partnership interest.



Principles of Consolidation and Presentation



The accompanying consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles and include all of our accounts as well as accounts of the Partnership, subsidiary partnerships and our wholly owned TRS Lessee. All significant inter-company amounts have been eliminated.



Consolidated properties are either wholly owned or owned less than 100% by the Partnership and are controlled by the Company as general partner of the Partnership. Properties owned in joint ventures are also consolidated if the determination is made that we are the primary beneficiary in a variable interest entity (VIE) or we maintain control of the asset through our voting interest in the entity. Control can be demonstrated when the general partner has the power to impact the economic performance of the partnership, which includes the ability of the general partner to manage day-to-day operations, refinance debt and sell the assets of the partnerships without the consent of the limited partners and the inability of the limited partners to replace the general partner. Control can be demonstrated by the limited partners if the limited partners have the right to dissolve or liquidate the partnership or otherwise remove the general partner without cause or have rights to participate in the significant decisions made in the ordinary course of the partnership’s business.

We evaluate each of our investments and contractual relationships to determine whether they meet the guidelines for consolidation. Entities are consolidated if the determination is made that we are the primary beneficiary in a VIE or we maintain control of the asset through our voting interest or other rights in the operation of the entity. To determine if we are the primary beneficiary of a VIE, we evaluate whether we have a controlling financial interest in that VIE. An enterprise is deemed to have a controlling financial interest if it has i) the power to direct the activities of a variable interest entity that most significantly impact the entity’s economic performance, and ii) the obligation to absorb losses of the VIE that could be significant to the VIE or the rights to receive benefits from the VIE that could be significant to the VIE. Control can also be demonstrated by the ability of a member to manage day-to-day operations, refinance debt and sell the assets of the partnerships without the consent of the other member and the inability of the members to replace the managing member. Based on our examination, the following entities were determined to be VIEs: Cindat Hersha Owner JV, LLC; Cindat Hersha Lessee JV, LLC; South Bay Boston, LLC; Hersha Statutory Trust I; and Hersha Statutory Trust II. Cindat Hersha Owner JV, LLC is a VIE entity, however because we are not the primary beneficiary it is not consolidated by the Company. Our maximum exposure to losses due to our investment in Cindat Hersha Owner JV, LLC is limited to our basis in the joint venture which is $0 as of March 31, 2017. Also, South Bay Boston, LLC leases hotel property and is a VIE. This entity is consolidated by the lessor, the primary beneficiaries of each entity. Hersha Statutory Trust I and Hersha Statutory Trust II are VIEs but HHLP is not the primary beneficiary in these entities. Accordingly, the accounts of Hersha Statutory Trust I and Hersha Statutory Trust II are not consolidated. 







NOTE 1 – BASIS OF PRESENTATION (CONTINUED)



Noncontrolling Interest



We classify the noncontrolling interests of our consolidated variable interest entity, common units of limited partnership interest in HHLP (“Common Units”), and Long Term Incentive Plan (“LTIP”) Units as equity. LTIP Units are a separate class of limited partnership interest in the Operating Partnership that are convertible into Common Units under certain circumstances.  The noncontrolling interest of Common Units totaled $47,490  as of March 31, 2017 and $44,321 as of December 31, 2016.  As of March 31, 2017, there were 3,022,330  Common Units outstanding with a fair market value of $56,790, based on the price per share of our common shares on the NYSE on such date. In accordance with the partnership agreement of HHLP, holders of these Common Units may redeem them for cash unless we, in our sole and absolute discretion, elect to issue common shares on a one-for-one basis in lieu of paying cash.

Net income or loss attributed to Common Units and LTIP Units, as well as the net income or loss related to the noncontrolling interests of our consolidated variable interest entity, is included in net income or loss but excluded from net income or loss applicable to common shareholders in the consolidated statements of operations.



Variable Interest Entities



On January 1, 2016, we adopted ASU No. 2015-02, Consolidation – Amendments to the Consolidation Analysis.  We evaluated the application of ASU No. 2015-02 and concluded that no change was required for the accounting of our interests in less than wholly owned joint ventures. However, HHLP, our operating partnership, now meets the criteria as a variable interest entity.  The Company’s most significant asset is its investment in HHLP, and consequently, substantially all of the Company’s assets and liabilities represent those assets and liabilities of HHLP. 



Shareholders’ Equity



Terms of the Series C, Series D, and Series E Preferred Shares outstanding at March 31, 2017 and December 31, 2016 are summarized as follows:







In October 2016, our Board of Trustees authorized a new share repurchase program for up to $100,000 of common shares which commenced upon the completion of the existing repurchase program. The new repurchase program will expire on December 31, 2017, unless extended by our Board of Trustees.



Subsequent to the quarter ended March 31, 2017, our Board of Trustees authorized the increase in the number of authorized Class A Common Shares from 90,000,000 to 104,000,000.

NOTE 1 – BASIS OF PRESENTATION (CONTINUED)



New Accounting Pronouncements



In February 2017, the FASB issued ASU No. 2017-05, Other Income – Gains and Losses from the Derecognition of Nonfinancial Assets (Subtopic 610-20).  The update defines the term “in substance nonfinancial asset” as it is presented in Subtopic 610-20 as a “financial asset promised to a counterparty in a contract if substantially all of the fair value of the assets that are promised to the counterparty in the contract is concentrated in nonfinancial assets.” As it relates to the Company, real estate, such as land and building, would be considered an example of a nonfinancial asset.  Additionally, the update provides guidance over partial sale transactions, particularly, when an entity should derecognize a distinct nonfinancial asset or in substance nonfinancial asset in a partial sale transaction, and the extent of gain that should be recognized as a result of the partial sale transaction.  This standard is effective in conjunction with ASU No. 2014-09 (presented below), which is effective for periods beginning after December 15, 2017, however early adoption is permitted.  The provisions of this update must be applied at the same time as the adoption of ASU No. 2014-09.  The Company is currently evaluating how the provisions of this update affect our adoption of ASU No. 2014-09.  See below for our discussion of ASU No. 2014-09 and the effect it will have on our consolidated financial statements and related disclosures.  



In January 2017, the FASB issued ASU No. 2017-01, Business Combinations (Topic 805): Clarifying the Definition of a Business, which clarifies the definition of a business as it relates to acquisitions and business combinations. The update adds further guidance that assists preparers in evaluating whether a transaction will be accounted for as an acquisition of an asset or a business.  We expect most of our hotel property acquisitions to qualify as asset acquisitions under the standard which permits the capitalization of acquisition costs to the underlying assets. This standard is effective for periods beginning after December 31, 2017, however early adoption is permitted.  The Company is evaluating the ultimate effect that ASU No. 2017-01 will have on our consolidated financial statements and related disclosures.



We adopted ASU No. 2016-09, Improvements to Employee Share-Based Award Payment Accounting, which simplifies various aspects of how share-based payments are accounted for and presented in the financial statements. This standard requires companies to record all of the tax effects related to share-based payments through the income statement, allows companies to elect an accounting policy to either estimate the share based award forfeitures (and expense) or account for forfeitures (and expense) as they occur, and allows companies to withhold a percentage of the shares issuable upon settlement of an award up to the maximum individual statutory tax rate without causing the award to be classified as a liability. The Company has elected to expense forfeitures of share-based award as they occur as our accounting policy.  The adoption of ASU No. 2016-09 had no material impact on our consolidated financial statements and related disclosures.



In November 2016 the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-18, Statement of Cash Flows (Topic 230), which provides guidance on the presentation of restricted cash or restricted cash equivalents within the statement of cash flows.  Accordingly, amounts generally described as restricted cash and restricted cash equivalents should be included with cash and cash equivalents when reconciling the beginning-of-period and end-of-period total amounts shown on the statement of cash flows.  This standard is effective for the Company for periods beginning after December 15, 2017.  The adoption of ASU No. 2016-18 will change the presentation of the statement of cash flows for the Company and we will utilize a retrospective transition method for each period presented within financial statements for periods subsequent to the date of adoption.



In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-02, Leases (Topic 842), which provides the principles for the recognition, measurement, presentation and disclosure of leases.  The accounting for lessors will remain largely unchanged from current GAAP; however, the standard requires that certain initial direct costs be expensed rather than capitalized.  Under the standard, lessees apply a dual approach, classifying leases as either finance or operating leases. A lessee is required to record a right-of-use asset and a lease liability for all leases with a term of greater than 12 months, regardless of their lease classification. Based on the review of our real estate leases, we are a lessee on ground leases in certain markets and office space leases. This standard will be effective for the first annual reporting period beginning after December 15, 2018. The Company is evaluating the effect that ASU No. 2016-02 will have on its consolidated financial statements and related disclosures.



NOTE 1 – BASIS OF PRESENTATION (CONTINUED)



On May 28, 2014, the FASB issued ASU No. 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers, which requires an entity to recognize the amount of revenue to which it expects to be entitled for the transfer of promised goods or services to customers.  The ASU will replace most existing revenue recognition guidance in U.S. GAAP when it becomes effective.  We are evaluating each of our revenue streams and related accounting policy under the standard.  The new standard is effective for the Company on January 1, 2018.  Early adoption is permitted, but not prior to the original effective date of January 1, 2017.  The standard permits the use of either the retrospective or cumulative effect transition method.  Based on our analysis to date, we do not expect the new revenue recognition model to have a material impact on our hotel operating revenue, including room revenue, food and beverage, and other revenue, however, our final evaluation has not been concluded.  Our evaluation under the standard also includes sales to third parties, primarily a result of dispositions of real estate.  Our evaluation over sales of real estate will be partially dependent on how the FASB defines a business with regard to sales of assets, which has recently been addressed through the issuance of ASU No. 2017-05.  The Company continues to evaluate the ultimate effect that ASU No. 2014-09 will have on its consolidated financial statements and related disclosures. 



Reclassification



Certain amounts in the prior year financial statements have been reclassified to conform to the current year presentation.





NOTE 2 – INVESTMENT IN HOTEL PROPERTIES



Investment in hotel properties consists of the following at March 31, 2017 and December 31, 2016:







Acquisitions



We acquired the following properties during the three months ended March 31, 2017:







(1) The Mystic Marriott Hotel & Spa was acquired as partial consideration within the transaction to redeem and transfer our joint venture interest in Mystic Partners, LLC.  See Note 3 for further description of the transaction.



* Consists entirely of $899 of advanced bookings.



** Includes an intangible asset for a lease-in-place of $229, and a below market lease liability of $520.



The Company is currently finalizing our analysis over the fair value of assets acquired and liabilities incurred in connection with the purchase of the Ritz-Carlton, Coconut Grove.  As such, the amounts reported in the table above are preliminary.  We expect the amounts will be finalized within the one year remeasurement period as defined within ASC 805.



Acquisition-related costs, such as due diligence, legal and accounting fees, are not capitalized or applied in determining the fair value of the above acquired assets. During the three months ended March 31, 2017, we paid $700  in costs related to acquired assets and terminated transactions.



NOTE 2 – INVESTMENT IN HOTEL PROPERTIES (CONTINUED)

Included in the consolidated statement of operations for the three months ended March 31, 2017 are total revenues of $8,733, and total net loss of $576 for the hotels we acquired or assumed ownership during the three months ended March 31, 2017 and consolidated since the date of acquisition of the hotels.













Hotel Dispositions

On January 5, 2017, the Company closed on the sales of the Residence Inn, Greenbelt, MD, and the Courtyard, Alexandria, VA to an unaffiliated buyer for a combined total sales price of $62,000 resulting in a gain on sale of approximately $18,731.  The Residence Inn, Greenbelt, MD was acquired by the Company in July 2004 and the Courtyard, Alexandria, VA was acquired by the Company in September 2006. The operating results for these hotels are included in operating income as shown in the consolidated statements of operations for the period owned during the three months ended March  31, 2017 and 2016 as disposition of these hotels does not represent a strategic shift in our business.



Assets Held For Sale



In July 2016, we entered into a purchase and sale agreement to sell the Residence Inn, Greenbelt, MD, Courtyard, Alexandria, VA, Hyatt House, Scottsdale, AZ, Hyatt House, Pleasant Hill, CA, and Hyatt House, Pleasanton, CA to an unaffiliated buyer for a sales price of $185,000.  The Residence Inn, Greenbelt, MD and Courtyard, Alexandria, VA were sold in January 2017 for a combined sale price of $62,000. The purchase and sale agreement was amended, increasing the sales price by $7,500 and providing the buyer with additional time to close on the remaining three assets. The remainder of the transaction is expected to close in the third quarter of 2017 with an adjusted purchase price of $130,500, subject to customary closing conditions.

  

We have classified the assets related to these hotels as held for sale as of March 31, 2017 and December 31, 2016:















NOTE 2 – INVESTMENT IN HOTEL PROPERTIES (CONTINUED)

Pro Forma Results (Unaudited)

The following condensed pro forma financial data for the three months ended March 31, 2017 and 2016 are presented as if the hotels acquired by the Company in 2017 and 2016 had been acquired as of January 1, 2016 and 2015, respectively. The condensed pro forma financial data are not necessarily indicative of what actual results of operations of the Company would have been for the periods presented assuming the acquisitions had been consummated on January 1, 2017 and 2016, nor do they purport to represent the results of operations for future periods.

















NOTE 3 – INVESTMENT IN UNCONSOLIDATED JOINT VENTURES



As of March 31, 2017 and December 31, 2016, our investment in unconsolidated joint ventures consisted of the following:









*See explanation below of the Cindat Hersha Owner JV, LLC (“Owner JV”) for more information on the preferred return provisions of this joint venture.



On January 3, 2017, we redeemed our joint venture interest in Mystic Partners, LLC by acquiring 100% ownership interest in the Mystic Marriott Hotel & Spa and transferring our minority ownership interests in the Hartford Marriott and Harford Hilton to the joint venture partner.  We received $11,623 in cash and assumed a mortgage on the Mystic Marriott Hotel & Spa of $41,333 as consideration for this redemption and transfer of our minority interest.  Subsequent to the assumption of the mortgage, the Company fully paid off the outstanding balance of the debt and added the property to the borrowing base of our Credit Facility.  As a result of the remeasurement of the consideration received to fair value, the Company recognized a gain of $16,239 in conjunction with this transaction.



Income/Loss Allocation



Cash available for distribution will be distributed (1) to us until we receive a 9% annual rate of return on our $43,194 preferred equity interest, (2) then to Cindat until they receive a return on their remaining $142,000 senior common equity interest, currently at 10%, and (3) then to us until we receive an 8% return on our $60,857 junior common equity interest.  Any cash available for distribution remaining will be split 30% to us and 70% to Cindat.  Cindat’s senior common equity return is reduced by 0.5% annually for 4 years following the closing until it is set at a rate of 8% for the remainder of the life of the joint venture. A  lender determined that certain debt coverage ratio covenants contained therein were not met as of June 30, 2016. Pursuant to these agreements, the lender has elected to escrow the operating cash flow for the Owner JV. However, the failure to meet these covenants does not constitute an event of default.  As of March 31, 2017, based on the income allocation methodology described above, the Company has absorbed cumulative losses equal to our accounting basis in the joint venture resulting in a $0 investment balance in the table above, however, we currently maintain a positive equity balance within the venture.  This difference is due to difference in our basis inside the venture versus our basis outside of the venture, which is explained later in this note.



For SB Partners, LLC and Hiren Boston, LLC, income or loss is allocated to us and our joint venture partners consistent with the allocation of cash distributions in accordance with the joint venture agreements. This results in an income allocation consistent with our percentage of ownership interests.



Any difference between the carrying amount of any of our investments noted above and the underlying equity in net assets is amortized over the expected useful lives of the properties and other intangible assets. Income (loss) recognized during the three months ended March 31, 2017 and 2016, for our investments in unconsolidated joint ventures is as follows:

NOTE 3 – INVESTMENT IN UNCONSOLIDATED JOINT VENTURES (CONTINUED)



The following tables set forth the total assets, liabilities, equity and components of net income or loss, including the Company’s share, related to the unconsolidated joint ventures discussed above as of March 31, 2017 and December 31, 2016 and for the three months ended March 31, 2017 and 2016.