Related Person Transactions

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2011

Related Person Transactions

Related Person Transactions

8. Related Person Transactions

        We have adopted written Governance Guidelines that address, among other things, the consideration and approval of any related person transactions. Under these Governance Guidelines, we may not enter into any transaction in which any Trustee or executive officer, any member of the immediate family of any Trustee or executive officer or any other related person, has or will have a direct or indirect material interest unless that transaction has been disclosed or made known to our Board of Trustees and our Board of Trustees reviews, authorizes and approves or ratifies the transaction by the affirmative vote of a majority of the disinterested Trustees, even if the disinterested Trustees constitute less than a quorum. If there are no disinterested Trustees, the transaction shall be reviewed, authorized and approved or ratified by both (1) the affirmative vote of a majority of our entire Board of Trustees and (2) the affirmative vote of a majority of our Independent Trustees. The Governance Guidelines further provide that, in determining whether to approve or ratify a transaction, our Board of Trustees, or disinterested Trustees or Independent Trustees, as the case may be, shall act in accordance with any applicable provisions of our declaration of trust, consider all of the relevant facts and circumstances, and approve only those transactions that are fair and reasonable to us. All related person transactions described below were reviewed and approved or ratified by a majority of the disinterested Trustees or otherwise in accordance with our policies described above. In the case of transactions with us by RMR employees (other than our Trustees and executive officers) subject to our Code of Business Conduct and Ethics, the employee must seek approval from an executive officer who has no interest in the matter for which approval is being requested.

        We have no employees. Personnel and various services we require to operate our business are provided to us by RMR. We have two agreements with RMR to provide management and administrative services to us: (1) a business management agreement and (2) a property management agreement. One of our Managing Trustees, Mr. Barry Portnoy, is Chairman, majority owner and an employee of RMR. Our other Managing Trustee, Mr. Adam Portnoy, the son of Mr. Barry Portnoy, is an owner of RMR and serves as President and Chief Executive Officer and as a Director of RMR. Each of our executive officers is also an officer of RMR, including Mr. Ethan Bornstein, who is the son-in-law of Mr. Barry Portnoy and the brother-in-law of Mr. Adam Portnoy. RMR has approximately 740 employees and provides management services to other companies in addition to us.

        Our Board of Trustees has given our Compensation Committee, which is comprised exclusively of our Independent Trustees, authority to act on our behalf with respect to our management agreements with RMR. The charter of our Compensation Committee requires the Committee annually to review the terms of these agreements, evaluate RMR's performance under the agreements and renew, amend, terminate or allow to expire the management agreements.

        On November 2, 2011, we and RMR entered into an amended and restated business management agreement, or the business management agreement. The business management agreement provides for compensation to RMR at an annual rate equal to 0.7% of the average historical cost of our real estate investments, as described in the business management agreement, up to the first $250,000 of such investments, and 0.5% thereafter. In addition, RMR receives an incentive fee equal to 15% of the amount by which Cash Available for Distribution for a particular fiscal year exceeds Cash Available for Distribution for the immediately preceding fiscal year. The business management agreement provides that Cash Available for Distribution means for any period, (i) our net income, before real estate depreciation, amortization and other non-cash or non-recurring items, less (ii) the amount, if any, included in the calculation in clause (i) which represents rental income recognized by us in respect of amounts which, pursuant to leasing arrangements relating to any real estate and personal property owned in connection with such real estate, we are required to escrow or reserve for renovations and refurbishments. The incentive fee is paid in our common shares and in any year shall not exceed $0.02 multiplied by the weighted average number of our common shares outstanding during such year.

        In determining the fees payable by us to RMR under the business management agreement, the average invested capital of any assets we have acquired or may in the future acquire from another REIT to which RMR provides business management or property management services, or an RMR Managed REIT, will be equal to the applicable selling RMR Managed REIT's historical costs for those properties, determined in the manner specified in the business management agreement, rather than our acquisition costs for those properties. The business management agreement also provides that, with certain exceptions, if we determine to offer for sale or other disposition of any real property that, at such time, is of a type within the investment focus of another RMR Managed REIT, we will first offer that property for purchase or disposition to that RMR Managed REIT and negotiate in good faith for such purchase or disposition.

        At present, the property management agreement applies to management services to the office building component of only one property in Baltimore, Maryland, which also includes an InterContinental hotel. The property management agreement provides for management fees relating to this office building equal to 3.0% of gross collected rents and construction supervision fees equal to 5.0% of construction costs.

        The aggregate business management and property management fees for 2011 were $34,493, including $761 as an incentive fee that we expect to pay in our common shares in March 2012. The aggregate fees for 2010 and 2009 were $33,229 and $32,950, respectively. No incentive fees were earned by RMR in 2010 or 2009. Business management and property management fees are included in general and administrative expense in our consolidated financial statements.

        RMR also provides internal audit services to us in return for our pro rata share of the total internal audit costs incurred by RMR for us and other publicly owned companies managed by RMR and its affiliates, which amounts are subject to determination by our Compensation Committee. Our Audit Committee appoints our Director of Internal Audit. Our pro rata share of RMR's costs of providing this internal audit function was approximately $240, $213 and $220 for 2011, 2010 and 2009, respectively, which are included in general and administrative expense in our consolidated financial statements. These allocated costs are in addition to the business and property management fees we paid to RMR. We are generally responsible for all of our operating expenses, including certain expenses incurred by RMR on our behalf. We are not responsible for payment of RMR's employment, office or administration expenses incurred to provide management services to us, except for the employment and related expenses of RMR employees who provide on-site property management services and our pro rata share of the staff employed by RMR who perform our internal audit function.

        Both the business management agreement and the property management agreement automatically renew for successive one year terms unless we or RMR give notice of non-renewal before the end of an applicable term. We or RMR may terminate either agreement upon 60 days prior written notice. RMR may also terminate the property management agreement upon five business days notice if we undergo a change of control, as defined in the property management agreement. The current terms for these agreements expire on December 31, 2012, and will be subject to automatic renewal unless earlier terminated.

        Under our business management agreement with RMR, we acknowledge that RMR manages other businesses, including CommonWealth REIT, Senior Housing Properties Trust, Government Properties Income Trust, TA, Five Star Quality Care, Inc. and Sonesta, and will not be required to present us with opportunities to invest in properties that are primarily of a type that are within the investment focus of another business now or in the future managed by RMR. Under our business management agreement with RMR, RMR has also agreed not to provide business management services to any other REIT that is principally engaged in the business of ownership of hotel or travel center properties without the consent of our Independent Trustees. Each of the business management agreement and the property management agreement also includes arbitration provisions for the resolution of certain disputes, claims and controversies.

        Pursuant to our business management agreement, RMR may from time to time negotiate on our behalf with certain third party vendors and suppliers for the procurement of services to us. As part of this arrangement, we may enter agreements with RMR and other companies to which RMR provides management services for the purpose of obtaining more favorable terms with such vendors and suppliers.

        As part of our annual restricted share grants under the Award Plans, we typically grant restricted shares to certain employees of RMR, some of whom are our executive officers. As disclosed in Note 3, in 2011, 2010 and 2009, we granted a total of 67,300 restricted shares with an aggregate value of $1,628, 53,900 restricted shares with an aggregate value of $1,186 and 52,700 restricted shares with an aggregate market value of $1,089, respectively, to such persons, based upon the closing price of our common shares on the New York Stock Exchange on the date of grant. One fifth of those restricted shares vested on the grant date and one fifth vests on each of the next four anniversaries of the grant date. These share grants to RMR employees are in addition to the fees we pay to RMR.

        TA is our former 100% owned subsidiary and our largest tenant, and we are TA's largest shareholder. TA was created as a separate public company in 2007 as a result of its spin off from us. As of December 31, 2011, we owned 2,540,000 common shares (which includes the 1,000,000 TA common shares we purchased from the underwriters as part of a public offering by TA in May 2011 for $5,690), representing approximately 8.8% of TA's outstanding common shares. TA has two leases with us, the TA No. 1 lease and the TA No. 2 lease, pursuant to which TA currently leases 185 travel centers from us. The TA No. 1 lease is for 145 travel centers that TA operates under the "TravelCenters of America" or "TA" brand names. The TA No. 1 lease became effective on January 31, 2007. The TA No. 2 lease is for 40 travel centers that TA operates under the "Petro" brand name. The TA No. 2 lease became effective on May 30, 2007. The TA No. 1 lease expires on December 31, 2022. The TA No. 2 lease expires on June 30, 2024, and may be extended by TA for up to two additional periods of 15 years each.

        Mr. Barry Portnoy, one of our Managing Trustees, is a Managing Director of TA. Mr. Thomas O'Brien, an officer of RMR and a former officer of us prior to the TA spin off, is President and the other Managing Director of TA. Mr. Arthur Koumantzelis, who was one of our Independent Trustees prior to the TA spin off, serves as an Independent Director of TA.

        Both the TA No. 1 and TA No. 2 leases are "triple net" leases, which require TA to pay all costs incurred in the operation of the leased travel centers, including personnel, utilities, acquiring inventories, services to customers, insurance, real estate and personal property taxes, environmental related expenses and ground lease payments, if any. As amended by the Amendment Agreement that we entered into with TA on January 31, 2011, which is further described below, the TA No. 1 lease required TA to pay minimum rent to us in an amount of $135,139 per year for the period from January 1, 2011 through January 31, 2012, and requires TA to pay minimum rent to us in an amount of $140,139 per year for the period from February 1, 2012 through December 31, 2022. The minimum rent payable by TA to us under the TA No. 1 lease increases as we fund or reimburse the cost for certain improvements to the leased TA travel centers. As amended by the Amendment Agreement that we entered with TA on January 31, 2011, which is further described below, the TA No. 2 lease requires TA to pay minimum rent to us in an amount of $54,160 per year through June 30, 2024, and increases if we fund or reimburse the cost for certain improvements to the leased Petro travel centers. Starting in January 2012 and January 2013, respectively, both the TA No. 1 and the TA No. 2 leases require TA to pay us additional rent equal to 3% of increases in nonfuel gross revenues and 0.3% of increases in gross fuel revenues at the leased travel centers over base amounts. The increases in percentage rents attributable to fuel revenues are subject to a maximum each year calculated by reference to changes in the consumer price index. As further discussed below, pursuant to, and subject to the conditions set forth in, the Amendment Agreement, we agreed to waive payments for the first $2,500 of percentage rent that may become due under the TA No. 2 lease. TA is also required to generally indemnify us for certain environmental matters and for liabilities that arise during the terms of the leases from ownership or operation of the leased travel centers. Both the TA No. 1 and TA No. 2 leases also include arbitration provisions for the resolution of certain disputes, claims and controversies.

        We had agreed to provide up to $25,000 of funding annually for the first five years of the TA No. 1 lease for certain improvements to the leased properties without an increase in rent. This funding was cumulative, meaning if some portion of the $25,000 was not funded in one year it might have been drawn by TA from us in subsequent years; provided, however, none of the $125,000 of this funding was available to be drawn after December 31, 2015. All improvements funded under the tenant improvements allowance are owned by us. On May 12, 2008, we and TA amended the TA No. 1 lease to permit TA to sell to us, without an increase of its rent, certain capital improvements to properties leased from us earlier than previously permitted. As TA elected to sell these capital improvements before the time contractually required by the original lease terms, our funding commitment amount was discounted to reflect the accelerated receipt of funds by TA according to a present value formula established in the amended lease. During 2009 and 2010, TA sold $8,466 and $7,015, respectively, of qualified improvements to us pursuant to this funding commitment. Portions of these amounts were discounted pursuant to the terms of the lease because TA elected to receive those funds on an accelerated basis. We recorded the capital improvements at cost as we made these fundings. As of September 30, 2010, none of the $125,000 total amount of the leasehold improvements saleable to us with no increase in TA's rent remained available.

        Under the TA No. 1 and No. 2 leases, TA may request that we fund approved amounts for renovations, improvements and equipment at the leased travel centers in return for minimum annual rent increases according to a formula: the minimum rent per year will be increased by an amount equal to the amount funded by us times the greater of (i) 8.5% or (ii) a benchmark U.S. Treasury interest rate plus 3.5%. We are not required to fund these improvements and TA is not required to sell them to us. TA made no request for funds under this provision in 2010 or 2009. Since January 1, 2011, we funded $69,122 for capital improvements to TA under this lease provision, and, as a result, TA's annual rent payable to us increased by approximately $5,875.

        At the time of TA's spin off from us, our acquisitions and transactions with TA in connection with the TA No. 2 lease and an equity offering completed by TA in June 2007, we and TA believed that TA was adequately capitalized to meet all of its obligations, including those owed to us. However, since then there were material changes in the market conditions under which TA operates. Specifically, the increase during the first half of 2008 in the price of diesel fuel that TA buys and sells at its travel centers and the slowing of the U.S. economy during 2008 adversely affected TA's business and increased its working capital requirements. Although TA undertook a restructuring of its business to adjust to these changed market conditions, TA's balance sheet flexibility and liquidity remained a concern to us because of the impact the then weakening economy and fuel price volatility might have on TA's working capital requirements. Accordingly, on August 11, 2008, we and TA entered a rent deferral agreement. Under the terms of this rent deferral agreement, TA had the option to defer its monthly rent payments to us by up to $5,000 per month for periods beginning July 1, 2008 until December 31, 2010, and TA was not obligated to pay cash interest on the deferred rent through December 31, 2009. Also pursuant to the deferral agreement, TA issued 1,540,000 of its common shares to us (approximately 9.6% of TA's shares then outstanding immediately after this new issuance). Under the terms of this agreement, interest began to accrue on January 1, 2010 on all unpaid deferred rent at a rate of 1% per month and was payable monthly in arrears by TA to us. During 2010, we received and recorded $14,100 of income for interest on the deferred rent amounts, which was recorded as rental income in our consolidated statements of income in accordance with GAAP. No additional rent deferrals were permitted for rent periods after December 31, 2010. Any deferred rent (and interest thereon) not previously paid was contractually due to us on July 1, 2011. This deferral agreement also included a prohibition on share repurchases and dividends by TA while any deferred rent remains unpaid and all deferred rent and interest thereon would become immediately due and payable by TA to us if certain events provided in that agreement occurred, including a change of control of TA (as defined in the agreement) while deferred rent was unpaid. Also, in connection with this deferral agreement, we entered into a registration rights agreement with TA, which provides us with certain rights to require TA to conduct a registered public offering with respect to its common shares issued to us pursuant to the deferral agreement, which rights continue through the date that is twelve months following the latest of the expiration of the terms of the TA No. 1 lease and the TA No. 2 lease. TA accrued $60,000 of deferred rent in 2010 and 2009, respectively, under the rent deferral agreement with us dated August 11, 2008. We have not recognized any of the deferred rent as rental income or as rents receivable due to uncertainties regarding future payments of these amounts by TA. As of December 31, 2010 and 2009, TA had accrued an aggregate of $150,000 and $90,000, respectively, of deferred rent payable to us.

        On January 31, 2011, we and TA entered an Amendment Agreement that amended the TA No. 1 lease, the TA No. 2 lease and TA's rent deferral agreement with us. The Amendment Agreement provided for the following:

• •

  The minimum annual rent payable by TA to us under the TA No. 1 lease was reduced effective January 1, 2011, by approximately $29,983, so that the rent was reduced to $135,139 per year until February 1, 2012, when it increased to $140,139 per year through the end of the lease term in December 2022.

  •

  The $5,000 increase in annual minimum rent payable by TA to us under the TA No. 1 lease that was scheduled to begin on February 1, 2011, was eliminated.

  •

  The minimum annual rent payable by TA to us under the TA No. 2 lease was reduced effective January 1, 2011, by approximately $12,017, so that the annual rent is reduced to $54,160 through the end of the lease term in June 2024.

  •

  The due date for the $150,000 of rent TA had deferred as of December 31, 2010, pursuant to TA's rent deferral agreement with us was extended from July 1, 2011, so that $107,085 will be due and payable on December 31, 2022, and the remaining $42,915 will be due and payable on June 30, 2024, and interest ceased to accrue on deferred rent owed to us by TA beginning on January 1, 2011; provided, however, that the deferred rent amounts shall be accelerated and interest shall begin to accrue thereon if certain events provided in the Amendment Agreement occur, including a change of control of TA.

  •

  We will waive payment of the first $2,500 of percentage rent that may become due under the TA No. 2 lease, which percentage rent obligation is described above.

        RMR provides management services to both us and TA; Mr. Barry Portnoy is a Managing Director of TA and a Managing Trustee of us and there are other current and historical relationships between us and TA. Accordingly, the terms of the 2008 rent deferral agreement and the 2011 Amendment Agreement were negotiated and approved by special committees of our Independent Trustees and TA's Independent Directors, none of whom are trustees or directors of the other company, and each special committee was represented by separate counsel.

        During 2011, 2010 and 2009, we recognized rental income of $201,505, $190,244 and $172,074, respectively, under our lease agreements with TA. Rental income for the twelve months ended December 31, 2011 includes $4,789 of adjustments necessary to record rent on our TA No. 1 lease on a straight line basis. As of December 31, 2011, 2010 and 2009, we had accruals for unpaid amounts of $16,115, $15,725 and $13,954, respectively, owed to us by TA, excluding any deferred rents.

        At the time TA became a separate publicly owned company as a result of the distribution of its shares to our shareholders, TA entered a management and shared services agreement with RMR. In addition, in connection with TA's spin off, TA entered a transaction agreement with us and RMR, pursuant to which TA granted us a right of first refusal to purchase, lease, mortgage or otherwise finance any interest TA owns in a travel center before it sells, leases, mortgages or otherwise finances that travel center to or with another party, and TA also granted us and any other company managed by RMR a right of first refusal to acquire or finance any real estate of the types in which we or they invest before TA does. TA also agreed under this agreement that for so long as TA is a tenant of ours it will not permit: the acquisition by any person or group of beneficial ownership of 9.8% or more of the voting shares or the power to direct the management and policies of TA or any of its subsidiary tenants or guarantors under its leases with us; the sale of a material part of the assets of TA or any such tenant or guarantor; or the cessation of certain continuing directors constituting a majority of the board of directors of TA or any such tenant or guarantor. Also, under this agreement TA agreed not to take any action that might reasonably be expected to have a material adverse impact on our ability to qualify as a REIT and to indemnify us for any liabilities we may incur relating to TA's assets and business. The transaction agreement includes arbitration provisions for the resolution of certain disputes, claims and controversies.

        On November 2, 2011, we entered into a purchase agreement, or the Purchase Agreement, with Sonesta and its wholly owned subsidiary, PAC Merger Corp., or Merger Sub, and together with Sonesta, the Sellers, to purchase from Sonesta the entities, or the Hotel Entities, that own the Royal Sonesta Hotel Boston, in Cambridge, Massachusetts, or the Cambridge Hotel, and lease the Royal Sonesta Hotel New Orleans, in New Orleans, Louisiana, or the New Orleans Hotel. At that time, the Cambridge Hotel and the New Orleans Hotel were owned or leased and operated by subsidiaries of what was then known as Sonesta International Hotels Corporation, or SNSTA. The Purchase Agreement was a component part of a transaction that involved the acquisition by merger, or the Merger, of all of SNSTA's shares by Sonesta pursuant to an agreement and plan of merger, or the Merger Agreement, which was entered into between Sonesta, Merger Sub and SNSTA on November 2, 2011.

        Subject to the terms and conditions of the Merger Agreement, on January 31, 2012, Merger Sub merged with and into SNSTA, and each outstanding share of SNSTA's common stock was converted into the right to receive $31.00 in cash, without interest and less any applicable withholding taxes. Pursuant to the Purchase Agreement we advanced the approximately $150,500 aggregate purchase price for the Hotel Entities to the Sellers for the purpose of the Sellers consummating the Merger under the Merger Agreement. The purchase price was reduced by the outstanding principal and accrued interest owed under a variable rate mortgage loan due in 2015 secured by the Cambridge Hotel, or the Cambridge Loan. We prepaid this mortgage loan, which had an outstanding principal balance of approximately $31,035 and unwound a related interest rate hedge agreement for $2,525 on January 31, 2012. The terms of the Purchase Agreement required that, at the effective time of the Merger, Sonesta was capitalized with $25,000, at least half of which was represented by cash consideration for shares of Sonesta common stock. Under an equity commitment letter, Sonesta's stockholders provided equity funding of $12,500 to facilitate the Merger.

        Pursuant to the Purchase Agreement, following the consummation of the Merger, Sonesta initiated a restructuring of SNSTA, which resulted in SNSTA owning equity interests of the Hotel Entities and certain related assets and the Hotel Entities owning only the real estate comprising the Cambridge Hotel and the leasehold for the New Orleans Hotel and related furniture, fixtures and equipment and certain other assets and in Sonesta or its subsidiaries (other than SNSTA and its subsidiary Hotel Entities) owning the other assets of SNSTA, including its management businesses and brands and assuming all liabilities of SNSTA, other than the liabilities associated with the Cambridge Loan, income taxes, taxes related to retained assets and certain payables and other liabilities. Pursuant to the Purchase Agreement, after giving effect to that restructuring, Sonesta then transferred to us all of the then issued and outstanding capital stock of SNSTA (which then owned the Hotel Entities, which in turn own or lease the Cambridge Hotel and the New Orleans Hotel), free and clear of any liens, encumbrances or other restrictions (other than the Cambridge Loan and certain taxes and other liabilities). We currently expect that Sonesta will retain the management business of SNSTA and that Sonesta and its Sonesta management team will be available to operate other of our hotels, including certain hotels we now own and we are considering rebranding and hotels we may selectively acquire in the future.

        Pursuant to the Purchase Agreement, on January 31, 2012, Sonesta entered hotel management agreements, or the Management Agreements, with subsidiaries of ours which provide for Sonesta to manage for us each of the Cambridge Hotel and the New Orleans Hotel. The Management Agreements provide that if gross revenues of a hotel, after payment of specified operating expenses and fees payable to Sonesta (other than the incentive fee described below, if applicable), are sufficient to do so, we are to be paid a fixed minimum return equal to 8% of our invested capital, as defined in the Management Agreements. We are to be paid an additional amount based upon the hotel's operating profit, as defined in the Management Agreements, after payment of Sonesta's incentive fee, if applicable. After payment of specified hotel operating expenses from the hotel's gross revenues, Sonesta is entitled to receive a base fee equal to 3% of gross revenues. Additionally, under the Management Agreement for the Cambridge Hotel, Sonesta is entitled to a reservation fee equal to 1.5% of gross room revenues, as defined in the Management Agreement for the Cambridge Hotel, a system fee for centralized services of 1.5% of gross revenues, a procurement and construction supervision fee in connection with renovations equal to 3% of third party costs, and an incentive fee equal to 20% of the hotel's operating profit after reimbursement to us and to Sonesta of certain advances. We expect that the reservation fee, system fee, procurement and construction supervision fee and incentive fee will be applicable to the Cambridge Hotel and to hotels that may in the future be managed for us by Sonesta or its affiliates, but that they will not be applicable to the New Orleans Hotel unless and until the lease of that hotel is modified. Also, we expect that the 3% base management fee will be applicable to full service hotels, such as the Cambridge Hotel and the New Orleans Hotel, and that a 5% base management fee would be applicable to limited service hotels that may in the future be managed for us by Sonesta or its affiliates.

        The Management Agreement for the Cambridge Hotel has an initial term of 25 years, and will be extended automatically for up to two successive 15 year renewal terms unless Sonesta elects not to renew the Management Agreement. The Management Agreement for the New Orleans Hotel will expire on January 31, 2024. We have the right to terminate the Management Agreements after three years without cause upon payment of a termination fee. We also have the right to terminate the Management Agreements without a termination fee if our minimum return is less than 6% of our invested capital during any three of four consecutive years. Both we and Sonesta have the right to terminate the Management Agreements upon a change of control, as defined in the Management Agreements, of the other party, and under certain other circumstances which, in the case of termination by Sonesta, may require the payment of a termination fee. Under each Management Agreement, the termination fee is an amount equal to the present value of the payments that would have been made to Sonesta between the date of termination and the scheduled expiration date of the agreement's current term as a base fee, (and for the Cambridge Hotel Management Agreement, a reservation fee, a system fee and an incentive fee), each as defined in the Management Agreement, if the agreement had not been terminated, calculated based upon the average of each of such fees earned in each of the three years ended prior to the date of termination and discounted at an annual rate equal to 8%.

        Routine property maintenance, which is expensed, will be an operating expense of the hotels and repairs and periodic renovations, which are capitalized, will be funded by us and added to our invested capital under the Management Agreements, except in the case of the New Orleans Hotel where capital expenditures are borne in large part by the lessor.

        The stockholders of Sonesta are Mr. Barry Portnoy and Mr. Adam Portnoy, who are our Managing Trustees, and they also serve as directors of Sonesta. Our agreements with Sonesta include arbitration provisions for the resolution of certain disputes, claims and controversies. Additionally, Sonesta has entered into a management and shared services agreement with RMR.

        Our Independent Trustees also serve as directors or trustees of other public companies to which RMR provides management services. Mr. Barry Portnoy serves as a managing director or managing trustee of those companies, including TA, and Mr. Adam Portnoy serves as a managing trustee of some of those companies, but not TA. We understand that the other companies to which RMR provides management services also have certain other relationships with each other, including business and property management agreements and lease arrangements. In addition, officers of RMR serve as officers of those companies. Mr. Mark Kleifges, our Treasurer and Chief Financial Officer, is an officer of RMR and also serves as Treasurer and Chief Financial Officer of GOV, which is a company to which RMR provides management services. We understand that further information regarding those relationships is provided in the applicable periodic reports and proxy statements filed by those other companies with the Securities and Exchange Commission, or SEC.

        We, RMR, TA, CommonWealth REIT, Senior Housing Properties Trust, Government Properties Income Trust and Five Star Quality Care, Inc. each currently own approximately 14.29% of AIC, an Indiana insurance company. All of our Trustees, all of the trustees and directors of the other publicly held AIC shareholders and nearly all of the directors of RMR currently serve on the board of directors of AIC. RMR provides management and administrative services to AIC pursuant to a management and administrative services agreement with AIC. Our Governance Guidelines provide that any material transaction between us and AIC shall be reviewed, authorized and approved or ratified by both the affirmative vote of a majority of our entire Board and the affirmative vote of a majority of our Independent Trustees. The shareholders agreement that we, the other shareholders of AIC and AIC are party to includes arbitration provisions for the resolution of certain disputes, claims and controversies.

        As of February 28, 2012, we have invested $5,209 in AIC since its formation in November 2008. We may invest additional amounts in AIC in the future if the expansion of this insurance business requires additional capital, but we are not obligated to do so. Our investment had a carrying value of $5,291 and 5,077 as of December 31, 2011 and 2010, respectively, which are included in other assets on our consolidated balance sheets. For 2011, we recognized income of $139 related to our investment in AIC. For 2010 and 2009, we recognized losses of $1 and $134, respectively, related to our investment in AIC.

        In June 2010, we and the other shareholders of AIC purchased property insurance providing $500,000 of coverage pursuant to an insurance program arranged by AIC and with respect to which AIC is a reinsurer of certain coverage amounts. This program was modified and extended in June 2011 for a one year term. Our total premiums paid under this program in 2011 and 2010 were approximately $5,773 and $4,816, respectively. We are currently investigating the possibilities to expand our insurance relationships with AIC to include other types of insurance. By participating in this insurance business with RMR and the other companies to which RMR provides management services, we expect that we may benefit financially by possibly reducing our insurance expenses or by realizing our pro-rata share of any profits of this insurance business.

        In connection with a shareholder derivative litigation on behalf of TA against members of TA's board of directors, us and RMR that TA settled in 2011, TA paid $119 to us and $51 to RMR pursuant to TA's indemnity obligations under its limited liability company agreement and its agreements with us and RMR.