The Company’s debt and finance lease obligations at December 31 consisted of (amounts in thousands):

At December 31, 2022, there were no defaults under the covenants related to the Company’s outstanding debt.

Annual maturities of long-term debt, excluding finance lease obligations, are as follows (amounts in thousands):

(1)

$800 Million Gaylord Rockies Term Loan includes three, one-year extension options, subject to certain requirements.

Credit Facility

In October 2019, the Company entered into a Sixth Amended and Restated Credit Agreement (the “Base Credit Agreement”) among the Company, as guarantor, the Operating Partnership, as borrower, certain other subsidiaries of the Company party thereto, as guarantors, certain subsidiaries of the Company party thereto, as pledgors, the lenders party thereto and Wells Fargo Bank, N.A., as administrative agent, which amended and restated the Company’s prior credit

facility. As amended, the Company’s credit facility consists of a $700.0 million senior secured revolving credit facility (the “Revolver”), prior to its repayment in June 2022, a $300.0 million senior secured term loan A (the “Term Loan A”), and a $500.0 million senior secured term loan B (the “Term Loan B”), each as discussed below. In 2020, the Company entered into three amendments (the “2020 Amendments”) to the Base Credit Agreement among the same parties, as discussed below. Additionally, the Company further amended the Base Credit Agreement in May 2021 and October 2021 to permit an acquisition during the Base Credit Agreement’s restricted period (as defined below) and an associated assumption of indebtedness, subject to certain conditions (such amendments, together with the 2020 Amendments, the “Amendments”; the Base Credit Agreement, as amended by the Amendments, the “Existing Credit Agreement”; the Existing Credit Amendment, as amended by the Fifth Amendment (as hereinafter defined), the “Credit Agreement”).

Each of the Revolver and Term Loan B is guaranteed by the Company, each of the Company’s subsidiaries that own the Gaylord Hotels properties, other than Gaylord Rockies, and certain other of the Company’s subsidiaries. Each is secured by (i) a first mortgage lien on the real property of each of the Gaylord Hotels properties, excluding Gaylord Rockies, (ii) pledges of equity interests in the Company’s subsidiaries that own the Gaylord Hotels properties, excluding Gaylord Rockies, (iii) pledges of equity interests in the Operating Partnership, the subsidiaries that guarantee the Credit Agreement, and certain other of the Company’s subsidiaries, (iv) the personal property of the Company, the Operating Partnership and the subsidiaries that guarantee the Credit Agreement and (v) all proceeds and products from the Company’s Gaylord Hotels properties, excluding Gaylord Rockies. Advances are subject to a 55% borrowing base, based on the appraisal value of the Gaylord Hotels properties (reduced to 50% in the event one of the Gaylord Hotels properties is sold), in each case, excluding Gaylord Rockies. Assets of Gaylord Rockies are not subject to the liens of the credit facility.

Each of the Revolver and Term Loan B contains certain covenants which, among other things, limit the incurrence of additional indebtedness, investments, dividends, transactions with affiliates, asset sales, acquisitions, mergers and consolidations, liens and encumbrances and other matters customarily restricted in such agreements.

The Amendments provided for a waiver of the Credit Agreement’s financial covenants (the “Compliance Covenants”) through March 31, 2022 (the “Temporary Waiver Period”) and modified certain covenants through June 30, 2022. In addition, the Amendments contain a covenant that the Company must maintain unrestricted liquidity (in the form of unrestricted cash on hand or undrawn availability under the Revolver) of at least $100 million. In the event the Company is unable to comply with the Credit Agreement’s Compliance Covenants at any time, it expects to further amend the Credit Agreement or take other mitigating actions prior to a potential breach.

Beginning with the quarter ended June 30, 2022, the Company calculates compliance with the Compliance Covenants in the Credit Agreement using a designated annualized calculation based on the Company’s most recently completed fiscal quarter. Beginning with the quarter ended September 30, 2022, the Company is required to satisfy Compliance Covenants at the levels set forth in the Credit Agreement using a designated annualized calculation based on the Company’s most recently completed fiscal quarters, as applicable. Pursuant to the Amendments, the Company was required to use any proceeds from borrowings drawn until it demonstrated financial covenant compliance following the expiration of the Temporary Waiver Period (the “Restricted Period”) to fund operating expenses, debt service of the Company and its subsidiaries, and permitted capital expenditures and investments. The Company demonstrated such compliance in May 2022 and thereby ended the Restricted Period; thereafter, we are required to satisfy the Compliance Covenants as set forth in the Credit Agreement.

On April 4, 2022, the Company entered into Amendment No. 5 (the “Fifth Amendment”) to the Credit Agreement, among the Company, as a guarantor, its subsidiary RHP Hotel Properties, LP, as borrower, certain other subsidiaries of the Company party thereto, as guarantors, certain subsidiaries of the Company party thereto, as pledgors, the lenders party thereto and Wells Fargo Bank, National Association, as administrative agent. The Fifth Amendment provides for certain amendments to the Credit Agreement, each of which was effective upon the closing of the OEG Transaction. These amendments include, among others, the exclusion of OEG from negative covenants and certain restrictions related to certain equity issuances, investments, acquisitions, dispositions and indebtedness; changes to certain financial covenant requirements through December 2022; and a requirement that, following January 1, 2023, the Company satisfy the Compliance Covenants currently provided for in the Credit Agreement.

If an event of default shall occur and be continuing under the Credit Agreement, the commitments under the Credit Agreement may be terminated and the principal amount outstanding under the Credit Agreement, together with all accrued unpaid interest and other amounts owing in respect thereof, may be declared immediately due and payable.

$700 Million Revolving Credit Facility

The maturity of the Revolver is March 31, 2024, with two additional six-month extension options, at our election. Borrowings under the Revolver bear interest at an annual rate equal to, at the Company’s option, either (i) LIBOR plus the applicable margin ranging from 1.40% to 1.95%, dependent upon the Company’s funded debt to total asset value ratio (as defined in the Credit Agreement) or (ii) a base rate as set in the Credit Agreement. At December 31, 2022, the interest rate on LIBOR-based borrowings under the Revolver is LIBOR plus 1.55%. Principal is payable in full at maturity.

$300 Million Term Loan A

The original maturity date of the Term Loan A was March 31, 2025. Borrowings bore interest at an annual rate equal to, at the Company’s option, either (i) LIBOR plus the applicable margin ranging from 1.35% to 1.90%, dependent upon the Company’s funded debt to total asset value ratio (as defined in the Credit Agreement) or (ii) a base rate as set in the Credit Agreement. As discussed below, in June 2022, we paid off the Term Loan A with proceeds from the OEG Term Loan.

$500 Million Term Loan B

The Term Loan B has a maturity of May 11, 2024. The applicable interest rate margins for borrowings under the Term Loan B are, at the Company’s option, either (i) LIBOR plus 2.00% or (ii) a base rate as set in the Credit Agreement. At December 31, 2022, the interest rate on the Term Loan B was LIBOR plus 2.00%. In October 2019, the Company entered into four interest rate swaps with a total notional amount of $350.0 million to fix the LIBOR portion of the interest rate at rates between 1.2235% and 1.2315%, through May 11, 2023. The Company has designated these swaps as effective cash flow hedges. The Term Loan B amortizes in equal quarterly installments in aggregate annual amounts equal to 1.0% of the original principal amount of $500.0 million, with the balance due at maturity. In addition, if for any fiscal year there is Excess Cash Flow (as defined in the Credit Agreement), payment of an additional principal payment is required. Amounts borrowed under the Term Loan B that are repaid or prepaid may not be reborrowed.

$600 Million 4.50% Senior Notes Due 2029

On February 17, 2021, the Operating Partnership and Finco completed the private placement of $600.0 million in aggregate principal amount of 4.50% senior notes due 2029 (the “$600 Million 4.50% Senior Notes”), which are guaranteed by the Company and its subsidiaries that guarantee the Company’s credit agreement.

The $600 Million 4.50% Senior Notes and guarantees were issued pursuant to an indenture by and among the issuing subsidiaries, the guarantors and U.S. Bank National Association, as trustee. The $600 Million 4.50% Senior Notes have a maturity date of February 15, 2029 and bear interest at 4.50% per annum, payable semi-annually in cash in arrears on February 15 and August 15 each year. The $600 Million 4.50% Senior Notes are general unsecured and unsubordinated obligations of the issuing subsidiaries and rank equal in right of payment with such subsidiaries’ existing and future senior unsecured indebtedness, including the Company’s $700 million 4.75% senior notes due 2027, and senior in right of payment to future subordinated indebtedness, if any.

The $600 Million 4.50% Senior Notes are effectively subordinated to the issuing subsidiaries’ secured indebtedness to the extent of the value of the assets securing such indebtedness. The guarantees rank equally in right of payment with the applicable guarantor’s existing and future senior unsecured indebtedness and senior in right of payment to any future subordinated indebtedness of such guarantor. The $600 Million 4.50% Senior Notes are effectively subordinated to any secured indebtedness of any guarantor to the extent of the value of the assets securing such indebtedness and structurally subordinated to all indebtedness and other obligations of the Operating Partnership’s subsidiaries that do not guarantee the $600 Million 4.50% Senior Notes.

The net proceeds from the issuance of the $600 Million 4.50% Senior Notes totaled approximately $591 million, after deducting the initial purchasers’ discounts, commissions and offering expenses. The Company used a significant portion of these proceeds to tender and redeem its previous $400 million 5% senior notes and to repay all of the amounts outstanding under the Revolver at that time. The Company used the remaining net proceeds for general corporate purposes.

The $600 Million 4.50% Senior Notes are redeemable before February 15, 2024, in whole or in part, at 100.00%, plus accrued and unpaid interest thereon to, but not including, the redemption date, plus a make-whole premium. The $600 Million 4.50% Senior Notes will be redeemable, in whole or in part, at any time on or after February 15, 2024 at a redemption price expressed as a percentage of the principal amount thereof, which percentage is 102.250%, 101.500%, 100.750%, and 100.000% beginning on February 15 of 2024, 2025, 2026, and 2027, respectively, plus accrued and unpaid interest thereon to, but not including, the redemption date.

$700 Million 4.75% Senior Notes Due 2027

In September 2019, the Operating Partnership and Finco completed the private placement of $500.0 million in aggregate principal amount of senior notes due 2027 (the “$500 Million 4.75% Senior Notes”), which are guaranteed by the Company and its subsidiaries that guarantee the Credit Agreement. The $500 Million 4.75% Senior Notes and guarantees were issued pursuant to an indenture by and among the issuing subsidiaries and the guarantors and U.S. Bank National Association as trustee. The $500 Million 4.75% Senior Notes have a maturity date of October 15, 2027 and bear interest at 4.75% per annum, payable semi-annually in cash in arrears on April 15 and October 15 of each year. The $500 Million 4.75% Senior Notes are general unsecured and unsubordinated obligations of the issuing subsidiaries and rank equal in right of payment with such subsidiaries’ existing and future senior unsecured indebtedness and senior in right of payment to future subordinated indebtedness, if any. The $500 Million 4.75% Senior Notes are effectively subordinated to the issuing subsidiaries’ secured indebtedness to the extent of the value of the assets securing such indebtedness. The guarantees rank equally in right of payment with the applicable guarantor’s existing and future senior unsecured indebtedness and senior in right of payment to any future subordinated indebtedness of such guarantor. The $500 Million 4.75% Senior Notes are effectively subordinated to any secured indebtedness of any guarantor to the extent of the value of the assets securing such indebtedness and structurally subordinated to all indebtedness and other obligations of the Operating Partnership’s subsidiaries that do not guarantee the $500 Million 4.75% Senior Notes.

The net proceeds from the issuance of the $500 Million 4.75% Senior Notes totaled approximately $493 million, after deducting the initial purchasers’ discounts, commissions and offering expenses. The Company used substantially all of these proceeds to tender and redeem its previous $350 million 5% senior notes and to repay a portion of the amounts then outstanding under the Revolver.

In October 2019, the Operating Partnership and Finco completed a tack-on private placement of $200.0 million in aggregate principal amount of 4.75% senior notes due 2027 (the “additional 2027 notes”) at an issue price of 101.250% of their aggregate principal amount plus accrued interest from the September 2019 issue date for the $500 Million 4.75% Senior Notes. The additional 2027 notes and the $500 Million 4.75% Senior Notes constitute a single class of securities (collectively, the “$700 Million 4.75% Senior Notes”). All other terms and conditions of the additional 2027 notes are identical to the $500 Million 4.75% Senior Notes.

The net proceeds of the additional 2027 notes totaled approximately $199 million, after deducting the initial purchasers’ discounts, commissions and offering expenses. The Company used substantially all of these proceeds to repay a portion of the amounts then outstanding under the Revolver.

The $700 Million 4.75% Senior Notes are redeemable, in whole or in part, at a redemption price expressed as a percentage of the principal amount thereof, which percentage is 103.563%, 102.375%, 101.188%, and 100.00% beginning on October 15 of 2022, 2023, 2024, and 2025, respectively, plus accrued and unpaid interest thereon to, but not including, the redemption date.

The Company completed a registered offer to exchange the $700 Million 4.75% Senior Notes for registered notes with substantially identical terms as the $700 Million 4.75% Senior Notes in July 2020.

$800 Million Gaylord Rockies Term Loan

In July 2019, Aurora Convention Center Hotel, LLC and Aurora Convention Center Hotel Lessee, LLC, the entities that comprise Gaylord Rockies, entered into a Second Amended and Restated Loan Agreement (the “Gaylord Rockies Loan”) with Wells Fargo Bank, National Association, as administrative agent, which refinanced Gaylord Rockies’ previous $500 million construction loan and $39 million mezzanine loan, which were scheduled to mature in December 2019. The Gaylord Rockies Loan consists of an $800.0 million secured term loan facility, matures July 2, 2023 with three, one-year extension options, subject to certain requirements in the Gaylord Rockies Loan, and bears interest at LIBOR plus 2.50%. Simultaneous with closing, Gaylord Rockies entered into an interest rate swap to fix the LIBOR portion of the interest rate at 1.65% for the first three years of the loan. Additionally, the Company has entered into an additional interest rate swap to fix the LIBOR portion of the interest rate at 3.3410% for the fourth year of the loan. The Company has designated these interest rate swaps as effective cash flow hedges.

The Gaylord Rockies Loan is secured by a deed of trust lien on the Gaylord Rockies real estate and related assets. The Company has entered into limited repayment and carry guaranties that, in the aggregate, guarantee repayment of 10% of the principal debt, together with interest and operating expenses, which are to be released once Gaylord Rockies achieves a certain debt service coverage threshold as defined in the Gaylord Rockies Loan. Generally, the Gaylord Rockies Loan is non-recourse to the Company, subject to (i) those limited guaranties, (ii) a completion guaranty in the event the expansion is pursued, and (iii) customary non-recourse carve-outs.

In June 2020, the Loan Parties entered into Amendment No. 1 (the “Loan Amendment”) to the Gaylord Rockies Loan, by and among the Loan Parties, Wells Fargo Bank, National Association, as administrative agent, and the lenders from time to time party thereto. The Loan Amendment modified the Gaylord Rockies Loan to (i) provide for the ability to use cash for certain purposes, even during a Cash Sweep Period (as defined in the Loan Agreement), which Gaylord Rockies is in beginning in July 2020 through December 2022, (ii) extend the deadline for the Company to commence construction of an expansion to Gaylord Rockies, and (iii) provide favorable changes to the debt service coverage ratio provisions. The Loan Amendment includes restrictions on distributions to the Company’s subsidiaries that own Gaylord Rockies and requires a certain level of equity financing for a Gaylord Rockies expansion.

Block 21 CMBS Loan

At the closing of the purchase of Block 21 on May 31, 2022, a subsidiary of the Company assumed a $136 million, ten-year, non-recourse term loan secured by a mortgage on Block 21 (the “Block 21 CMBS Loan”). The Block 21 CMBS Loan has a fixed interest rate of 5.58% per annum, payable monthly, matures January 5, 2026, and payments are due monthly based on a 30-year amortization.

The Block 21 CMBS Loan contains customary financial covenants and other restrictions, including sponsor net worth and liquidity requirements, and debt service coverage ratio targets that Block 21 must meet in order to avoid a “Trigger Period,” the occurrence of which does not constitute a default. Block 21 was in a Trigger Period as of the date of its purchase by the Company and remains as such as of December 31, 2022. During the Trigger Period, any cash generated by Block 21 in excess of amounts necessary to fund loan obligations, budgeted operating expenses and specified reserves will not be distributed to Block 21.

In connection with the purchase of Block 21, the Company provided (i) limited guarantees to the Block 21 lenders under the Block 21 CMBS Loan via a guaranty agreement, a guaranty of completion agreement and an environmental indemnity, and (2) a letter of credit drawable by the Block 21 lenders in the event of a default of the Block 21 CMBS Loan.

Interest Rate Derivatives

The Company has entered into interest rate swaps to manage interest rate risk associated with the Term Loan B, the Gaylord Rockies Loan and the OEG Term Loan. Each swap has been designated as a cash flow hedge whereby the Company receives variable-rate amounts in exchange for fixed-rate payments over the life of the agreement without exchange of the underlying principal amount.

The estimated fair values of the Company’s derivative financial instruments at December 31 are as follows (in thousands):


						Estimated Fair Value
						Asset (Liability) Balance
		Strike			Notional	December 31,		December 31,
Hedged Debt	Type	Rate	Index	Maturity Date	Amount	2022		2021
Term Loan B	Interest Rate Swap	1.2235%	1-month LIBOR	May 11, 2023	$ 87,500	$	1,096	$	(733)
Term Loan B	Interest Rate Swap	1.2235%	1-month LIBOR	May 11, 2023	$ 87,500		1,096		(733)
Term Loan B	Interest Rate Swap	1.2235%	1-month LIBOR	May 11, 2023	$ 87,500		1,096		(733)
Term Loan B	Interest Rate Swap	1.2315%	1-month LIBOR	May 11, 2023	$ 87,500		1,093		(742)
Gaylord Rockies Term Loan	Interest Rate Swap	1.6500%	1-month LIBOR	August 1, 2022	$ 800,000		-		(6,421)
Gaylord Rockies Term Loan	Interest Rate Swap	3.3410%	1-month LIBOR	August 1, 2023	$ 800,000		6,969		-
OEG Term Loan	Interest Rate Swap	4.5330%	3-month SOFR	December 18, 2025	$ 100,000		(1,164)		-
						$	10,186	$	(9,362)

Derivative financial instruments in an asset position are included in prepaid expenses and other assets and those in a liability position are included in other liabilities in the accompanying consolidated balance sheets.

The effect of the Company’s derivative financial instruments on the accompanying consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive income (loss) for the years ended December 31 is as follows (in thousands):


	Amount of Gain (Loss)				Location of Gain (Loss)	Amount of Gain (Loss)
	Recognized in OCI				Reclassified from	Reclassified from Accumulated
	on Derivative				Accumulated OCI	OCI into Income (Expense)
	2022		2021		into Income (Expense)	2022		2021
Derivatives in Cash Flow Hedging Relationships:
Interest rate swaps	$	16,007	$	1,955	Interest expense	$	(3,541)	$	(16,501)
Total derivatives	$	16,007	$	1,955		$	(3,541)	$	(16,501)

Reclassifications from accumulated other comprehensive loss for interest rate swaps are shown in the table above and included in interest expense. Total consolidated interest expense for 2022, 2021 and 2020 was $148.4 million, $125.3 million and $115.8 million, respectively.

At December 31, 2022, the fair value of derivatives in a net liability position including accrued interest but excluding any adjustment for nonperformance risk related to these agreements was $1.2 million. As of December 31, 2022, the Company has not posted any collateral related to these agreements and was not in breach of any agreement provisions. If the Company had breached any of these provisions, it could have been required to settle its obligations under the agreements at the aggregate termination value of $1.2 million. In addition, the Company has an agreement with its derivative counterparty that contains a provision whereby the Company could be declared in default on its derivative obligations if repayment of the underlying indebtedness is accelerated by the lender due to the Company’s default on the indebtedness.