WILLIAMSBURG, Va., March 04, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Sotherly Hotels Inc. (NASDAQ: SOHO), a self-managed and self-administered lodging real estate investment trust (a “REIT”), today reported its consolidated results for the fourth quarter and year ended December 31, 2020. The Company’s results include the following*:

(*)  Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (“EBITDA”), hotel EBITDA, funds from operations (“FFO”) available to common stockholders and unitholders, adjusted FFO available to common stockholders and unitholders, FFO per common share and unit and adjusted FFO per common share and unit are non-GAAP financial measures. See further discussion of these non-GAAP measures, including definitions related thereto, and reconciliations to net income (loss) later in this press release. The Company is the sole general partner of Sotherly Hotels LP, a Delaware limited partnership (the “Operating Partnership”), and all references in this release to the “Company”, “Sotherly”, “we”, “us” and “our” refer to Sotherly Hotels Inc., its Operating Partnership and its subsidiaries and predecessors, unless the context otherwise requires or it is otherwise indicated.

COVID-19 UPDATE

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the hospitality industry has been significant, with demand for hotel rooms in all of the markets the Company operates significantly reduced and occupancy rates reaching historic lows. We continued to experience a substantial decline in our revenues, profitability, and cash flows from operations during the fourth quarter of 2020 on a year-over-year basis. While the extent and duration of the negative effects resulting from COVID-19 on the Company’s business are highly uncertain and difficult to predict, we expect materially adverse effects on our operations and financial results to continue until travel and business restrictions are eased, travel orders are lifted, consumer confidence is restored, and a recovery of the lodging sector takes hold. The COVID-19 pandemic has also significantly increased economic uncertainty and has led to disruption and volatility in the global capital markets, which has limited our access to capital and has increased our cost of capital. We continue to follow the procedures and strategies that we introduced at the outset of the pandemic, including enhanced cleaning protocols as well as several cost reduction initiatives.

SECURED NOTE FINANCING

On December 31, 2020, we closed a transaction with KWHP SOHO, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (“KW”), as collateral agent and an investor, and MIG SOHO, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (“MIG”, and together with KW, the “Investors”), as an investor, whereby the Investors purchased $20.0 million in Notes from the Operating Partnership with an option to require the Investors to purchase an additional $10.0 million in Senior Secured Notes. We entered into the following agreements: (i) a Note Purchase Agreement; (ii) a Senior Secured Note with KW in the amount of $10.0 million and a Senior Secured Note with MIG in the amount of $10.0 million (collectively, the “Notes”); (iii) a Pledge and Security Agreement; (iv) a Board Observer Agreement; and (v) other related ancillary agreements. The Notes mature in 3 years and will be payable on or before the maturity date at the rate of 1.47x the principal amount borrowed during the initial 3-year term, with a 1-year extension at Company’s option. The Notes also carry a 6.0% current interest rate, payable quarterly during the initial 3-year term.

ESTIMATED MONTHLY CASH USE

The Company estimates the average monthly cash use across its portfolio for the first quarter to be approximately $1.5 million based on the following assumptions:

• Average hotel-level monthly positive cash flow of approximately $0.50 to $0.60 million;
• Corporate-level monthly G&A cash use of $0.50 to $0.55 million;
• Capital expenditures of approximately $0.30 million; and
• Corporate finance-related monthly cash use of $1.5 million, which includes principal and interest payments on the Company’s outstanding mortgage debt.

HIGHLIGHTS

• RevPAR. Room revenue per available room (“RevPAR”) for the Company’s composite portfolio, which includes the Hyatt Centric Arlington and the rooms participating in our rental programs at the Hyde Resort & Residences and the Hyde Beach House Resort and Residences, during the three-month period ending December 31, 2020, decreased 62.3% over the three months ended December 31, 2019, to $38.54 reflecting a 52.6% decrease in occupancy and a 20.4% decrease in average daily rate (“ADR”). For the twelve-month period ending December 31, 2020, RevPAR decreased 60.8% over the twelve months ended December 31, 2019, to $44.28 driven by a 56.4% decrease in occupancy and a 10.1% decrease in ADR.
• Revenue. For the three-month period ending December 31, 2020, total revenue decreased 67.1% over the three-month period ending December 31, 2019. For the twelve-month period ending December 31, 2020, total revenue decreased 61.5% or by approximately $114.3 million to approximately $71.5 million, as compared to approximately $185.8 million for the twelve-month period ending December 31, 2019.
• Common Dividends. As approved by its Board of Directors, the Company has suspended its regular quarterly cash dividend in order to preserve liquidity. Accordingly, the Company did not pay a dividend on its common stock and common units for the quarter ended December 31, 2020. The Board of Directors will continue to monitor the situation and assess future quarterly common dividend declarations. Per the terms of the Company’s preferred stock, the Company cannot make any common dividend payments unless full cumulative distributions have been declared and paid for past distribution periods for each series of preferred stock.
• Hotel EBITDA. The Company generated a deficit in hotel EBITDA of approximately $1.9 million during the three-month period ending December 31, 2020. Hotel EBITDA decreased 120.7%, or approximately $11.2 million, over the three months ended December 31, 2019. For the twelve-month period ending December 31, 2020, hotel EBITDA decreased 106.9%, or approximately $50.2 million, over the twelve months ended December 31, 2019.
• Adjusted FFO attributable to common stockholders and unitholders. For the three-month period ending December 31, 2020, adjusted FFO attributable to common stockholders and unitholders decreased 1,228.2%, or approximately $11.7 million, over the three months ended December 31, 2019. For the twelve-month period ending December 31, 2020, adjusted FFO attributable to common stockholders and unitholders decreased 311.0% or approximately $53.4 million over the twelve months ended December 31, 2019.

Dave Folsom, President and Chief Executive Officer, of Sotherly Hotels Inc., commented, “The past year was the most difficult year in history for the lodging industry as well as our Company. Despite 2020’s unprecedented operating environment, we remained dedicated to effectively managing the factors within our control, including mitigating risk, minimizing losses, and capitalizing on available opportunities. With the resolution of the presidential election and the rollout of the COVID-19 vaccine, we saw, and continue to see, material upticks in our business. Hospitalizations and infection rates, which continue to plummet, serve as positive indicators for the economy and the lodging markets. At the end of the year, we executed on a loan with an affiliate of the Kemmons Wilson Companies and a co-investor that provided much needed liquidity to Sotherly’s balance sheet. The transaction allows Sotherly to continue to manage through the pandemic and positions us well for potential opportunities as the recovery progresses.”

Balance Sheet/Liquidity

As of December 31, 2020, the Company had approximately $35.3 million of available cash and cash equivalents, of which approximately $10.0 million was reserved for real estate taxes, insurance, capital improvements and certain other expenses or otherwise restricted. The Company had principal balances of approximately $387.0 million in outstanding debt, net, including mortgage and secured and unsecured principal balances, at a weighted average interest rate of approximately 4.66%.

Other Developments

We have entered into various forbearance and loan modification agreements with our lenders for the mortgage loans secured by our hotels located in Laurel, MD, Savannah, GA, Wilmington, NC, Philadelphia, PA, Houston, TX, Jeffersonville, IN, Raleigh, NC, Tampa, FL, and Arlington, VA. These agreements generally allow us to defer payments of principal and interest for periods that began in April 2020 and that extend through to various dates ending between February 2021 and December 2021. We are currently in negotiations with the lender for the mortgage loan secured by the DoubleTree Resort by Hilton Hollywood Beach, in which we are in default, and may seek additional concessions from our lenders as existing payment extensions and deferrals expire, to the extent warranted by market conditions and the financial performance of our hotels. There can be no assurance that we will be able to reach agreement with all of our lenders or that additional concessions, if needed, can be negotiated on terms that are acceptable.

On October 14, 2020 we entered into a hotel management agreement with Our Town Hospitality, LLC (“Our Town”) for the management of the Hyatt Centric Arlington. Following the transition of the Hyatt Centric Arlington hotel to Our Town on November 15, 2020, Our Town manages each of the Company’s twelve wholly-owned hotels, as well as our two condominium hotel rental programs.

2021 Outlook

Due to the uncertainties related to the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on travel, the Company is unable to provide guidance for 2021.

About Sotherly Hotels Inc.

Sotherly Hotels Inc. is a self-managed and self-administered lodging REIT focused on the acquisition, renovation, upbranding and repositioning of upscale to upper-upscale full-service hotels in the Southern United States. Currently, the Company’s portfolio consists of investments in twelve hotel properties, comprising 3,156 rooms, as well as interests in two condominium hotels and their associated rental programs. The Company owns hotels that operate under the Hilton Worldwide, Hyatt Hotels Corporation, and Marriott International, Inc. brands, as well as independent hotels. Sotherly Hotels Inc. was organized in 2004 and is headquartered in Williamsburg, Virginia. For more information, please visit www.sotherlyhotels.com.