Hotel Management Agreements and Operating and License Agreements

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2021

Contractors [Abstract]

Hotel Management Agreements and Operating and License Agreements

15.Hotel Management Agreements and Operating and License Agreements

All of our hotels are managed by third parties pursuant to management or operating agreements, with some of our hotels also being subject to separate license agreements addressing matters pertaining to operations under the designated brand. Hotels managed or franchised by Marriott and Hyatt represent approximately 60% and 20% of our total revenues, respectively. Under these agreements, the managers generally have sole responsibility for all activities necessary for the day-to-day operation of the hotels, including establishing room rates, processing reservations and promoting and publicizing the hotels. The managers also provide all employees for the hotels, prepare reports, budgets and projections, control the working capital, and provide other administrative and accounting support services to the hotels. Costs and expenses incurred by the managers are reimbursed by us. We have approval rights over budgets, capital expenditures, significant leases and contractual commitments, and various other matters.

The initial term of our agreements generally is 10 to 25 years, with one or more renewal terms at the option of the manager. The majority of our agreements condition the manager’s right to exercise options for renewal upon the satisfaction of specified economic performance criteria. The manager typically receives a base management fee, which is calculated as a percentage (generally 2-3%) of annual gross revenues, and an incentive management fee, which typically is calculated as a percentage (generally 10-20%) of operating profit after the owner has received a priority return on its investment. In the case of our hotels operating under the W®, Westin®, Sheraton®, Luxury Collection® and St. Regis® brands, the base management fee is 1% of annual gross revenues, but that amount is supplemented by license fees payable to Marriott under a separate license agreement pertaining to the designated brand, including rights to use trademarks, service marks and logos, matters relating to compliance with certain brand standards and policies, and the provision of certain system programs and centralized services. Under the license agreement, Marriott generally receives 5% of gross revenues attributable to room sales and 2% of gross revenues attributable to food and beverage sales in addition to the base management fee.

Pursuant to the agreements, the manager furnishes the hotels with certain chain services, which generally are provided on a central or regional basis to all hotels in the manager’s hotel system. Chain services include central training, advertising and promotion, national reservation systems, computerized payroll and accounting services, and such additional services as needed which may be more efficiently performed on a centralized basis. Costs and expenses incurred in providing such services are allocated among the hotels managed, owned or leased by the manager on a fair and equitable basis. In addition, our managers generally sponsor a guest rewards program, the costs of which are charged to all of the hotels that participate in such program.

We are obligated to provide the manager with sufficient funds, generally 4-5% of the revenues generated at the hotel, to cover the cost of (a) certain non-routine repairs and maintenance to the hotels which normally are capitalized, and (b) replacements and renewals to the hotels’ furniture, fixtures and equipment. Under certain circumstances, we will be required to establish escrow accounts for such purposes under terms outlined in the agreements. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, certain of our managers temporarily suspended these contribution requirements in 2020 and 2021.

We generally are limited in our ability to sell, lease or otherwise transfer our hotels unless the transferee assumes the related management agreement. However, most agreements include owner rights to terminate on the basis of the manager’s failure to meet certain performance-based metrics. Typically, these criteria are subject to the manager’s ability to ‘cure’ and avoid termination by payment to us of specified deficiency amounts (or, in some instances, waiver of the right to receive specified future management fees).

In addition to any performance-based or other termination rights, we have negotiated with Marriott and some of our other managers specific termination rights related to specific agreements. These termination rights can take a number of different forms, including termination of agreements upon sale that leave the property unencumbered by any agreement; termination upon sale provided that the property continues to be operated under a license or franchise agreement with continued brand affiliation; and termination without sale or other condition, which may require the payment of a fee. These termination rights also may restrict the number of agreements that may be terminated over any annual or other period; impose limitations on the number of agreements terminated as measured by EBITDA; require that a certain number of hotels continue to maintain the brand affiliation; or be restricted to a specific pool of assets.