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Description of the Business and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2022
Description of the Business and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies  
Description of the Business and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

1. Description of the Business and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

For financial statement presentation and reporting purposes, the Company is the successor to Gaylord Entertainment Company, a Delaware corporation (“Gaylord”). As part of the plan to restructure the business operations of Gaylord to facilitate its qualification as a real estate investment trust (“REIT”) for federal income tax purposes, Gaylord merged with and into its wholly-owned subsidiary, Ryman Hospitality Properties, Inc., a Delaware corporation (“Ryman”), on October 1, 2012, with Ryman as the surviving corporation (the “Merger”). At 12:01 a.m. on October 1, 2012, the effective time of the Merger, Ryman succeeded to and began conducting, directly or indirectly, all of the business conducted by Gaylord immediately prior to the Merger. The “Company” refers to Ryman and its subsidiaries and to Gaylord.

On January 1, 2013, the Company began operating as a REIT for federal income tax purposes, specializing in group-oriented, destination hotel assets in urban and resort markets. The Company’s owned assets include a network of upscale, meetings-focused resorts that are managed by Marriott International, Inc. (“Marriott”) under the Gaylord Hotels brand. These five resorts, which the Company refers to as the Gaylord Hotels properties, consist of the Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center in Nashville, Tennessee (“Gaylord Opryland”), the Gaylord Palms Resort & Convention Center near Orlando, Florida (“Gaylord Palms”), the Gaylord Texan Resort & Convention Center near Dallas, Texas (“Gaylord Texan”), the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center near Washington D.C. (“Gaylord National”), and the Gaylord Rockies Resort & Convention Center near Denver, Colorado (“Gaylord Rockies”). Prior to May 2021, Gaylord Rockies was owned by a joint venture (the “Gaylord Rockies joint venture”) in which the Company owned a 65% interest. The Company’s other owned hotel assets managed by Marriott include the Inn at Opryland, an overflow hotel adjacent to Gaylord Opryland, and the AC Hotel at National Harbor, Washington D.C. (“AC Hotel”), an overflow hotel adjacent to Gaylord National.

In April 2021, the Company entered into an agreement with RIDA Development Corporation to acquire the remaining 35% ownership interest in the Gaylord Rockies joint venture not previously owned by the Company for $188.0 million and approximately 130 acres of undeveloped, adjacent land for $22.0 million in cash (the “JV Purchase”). The JV Purchase closed in May 2021 and was funded through cash on hand and borrowings under the Company’s $700 million revolving credit facility. As discussed below, the Company consolidated the Gaylord Rockies joint venture both before and after the purchase in the accompanying consolidated financial statements.

The Company also owns a controlling 70% equity interest in a business comprised of a number of entertainment and media assets, known as the Opry Entertainment Group (“OEG”), which the Company reports as its Entertainment segment. These assets include the Grand Ole Opry, the legendary weekly showcase of country music’s finest performers; the Ryman Auditorium, the storied live music venue and former home of the Grand Ole Opry; WSM-AM, the Opry’s radio home; Ole Red, a brand of Blake Shelton-themed bar, music venue and event spaces; two Nashville-based assets managed by Marriott – the Wildhorse Saloon and the General Jackson Showboat (“General Jackson”); and as of May 31, 2022, Block 21, a mixed-use entertainment, lodging, office, and retail complex located in Austin, Texas (“Block 21”). Prior to June 16, 2022, the Company owned 100% of OEG. The Company also owns a 50% interest in a joint venture that creates and distributes a linear multicast and over-the-top channel dedicated to the country music lifestyle (“Circle”), which launched its broadcast network on January 1, 2020. See “OEG Transaction” and “Block 21 Transaction” in this Note 1, as well as Note 11, “Commitments and Contingencies,” for further disclosure.

The Company conducts its business through an umbrella partnership REIT, in which all of its assets are held by, and all of its operations are conducted through, RHP Hotel Properties, LP, a subsidiary operating partnership (the “Operating Partnership”) that the Company formed in connection with its REIT conversion. Ryman and the non-controlling operating partnership unit holders discussed in “Income (Loss) Per Share” in this Note 1 are the sole limited partners of the Operating Partnership, and Ryman currently owns, either directly or indirectly, 99.3% of the partnership units of the Operating Partnership. RHP Finance Corporation, a Delaware corporation (“Finco”), was formed as a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Operating Partnership for the sole purpose of being an issuer of debt securities with the Operating

Partnership. Neither Ryman nor Finco has any material assets, other than Ryman’s investment in the Operating Partnership and its 100%-owned subsidiaries. As 100%-owned subsidiaries of Ryman, neither the Operating Partnership nor Finco has any business, operations, financial results or other material information, other than the business, operations, financial results and other material information described in this Annual Report on Form 10-K and Ryman’s other reports, documents or other information filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission pursuant to the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.

The Company principally operates, through its subsidiaries and its property managers, as applicable, in the following business segments: Hospitality; Entertainment; and Corporate and Other. The Company’s fiscal year ends on December 31 for all periods presented.

Business Segments

Hospitality

The Hospitality segment includes the Gaylord Hotels branded hotels, the Inn at Opryland and the AC Hotel, each of which is managed by Marriott pursuant to a management agreement for each hotel.

Entertainment

The Entertainment segment includes the Grand Ole Opry, the Ryman Auditorium, WSM-AM, Ole Red, the General Jackson, the Wildhorse Saloon, Block 21, and the Company’s investment in the Circle joint venture, among various others. Marriott manages the day-to-day operations of the General Jackson, the Wildhorse Saloon and the W Austin, which is part of the Block 21 complex, pursuant to management agreements.

Corporate and Other

The Corporate and Other segment includes operating and general and administrative expenses related to the overall management of the Company which are not allocated to the other reportable segments, including certain costs for the Company’s retirement plans, equity-based compensation plans, information technology, human resources, accounting, and other administrative expenses.

Principles of Consolidation

The accompanying consolidated financial statements include the accounts of the Company and its subsidiaries. The Company’s investments in non-controlled entities in which it has the ability to exercise significant influence over operating and financial policies are accounted for by the equity method. All significant intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation.

The Company analyzes its variable interests, including loans, guarantees, management agreements, leasing arrangements and equity investments, to determine if an entity in which it has a variable interest is a variable interest entity (“VIE”). This analysis primarily includes a qualitative review, which is based on a review of the design of the entity, its organizational structure, including decision-making ability, and relevant financial agreements. This analysis is also used to determine if the Company must consolidate the VIE as the primary beneficiary.

For periods prior to its achieving 100% ownership of the Gaylord Rockies joint venture in May 2021, management concluded that the Company was the primary beneficiary of the Gaylord Rockies joint venture, which was a VIE. As such, the Company consolidated the assets, liabilities and results of operations of the Gaylord Rockies joint venture in the accompanying consolidated financial statements. The portion of the Gaylord Rockies joint venture that the Company did not previously own was recorded as noncontrolling interest in consolidated joint venture in the accompanying consolidated balance sheet, and any previous adjustment necessary to reflect the noncontrolling interest at its redemption value was shown in the accompanying consolidated statements of equity (deficit) and noncontrolling interest. As Gaylord Rockies is now wholly-owned by the Company, it is no longer considered a VIE. See “Noncontrolling Interest” below for further discussion.

The terms of the Company's joint venture agreement in Circle provide that the Company and its joint venture partner each share the authority to make major decisions in the joint venture, including operating plans, entering into certain contracts, admitting additional members of the joint venture, issuing additional membership interests, and amending the operating agreement. In addition, the officers of Circle are not employees of the Company. Based on management’s analysis of the joint venture agreement, management concluded that the Company is not the primary beneficiary of this variable interest entity and accounts for this investment under the equity method.

See “OEG Transaction” in this Note 1 for further discussion.

Recovery from COVID-19; Current Economic Environment

COVID-19 has caused, and may in the future cause, unprecedented levels of disruption to the Company’s business. Although the Company’s business levels have generally recovered and improved in 2022, there remains significant uncertainty surrounding the extent to which COVID-19 may in the future impact the Company’s results of operations and financial position, as increased labor costs, broad inflationary pressures and rising interest rates continue to impact the economy.

All of the Company’s assets were open and fully operational throughout 2022, and most of our businesses were open and operating throughout 2021; however, Gaylord National remained closed during the first half of 2021 and reopened July 1, 2021, the Grand Ole Opry and Ryman Auditorium reopened for full-capacity publicly attended performances in May 2021, and, subsequent to the December 2020 downtown Nashville bombing, the Wildhorse Saloon reopened in April 2021.

Throughout 2020, 2021 and 2022, and continuing to date, the Company has paid all required debt service payments on its indebtedness, lease payments, taxes and other payables.

At December 31, 2022, the Company had $689.6 million available for borrowing under its revolving credit facility, $65.0 million available for borrowing under the OEG revolving credit facility, and $334.2 million in unrestricted cash on hand. The Company’s cash dividend, which had been suspended since second quarter 2020, was reinstated in September 2022. The Company’s interim dividend policy provides that the Company will make minimum dividends of 100% of REIT taxable income annually, subject to the Company’s board of directors’ future determinations as to the amount of any distributions and timing thereof.

OEG Transaction

On June 16, 2022, the Company and certain of its subsidiaries, including OEG Attractions Holdings, LLC (“OEG”), which directly or indirectly owns the assets that comprise the Company’s Entertainment segment, consummated the transactions contemplated by an investment agreement (the “Investment Agreement”) with Atairos Group, Inc. (“Atairos”) and A-OEG Holdings, LLC, an affiliate of Atairos (the “OEG Investor”), pursuant to which OEG issued and sold to the OEG Investor, and the OEG Investor acquired, 30% of the equity interests of OEG for approximately $296.0 million (the “OEG Transaction”). The purchase price payable to the Company for the OEG Transaction may be increased by $30.0 million if OEG achieves certain financial objectives in 2023 or 2024.

The Company retains a controlling 70% equity interest in OEG and continues to consolidate the assets, liabilities and results of operations of OEG in the accompanying consolidated financial statements. The portion of OEG that the Company does not own is recorded as noncontrolling interest in consolidated joint venture, which is classified as mezzanine equity in the accompanying consolidated balance sheet, and any adjustment necessary to reflect the noncontrolling interest at its redemption value is shown in the accompanying consolidated statements of equity (deficit) and noncontrolling interest. After the payment of transaction expenses, the Company used substantially all of the net proceeds from the OEG Transaction, together with the net proceeds the Company received from the OEG Term Loan (as defined below), to repay the then-outstanding balance of the Company’s former $300 million term loan A and to pay down substantially all borrowings then outstanding under the Company’s revolving credit facility.

Pursuant to the Second Amended and Restated Limited Liability Company Agreement for OEG entered into at the closing of the OEG Transaction (the “OEG LLC Agreement”), OEG is governed by a Board of Managers (the “Board”),

subject to member consent to certain actions. The Board initially consists of six members, four designated by the Company and two designated by the OEG Investor. Board membership may be modified from time to time to reflect the proportional ownership of outstanding units by each party. Subject to certain ownership thresholds, the approval of both parties will be required with respect to certain “major decisions” affecting OEG, including, but not limited to, approval of OEG’s annual operating budget in the event of changes exceeding certain thresholds, the incurrence of certain debt, the issuance of new equity securities, and mergers, acquisitions or dispositions in excess of a certain dollar threshold.

The OEG Investor will have the option to acquire additional common units of OEG from the Company (the “Purchase Option”) in each of the fourth quarters of 2023, 2024 and 2025 in an amount equal to the lesser of $125 million or the maximum amount of proceeds that the Company may receive with respect to its compliance with applicable REIT tests, provided that the OEG Investor may not purchase an amount of common units that would result in the Company owning less than 51% of the outstanding common units after giving effect to the purchase. If the OEG Investor elects to exercise the Purchase Option, then (i) beginning on June 16, 2027 (the fifth anniversary of the OEG Investor’s original investment in OEG (the “Fifth Anniversary”)), the OEG Investor will have the right to demand that OEG undertake a Qualified IPO and (ii) the OEG Investor’s rights with respect to the IPO Request Put Right, the Seven-Year Put Right, an IPO Payment and a Sale Payment, each as defined in the OEG LLC Agreement and described below, will expire. The Purchase Option will terminate upon the occurrence of a Qualified IPO, a Sale of OEG or a Qualified Spinoff, each as defined in the OEG LLC Agreement.

IPO Request Put Right. If OEG has not completed a Qualified IPO prior to June 16, 2026 (the fourth anniversary of the OEG Investor’s original investment in OEG (the “Fourth Anniversary”)), the OEG Investor may request that OEG undertake a Qualified IPO. If the Company, through its subsidiary RHP Hotels, LLC (the “Ryman Member”), declines to undertake such Qualified IPO, the OEG Investor may cause the Ryman Member to acquire all of the OEG Investor’s interest in OEG at a price equal to 1.5 times the OEG Investor’s equity investment (the “IPO Request Put Price”).

Seven-Year Put Right. If OEG has not completed a Qualified IPO, Sale of OEG or a Qualified Spinoff prior to June 16, 2029 (the seventh anniversary of the OEG Investor’s original investment in OEG (the “Seventh Anniversary”)), the OEG Investor may cause the Ryman Member to acquire all of the OEG Investor’s interest in OEG at a price equal to the fair value of the OEG Investor’s equity interest (the “Seven-Year Put Price”).

The IPO Request Put Price and the Seven-Year Put Price may each be settled in either cash or Company stock, at the Company’s option, and the IPO Request Put Right and the Seven-Year Put Right will each terminate at the first closing of the Purchase Option.

IPO Payment. Upon a Qualified IPO that occurs on or before the Seventh Anniversary, the OEG Investor will be entitled to an IPO Payment if the Post IPO Investor Stake Value (as defined in OEG LLC Agreement) measured on the 120th trading day post-IPO does not equal or exceed the Minimum Investor Stake Value (as defined in the OEG LLC Agreement). If the IPO occurs after the Fourth Anniversary, the IPO Payment will be capped at 50% of the OEG Investor’s investment in OEG (the “Payment Cap”). Any IPO Payment may be satisfied in either cash, OEG equity owned by the Ryman Member, or Company stock.

Sale Payment. Upon a sale of OEG (but excluding a Qualified Spinoff) that occurs on or before the Seventh Anniversary, the OEG Investor will be entitled to a Sale Payment if the value of the OEG Investor’s retained invested equity (implied by the sale) does not equal or exceed the Minimum Investor Sale Value (as defined in the OEG LLC Agreement). If a sale of OEG occurs after the Fifth Anniversary, any Sale Payment will be capped at the Payment Cap. Any Sale Payment may be satisfied in either cash, a preferential cash distribution, additional consideration in the Sale of OEG or Company stock.

The above descriptions related to the OEG LLC Agreement do not purport to be complete and are qualified in their entirety by reference to the OEG LLC Agreement filed as Exhibit 10.19 to this Annual Report on Form 10-K and incorporated herein by reference.

Also on June 16, 2022, OEG Borrower, LLC (“OEG Borrower”) and OEG Finance, LLC (“OEG Finance”), each a wholly owned direct or indirect subsidiary of OEG, entered into a credit agreement (the “OEG Credit Agreement”)

among OEG Borrower, as borrower, OEG Finance, certain subsidiaries of OEG Borrower from time to time party thereto as guarantors, the lenders party thereto and JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., as administrative agent. The OEG Credit Agreement provides for (i) a senior secured term loan facility in the aggregate principal amount of $300.0 million (the “OEG Term Loan”) and (ii) a senior secured revolving credit facility in an aggregate principal amount not to exceed $65.0 million (the “OEG Revolver”). The OEG Term Loan matures on June 16, 2029, and the OEG Revolver matures on June 16, 2027. The OEG Term Loan bears interest at a rate equal to either, at OEG Borrower’s election, (i) the Alternate Base Rate plus 4.00% or (b) Adjusted Term SOFR plus 5.00% (all as specifically more described in the OEG Credit Agreement). In November 2022, OEG entered into an interest rate swap to fix the SOFR portion of the interest rate on $100.0 million of borrowings at 4.533% through December 2025. The OEG Revolver bears interest at a rate equal to either, at OEG Borrower’s election, (i) the Alternate Base Rate plus 3.75% or (b) Adjusted Term SOFR plus 4.75%, which shall be subject to reduction in the applicable margin based upon OEG’s First Lien Leverage Ratio (all as more specifically described in the OEG Credit Agreement). The OEG Term Loan and OEG Revolver are each secured by substantially all of the assets of OEG Finance and each of its subsidiaries (but not Block 21 and Circle, as more specifically described in the OEG Credit Agreement). No revolving credit advance was made under the OEG Revolver at closing.

Block 21 Transaction

On May 31, 2022, the Company purchased Block 21 for a stated purchase price of $260 million, as subsequently adjusted to $255 million pursuant to the terms of the purchase agreement, which included the assumption of approximately $136 million of existing mortgage debt. Block 21 is the home of the Austin City Limits Live at The Moody Theater (“ACL Live”), a 2,750-seat entertainment venue that serves as the filming location for the Austin City Limits television series. The Block 21 complex also includes the 251-room W Austin, the 3TEN at ACL Live club and approximately 53,000 square feet of other Class A commercial space. The Company funded the cash portion of the purchase price with cash on hand and borrowings under its revolving credit facility. The acquisition was accounted for as a business combination, given the different nature of the principal operations acquired (a hotel and an entertainment venue). Block 21 assets are reflected in the Company’s Entertainment segment beginning May 31, 2022.

The Company performed a preliminary valuation of the fair value of the acquired assets and liabilities as of May 31, 2022. The valuations of the various components of property and equipment were determined principally based on the cost approach, which uses assumptions regarding replacement values from established indices. The valuation of intangible assets was based on various methods to evaluate the values of leases in place and advanced bookings previously received for the hotel. The valuation of assumed debt was principally based on a discounted cash flow approach using market interest rates at the time of the transaction. The Company considers each of these estimates as Level 3 fair value measurements. Other acquired assets were valued at carrying value. Based on the aggregation of fair values as compared to consideration transferred, the Company concluded that there was no goodwill or bargain purchase gain related to the business combination. The Company performed an income approach evaluation of the acquired set which corroborated the conclusion that there was no goodwill related to the acquisition. Such evaluation included assumptions of future projected cash flows, which were based on the future projected occupancy and average daily rate for the W Hotel Austin, future anticipated cash flows at ACL Live, and market discount rates.

Utilizing the valuation, the Company performed a purchase price allocation for the acquired assets and liabilities of Block 21. As a result, the Company preliminarily allocated the purchase price, adjusted for working capital adjustments as defined in the purchase agreement, in the Company’s balance sheet at May 31, 2022 as follows (amounts in thousands):

Property and equipment

$

237,159

Cash and cash equivalents - unrestricted

 

8,493

Cash and cash equivalents - restricted

12,450

Trade receivables

 

1,405

Prepaid expenses and other assets

 

1,085

Intangible assets

 

1,723

Total assets acquired

262,315

Debt (Note 4)

(132,531)

Accounts payable and accrued liabilities

(14,774)

Other liabilities

(75)

Total liabilities assumed

(147,380)

Net assets acquired

$

114,935

The estimated fair values for the assets acquired and liabilities assumed are preliminary and are subject to change during the one-year measurement period as additional information related to the inputs and assumptions used in determining the fair value of the assets and liabilities becomes available. The Company is in the process of finalizing its review of the underlying inputs and assumptions. Therefore, the purchase price allocation is not yet complete as of the date of this filing but will be complete within the one-year measurement period.

The Company incurred $1.3 million in acquisition-related expenses in 2022, which are included in entertainment expenses in the accompanying consolidated statement of operations.

In December 2019, the Company entered into a previous agreement to purchase Block 21. In May 2020, in response to the then-existing capital markets and economic environment caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the Company determined it was not in the best interest of shareholders to focus resources and capital on the project and terminated the related purchase agreement. The Company forfeited a nonrefundable December 2019 deposit of $15 million and recorded a loss, which is included in other gains and (losses), net in the accompanying consolidated statement of operations for 2020.

Property and Equipment

Property and equipment are stated at cost or at estimated fair value if recorded in connection with purchase accounting. Improvements and significant renovations that extend the lives of existing assets are capitalized. Interest on funds borrowed to finance the construction of major capital additions not funded through furniture, fixtures and equipment reserves is included in the cost of the applicable capital addition. Maintenance and repairs are charged to expense as incurred. Property and equipment are generally depreciated using the straight-line method over the following estimated useful lives:

Buildings

    

40 years

Land improvements

 

20 years

Furniture, fixtures and equipment

 

5-8 years

Leasehold improvements

 

The shorter of the lease term or useful life

Cash and Cash Equivalents — Unrestricted

The Company considers all highly liquid investments purchased with an original maturity of three months or less to be cash equivalents.

Cash and Cash Equivalents — Restricted

Restricted cash and cash equivalents primarily represent funds held by our property manager for furniture, fixtures and equipment reserves. In addition, the Company holds certificates of deposit with an original maturity of greater than three months in order to secure its Tennessee workers’ compensation self-insurance obligations. Beginning in July 2020, Gaylord Rockies was in a cash sweep period pursuant to the Gaylord Rockies term loan agreement, and such cash amounts are also included in restricted cash. Gaylord Rockies exited this cash sweep period in January 2023. Block 21 was in a Trigger Period (as defined below) as of the date of its purchase by the Company and remains so at December 31, 2022, and such cash amounts are also included in restricted cash.

Supplemental Cash Flow Information

Cash paid for interest, net of amounts from interest rate swaps, for the years ended December 31 was comprised of (amounts in thousands):

    

2022

    

2021

    

2020

Debt interest paid

$

135,467

$

113,669

$

113,743

Capitalized interest

 

(183)

 

(2,922)

 

(3,753)

Cash paid for interest, net of capitalized interest

$

135,284

$

110,747

$

109,990

Net cash payments of income taxes in 2022, 2021 and 2020 were $27.0 million, $0.5 million and $1.7 million, respectively.

Accounts Receivable

The Company’s accounts receivable are primarily generated by meetings and convention attendees’ room nights and food and beverage. Receivables arising from these sales are not collateralized. Credit risk associated with the accounts receivable is minimized due to the large and diverse nature of the customer base.

Credit Loss Reserves on Accounts Receivable

The Company provides credit loss reserves based upon a percentage of accounts receivable that considers historical write-offs, current economic conditions, and management’s expectations about future economic conditions, as well as periodic evaluations of the aging of accounts receivable.

Prepaid Expenses and Other Assets

Prepaid expenses and other assets at December 31 consist of (amounts in thousands):

    

2022

    

2021

Prepaid expenses

$

19,377

$

24,359

Supplemental deferred compensation plan assets

 

29,245

 

31,183

Tax rebate receivables

22,181

21,456

Inventories

 

12,041

 

8,369

Right-of-use assets for operating leases

18,910

9,863

Deferred financing costs on revolving credit facilities

5,757

Derivative assets

11,350

Other

 

15,309

 

17,674

Total prepaid expenses and other assets

$

134,170

$

112,904

Prepaid expenses consist of prepayments for property taxes, insurance and other contracts that will be expensed during the subsequent year. Inventories consist primarily of food and beverage inventory for resale and retail inventory sold in the Entertainment segment. Inventory is carried at the lower of cost or net realizable value. Cost is computed on an average cost basis. Other assets include capitalized software costs, non-trade receivables, and investments in joint ventures, among others.

Gaylord Rockies is party to an incentive agreement with the local government that provides that Gaylord Rockies is entitled to receive monthly rebates of certain city and state taxes, including property, sales and lodging taxes. The term of the rebate agreement varies by type of tax but ranges from 25-33 years from commencement of the construction of Gaylord Rockies. Gaylord Rockies earned $38.4 million, $29.1 million and $41.4 million in rebates in 2022, 2021 and 2020, respectively, which are generally recorded as a reduction in other hotel expenses in the accompanying consolidated statements of operations for 2022, 2021 and 2020.

Intangible Assets

In connection with the Company’s purchase price allocation of the Gaylord Rockies joint venture, the Company acquired certain definite-lived intangibles, which are shown on the accompanying consolidated balance sheets. Included in these intangibles are the original estimated fair value of advanced bookings of $125.5 million and the original estimated fair value related to the Gaylord Hotels trade name, which Marriott owns, of $115.3 million. The advanced bookings asset was amortized on a straight-line basis over a period of 3.5 years, which corresponded with the period in which the advanced bookings related, and the value in the trade name is being amortized on a straight-line basis over 30 years, which is the period of the Marriott management agreement.

The gross carrying amount of intangible assets at December 31, 2022 and 2021 was $254.7 million and $252.8 million, respectively. Accumulated amortization of intangible assets at December 31, 2022 and 2021 was $148.7 million and $126.0 million, respectively. Amortization expense related to intangible assets during 2022, 2021 and 2020 was $22.7 million, $40.2 million and $40.2 million, respectively. The estimated amounts of amortization expense for the next five years are as follows (amounts in thousands):

2023

    

$

5,018

2024

 

4,486

2025

 

4,097

2026

 

4,039

2027

 

4,039

$

21,679

Investments

From time to time, the Company has owned minority interest investments in certain businesses. Investments in entities that the Company does not control but in which it exercises significant influence are accounted for using the equity method of accounting.

Accounts Payable and Accrued Liabilities

Accounts payable and accrued liabilities at December 31 consist of (amounts in thousands):

    

2022

    

2021

Trade accounts payable

$

38,628

$

31,725

Property and other taxes payable

 

73,461

 

54,991

Deferred revenues

 

136,479

 

116,820

Accrued salaries and benefits

 

58,219

 

42,472

Interest payable

 

23,111

 

20,313

Other accrued liabilities

 

55,261

 

38,398

Total accounts payable and accrued liabilities

$

385,159

$

304,719

Deferred revenues consist primarily of deposits on advance bookings of hotel rooms and advance ticket sales at the Company’s entertainment properties, as well as uncollected attrition and cancellation fees. Other accrued liabilities include accruals for, among others, purchasing, meeting planner commissions and utilities.

Income Taxes

The Company establishes deferred tax assets and liabilities based on the difference between the financial statement and income tax carrying amounts of assets and liabilities using existing tax laws and tax rates. The Company reports a liability for unrecognized tax benefits resulting from uncertain tax positions taken or expected to be taken in a tax return, if any. The Company recognizes interest and penalties, if any, related to unrecognized tax benefits in income tax expense. See Note 10, “Income Taxes,” for more detail on the Company’s income taxes.

The effect on deferred tax assets and liabilities of a change in the tax rate is recognized in income in the period that includes the enactment date of the rate change. The Company records a valuation allowance to reduce its deferred tax assets to the amount that is more likely than not to be realized. The Company has considered all available positive and negative evidence in assessing the need for a valuation allowance.

Deferred Management Rights Proceeds

The Company has deferred and amortizes the proceeds received from Marriott that were allocated to the sale of the management rights, as discussed further in Note 5, “Deferred Management Rights Proceeds,” on a straight-line basis over the term of the hotel management agreements, including extensions, as a reduction in management fee expense in the accompanying consolidated statements of operations.

Other Liabilities

Other liabilities at December 31 consist of (amounts in thousands):

    

2022

    

2021

Pension and postretirement benefits liability

$

21,148

$

20,061

Deferred compensation liability

 

29,245

 

31,183

Derivative liabilities

1,164

9,362

Other

 

13,267

 

11,333

Total other liabilities

$

64,824

$

71,939

Deferred Financing Costs

Deferred financing costs (“DFCs”) consist of loan fees and other costs of financing that are amortized over the term of the related financing agreements, using the effective interest method, and are generally presented as a reduction of the related debt liability. DFCs on the Company’s revolving credit facility and the OEG revolving credit facility are included in prepaid expenses and other assets when the related revolving credit facility has no outstanding balance. During 2022, 2021 and 2020, DFCs of $9.8 million, $8.8 million and $7.9 million, respectively, were amortized and recorded as interest expense in the accompanying consolidated statements of operations.

Noncontrolling Interests

OEG

The noncontrolling interest in consolidated joint venture for 2022 represents the minority investor’s proportionate share of the assets and liabilities of OEG, adjusted for changes in the redemption value of the related put rights. The noncontrolling interest is classified in the mezzanine section of the consolidated balance sheets as the related redemption options do not meet the requirements for permanent equity classification because these redemption options may be redeemed by the holder as described above in “OEG Transaction.”

The initial value of the noncontrolling interest in OEG, which included certain put rights, was estimated based on the purchase price received from the OEG Investor. In general, the carrying value will be based on the greater of the accumulated historical cost or the put right redemption value, and at December 31, 2022, approximates the fair value of the noncontrolling interest. An adjustment is also made for the OEG Investor’s proportionate share of income or loss in the accompanying consolidated statement of operations.

Gaylord Rockies

Until the Company’s buyout of the minority partners’ interest in the Gaylord Rockies joint venture in 2021, the noncontrolling interest in consolidated joint venture for 2021 and 2020 represents the previous minority partners’ proportionate share of the assets and liabilities of the Gaylord Rockies joint venture. An adjustment was made in 2021 and 2020 for the minority partners’ proportionate share of income or loss in the joint venture in the accompanying consolidated statements of operations.

Pursuant to the amended and restated joint venture agreements for the Gaylord Rockies joint venture, minority partners each had a put right to require the Company to purchase their joint venture interests at a defined appraised value during an annual window period, or under certain other circumstances, in consideration of cash or OP Units of the Operating Partnership. During 2020, put right holders totaling 0.5% ownership in the Gaylord Rockies joint venture exercised their put rights for $2.9 million in cash, and the remaining put right holders, totaling 2.4% ownership in the Gaylord Rockies joint venture, exercised their put rights for approximately $14.0 million in OP Units, which was equivalent to approximately 0.4 million OP Units. Such OP Units have economic terms that are substantially similar to shares of the Company’s common stock and are redeemable at the option of the holders thereof. Redemptions may be paid in cash, or if the Company so elects, in shares of the Company’s common stock on a one-for-one basis, subject to certain adjustments in accordance with the Operating Partnership’s limited partnership agreement.

OP Units

The noncontrolling interest in the Operating Partnership represents the limited partners’ proportionate share of the equity of the Operating Partnership. The noncontrolling interest is classified in the equity section of the consolidated balance sheets, separately from stockholders’ equity, as the related redemption options are redeemable for cash, or if the Company so elects, in unregistered shares of the Company’s common stock on a one-for-one basis, subject to certain adjustments. An adjustment is made for the limited partners’ proportionate share of income or loss in the accompanying consolidated statement of operations. At December 31, 2022, 0.4 million outstanding OP Units, or less than 1% of the outstanding OP Units, were held by the noncontrolling limited partners and are included as a component of equity in the accompanying consolidated balance sheets. The Company owns, directly or indirectly, the remaining 99.3% of the outstanding OP Units.

Revenue Recognition

Revenues from occupied hotel rooms are recognized over time as the daily hotel stay is provided to hotel groups and guests. Revenues from concessions, food and beverage sales and group meeting services are recognized over the period or at the point in time those goods or services are delivered to the hotel group or guest. Revenues from ancillary services at the Company’s hotels, such as spa, parking, and transportation services, are generally recognized at the time the goods or services are provided. Cancellation fees and attrition fees, which are charged to groups when they do not fulfill the minimum number of room nights or minimum food and beverage spending requirements originally contracted for, are generally recognized as revenue in the period the Company determines it is probable that a significant reversal in the amount of revenue recognized will not occur, which is typically the period these fees are collected. The Company generally recognizes revenues from the Entertainment segment at the point in time that services are provided or goods are delivered or shipped to the customer, as applicable. Entertainment segment revenues from licenses of content are recognized at the point in time the content is delivered to the licensee and the licensee can use and benefit from the content. Revenue related to content provided to Circle is eliminated for the portion of Circle that the Company owns. The Company is required to collect certain taxes from customers on behalf of government agencies and remit these to the applicable governmental entity on a periodic basis. These taxes are collected from customers at the time of purchase but are not included in revenue. The Company records a liability upon collection from the customer and relieves the liability when payments are remitted to the applicable governmental agency.

The Company’s revenues disaggregated by major source are as follows (in thousands):

    

2022

    

2021

    

2020

Hotel group rooms

$

364,835

$

131,404

$

88,606

Hotel transient rooms

 

230,709

 

 

197,470

 

 

83,112

Hotel food and beverage - banquets

 

440,364

 

 

140,186

 

 

116,624

Hotel food and beverage - outlets

 

226,645

 

 

139,303

 

 

70,914

Hotel other

 

275,421

 

 

178,220

 

 

106,789

Entertainment admissions/ticketing

 

107,377

 

 

62,768

 

 

16,564

Entertainment food and beverage

 

89,931

 

 

51,515

 

 

21,506

Entertainment produced content

4,984

5,919

4,708

Entertainment retail and other

 

65,703

 

 

32,588

 

 

15,652

Total revenues

 

$

1,805,969

 

$

939,373

 

$

524,475

The Company’s Hospitality segment revenues disaggregated by location are as follows (in thousands):

    

2022

    

2021

    

2020

Gaylord Opryland

 

$

424,188

$

238,567

$

133,333

Gaylord Palms

 

279,578

 

139,130

 

77,819

Gaylord Texan

 

307,318

 

180,031

 

111,236

Gaylord National

 

249,849

 

79,419

 

52,026

Gaylord Rockies

253,326

135,942

84,715

AC Hotel

 

10,419

 

5,838

 

3,332

Inn at Opryland

 

13,296

 

7,656

 

3,584

Total Hospitality segment revenues

$

1,537,974

$

786,583

$

466,045

The majority of the Company’s Entertainment segment revenues are concentrated in Nashville, Tennessee and Austin, Texas.

The Company records deferred revenues when cash payments are received in advance of its performance obligations, primarily related to advanced deposits on hotel rooms in its Hospitality segment and advanced ticketing in its Entertainment segment. At December 31, 2022 and 2021, the Company had $136.5 million and $116.8 million, respectively, in deferred revenues, which are included in accounts payable and accrued liabilities in the accompanying consolidated balance sheets. Of the amount outstanding at December 31, 2021, approximately $49.4 million was recognized in revenues during 2022.

Management Fees

The Company pays Marriott a base management fee of approximately 2% of revenues for the majority of properties that Marriott manages and a base management fee of approximately 3% of revenues for Gaylord Rockies, as well as an incentive fee for each managed property that is based on profitability. The Company incurred $35.1 million, $17.6 million and $10.3 million in base management fees to Marriott during 2022, 2021 and 2020, respectively. The Company incurred $13.5 million, $0.3 million and $0 in incentive fees to Marriott during 2022, 2021 and 2020, respectively. Management fees are presented in the consolidated statements of operations net of the amortization of the deferred management rights proceeds discussed further in Note 5, “Deferred Management Rights Proceeds.”

Advertising Costs

Advertising costs are expensed as incurred and were $55.1 million, $36.2 million, and $23.0 million for 2022, 2021 and 2020, respectively.

Stock-Based Compensation

The Company has stock-based employee compensation plans, which are described more fully in Note 7, “Stock Plans.” The Company accounts for its stock-based compensation plan under the provisions of Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) 718, “Compensation – Stock Compensation.”

Preopening Costs

The Company expenses the costs associated with start-up activities and organization costs associated with its development or reopening of hotels and significant attractions as incurred. The Company’s preopening costs during 2022 include costs associated with Ole Red Nashville International Airport, which was completed in May 2022. The Company’s preopening costs during 2021 include costs associated with the Gaylord Palms expansion, which was completed in April 2021. The Company’s preopening costs during 2020 include costs associated with Ole Red Orlando, which opened in June 2020, and the Gaylord Palms expansion.

Derivative Financial Instruments

The Company has entered into and may in the future enter into additional interest rate swap agreements to hedge against interest rate fluctuations. The Company does not use derivatives for trading or speculative purposes and currently does not hold any derivatives that are not designated as hedges.

For derivatives designated as and that qualify as cash flow hedges of interest rate risk, the gain or loss on the derivative resulting from recording each instrument at estimated fair value is recorded in accumulated other comprehensive loss and subsequently reclassified to interest expense in the same period during which the hedged transaction affects earnings. These amounts reported in accumulated other comprehensive loss will be reclassified to interest expense as interest payments are made on the related variable-rate debt. The Company estimates that $11.6 million will be reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive income as a reduction to interest expense in the next twelve months.

Impairment of Long-Lived and Other Assets

In accounting for the Company’s long-lived and other assets (including its property and equipment and intangible assets), the Company assesses its long-lived assets for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying value of the assets or asset group may not be recoverable.

Recoverability of property and equipment and definite-lived intangible assets that will continue to be used is measured by comparing the carrying amount of the asset or asset group to the related total future undiscounted net cash flows. If an asset or asset group’s carrying value is not recoverable through those cash flows, the asset group is considered to be impaired. The impairment is measured by the excess of the assets’ carrying amount over their fair value, which is estimated using discounted cash flow analyses that utilize comprehensive cash flow projections, as well as observable market data to the extent available.

The Company recorded no impairment losses during 2022, 2021 or 2020.

Income (Loss) Per Share

Income (loss) per share is measured as basic earnings per share and diluted earnings per share. Basic earnings per share is computed by dividing net income (loss) by the weighted average number of common shares outstanding during the year. Diluted earnings per share is computed by dividing net income (loss) by the weighted average number of common shares outstanding after considering the effect of conversion of dilutive instruments, calculated using the treasury stock method or if-converted method, as applicable. Net income (loss) per share amounts are calculated as follows for the years ended December 31 (income (loss) and share amounts in thousands):

2022

    

2021

    

2020

Numerator:

Net income (loss) available to common shareholders

$

128,993

$

(176,966)

$

(417,391)

 

 

 

Denominator:

Weighted average shares outstanding - basic

55,140

55,047

54,962

Effect of dilutive stock-based compensation

237

Weighted average shares outstanding - diluted

55,377

 

55,047

 

54,962

Basic income (loss) per share available to common stockholders

$

2.34

$

(3.21)

$

(7.59)

Diluted income (loss) per share available to common stockholders

$

2.33

$

(3.21)

$

(7.59)

For 2021 and 2020, the effect of dilutive stock-based compensation was the equivalent of 0.2 million and 0.1 million shares of common stock outstanding, respectively. Because the Company had a loss available to common stockholders in 2021 and 2020, these incremental shares were excluded from the computation of dilutive earnings per share as the effect of their inclusion would have been anti-dilutive.

As more fully discussed above in “OEG Transaction,” the OEG Investor will have certain put rights (the “OEG Put Rights”) to require the Company to purchase the OEG Investor’s equity interest in OEG, which the Company may pay in cash or Company stock, at the Company’s option. The Company calculated potential dilution for the OEG Put Rights based on the if-converted method, which assumes the OEG Put Rights were converted to Company stock on the first day of the period or the date of issuance. For 2022, the effect of the OEG Put Rights was the equivalent of 1.9 million shares of Company common stock outstanding. Because the OEG Put Rights were anti-dilutive for 2022, such incremental shares were excluded from the computation of dilutive earnings per share.

As discussed above, certain minority partners in the Gaylord Rockies joint venture each had a put right to require the Company to purchase their joint venture interests in the Gaylord Rockies joint venture in consideration of cash or OP Units of the Operating Partnership. These put rights were exercised in 2020. The OP Units held by the noncontrolling interest holders have been excluded from the denominator of the diluted loss per share calculation for 2022, 2021 and 2020 as there would be no effect on the calculation of diluted earnings per share because the income (loss) attributable to the OP Units held by the noncontrolling interest holders would also be added (subtracted) to derive net income (loss) available to common shareholders.

Accounting Estimates

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the consolidated financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reported period. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

Newly Issued Accounting Standards

In March 2020, the FASB issued ASU No. 2020-04, “Reference Rate Reform – Facilitation of the Effects of Reference Rate Reform on Financial Reporting,” which provides temporary optional expedients and exceptions to the existing guidance on contract modifications and hedge accounting to ease the financial reporting burdens of the expected market transition from the London Interbank Offered Rate (“LIBOR”) and other interbank offered rates to alternative reference rates, such as the Secured Overnight Financing Rate (“SOFR”). The guidance in ASU 2020-04 is optional, effective immediately, and may be elected over time as reference rate reform activities occur generally through December 31, 2022. In December 2022, the FASB issued ASU No. 2022-06, “Reference Rate Reform (Topic 848): Deferral of the Sunset Date of Topic 848,” which extends the transition period for the shift from LIBOR to December 2024. During 2020, the Company elected to apply the hedge accounting expedients related to probability and the assessments of effectiveness for future LIBOR-indexed cash flows to assume that the index upon which future hedged transactions will be based matches the index on the corresponding derivatives. Application of these expedients preserves the presentation of derivatives consistent with past presentation. The Company continues to evaluate the impact of this guidance and may apply other elections as applicable as additional market changes occur.