Related Party Transactions

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2023

Related Party Transactions [Abstract]

Related Party Transactions

Related Party Transactions

Transactions with the Company's Largest Shareholder

Effective October 15, 1997, Choice Hotels International, Inc., which included both a franchising business and an owned hotel business, separated the businesses via a spin-off into two companies: Sunburst Hospitality Corporation (referred to hereafter as “Sunburst”) and the Company. Subsequent to the spin-off, the Company’s largest shareholder retained significant ownership percentages in both Sunburst and the Company. As part of the spin-off, Sunburst and the Company entered into a strategic alliance agreement (as amended, the "Strategic Alliance Agreement"). Among other things, the Strategic Alliance Agreement provided for revised royalty and system fees and the determination of liquidated damages related to the termination of Choice-branded Sunburst properties. The liquidated damage provisions extend through the life of the existing Sunburst franchise agreements.

On June 5, 2019, the Strategic Alliance Agreement was terminated and replaced with addenda to each of the five hotels under a franchise at that time. The addenda preserve certain terms from the Strategic Alliance Agreement with respect to the five hotels, including the revised royalty and system fees and liquidated damage provisions, which would also apply to new franchise agreements signed for the five hotels (as either a renewal or a change to another Choice brand not contemplated at the time of the original agreement execution). No terms were substantially modified with respect to the five hotels under franchise. In June 2019, the Company and Sunburst entered into master development agreements, which provide Sunburst the geographic exclusivity in two specified regions for the development of five WoodSpring branded hotels. For the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, there were three and four new franchise agreements signed between the Company and Sunburst and its affiliates, respectively. As of December 31, 2023, Sunburst and its affiliates operated six hotels under franchise with the Company.

For the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022, and 2021, the total franchise fees revenues, including royalty fees and marketing and reservation system fees, paid by Sunburst and its affiliates to the Company included in the consolidated financial statements was $0.9 million, $0.8 million, and $0.4 million, respectively. As of both December 31, 2023 and 2022, accounts receivable due from Sunburst and its affiliates was approximately $0.1 million.

In November 2023, the Company executed a 13-month office work space agreement, beginning December 1, 2023, for family members of the Company’s largest shareholder. Pursuant to this arrangement, the Company made payments of $18 thousand during the year ended December 31, 2023. As of December 31, 2023, the Company has $96 thousand of remaining payments under this arrangement.