UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
Form
ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 |
For the fiscal year ended
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TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 |
Commission File Number:
(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Its Charter)
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Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:
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Title of Each Class |
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Name of Each Exchange on Which Registered |
Host Hotels & Resorts, Inc. |
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shares outstanding as of February 18, 2022) |
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Host Hotels & Resorts, L.P. |
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None |
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Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act:
Host Hotels & Resorts, Inc. |
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None |
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Host Hotels & Resorts, L.P. |
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Units of limited partnership interest |
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Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act.
Host Hotels & Resorts, Inc. |
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No ☐ |
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Host Hotels & Resorts, L.P. |
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Yes ☐ |
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Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Act.
Host Hotels & Resorts, Inc. |
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Yes ☐ |
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Host Hotels & Resorts, L.P. |
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Yes ☐ |
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Indicate by check mark whether the registrant: (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days.
Host Hotels & Resorts, Inc. |
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No ☐ |
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Host Hotels & Resorts, L.P. |
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No ☐ |
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically every Interactive Data File required to be submitted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§ 232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit such files).
Host Hotels & Resorts, Inc. |
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No ☐ |
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Host Hotels & Resorts, L.P. |
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No ☐ |
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting company, or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.:
Host Hotels & Resorts, Inc.
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Emerging growth company |
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Host Hotels & Resorts, L.P.
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Emerging growth company |
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If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. |
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Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has filed a report on and attestation to its management’s assessment of the effectiveness of its internal control over financial reporting under Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (15 U.S.C. 7262(b)) by the registered public accounting firm that prepared or issued its audit report. |
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Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act).
Host Hotels & Resorts, Inc. |
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Yes |
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No ☒ |
Host Hotels & Resorts, L.P. |
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The aggregate market value of common shares held by non-affiliates of Host Hotels & Resorts, Inc. (based on the closing sale price on the New York Stock Exchange) on June 30, 2021 was $
Documents Incorporated by Reference
Auditor Name:
EXPLANATORY NOTE
This report combines the annual reports on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2021 of Host Hotels & Resorts, Inc. and Host Hotels & Resorts, L.P. Unless stated otherwise or the context otherwise requires, references to “Host Inc.” mean Host Hotels & Resorts, Inc., a Maryland corporation, and references to “Host L.P.” mean Host Hotels & Resorts, L.P., a Delaware limited partnership, and its consolidated subsidiaries. We use the terms “we” or “our” or “the company” to refer to Host Inc. and Host L.P. together, unless the context indicates otherwise. We use the term Host Inc. to specifically refer to Host Hotels & Resorts, Inc. and the term Host L.P. to specifically refer to Host Hotels & Resorts, L.P. (and its consolidated subsidiaries) in cases where it is important to distinguish between Host Inc. and Host L.P. Host Inc. owns properties and conducts operations through Host L.P., of which Host Inc. is the sole general partner and of which it holds approximately 99% of the partnership interests (“OP units”) as of December 31, 2021. The remaining partnership interests are owned by various unaffiliated limited partners. As the sole general partner of Host L.P., Host Inc. has the exclusive and complete responsibility for Host L.P.’s day-to-day management and control.
We believe combining the annual reports on Form 10-K of Host Inc. and Host L.P. into this single report results in the following benefits:
Management operates Host Inc. and Host L.P. as one enterprise. The management of Host Inc. consists of the same members who direct the management of Host L.P. The executive officers of Host Inc. are appointed by Host Inc.’s board of directors, but are employed by Host L.P. Host L.P. employs everyone who works for Host Inc. or Host L.P. As general partner with control of Host L.P., Host Inc. consolidates Host L.P. for financial reporting purposes, and Host Inc. does not have significant assets other than its investment in Host L.P. Therefore, the assets and liabilities of Host Inc. and Host L.P. are the same on their respective financial statements.
There are a few differences between Host Inc. and Host L.P., which are reflected in the disclosure in this report. We believe it is important to understand the differences between Host Inc. and Host L.P. in the context of how Host Inc. and Host L.P. operate as an interrelated consolidated company. Host Inc. is a real estate investment trust, or REIT, and its only material asset is its ownership of partnership interests of Host L.P. As a result, Host Inc. does not conduct business itself, other than acting as the sole general partner of Host L.P., and issuing public equity from time to time, the proceeds of which are contributed to Host L.P. in exchange for OP units. Host Inc. itself does not issue any indebtedness and does not guarantee the debt or obligations of Host L.P. Host L.P. holds substantially all of our assets and holds the ownership interests in our joint ventures. Host L.P. conducts the operations of the business and is structured as a limited partnership with no publicly traded equity. Except for net proceeds from public equity issuances by Host Inc., Host L.P. generates the capital required by our business through Host L.P.’s operations, by Host L.P.’s direct or indirect incurrence of indebtedness, or through the issuance of OP units.
The substantive difference between the filings of Host Inc. and Host L.P. is that Host Inc. is a REIT with public stock, while Host L.P. is a partnership with no publicly traded equity. In the financial statements, this difference primarily is reflected in the equity (or partners’ capital for Host L.P.) section of the consolidated balance sheets and in the consolidated statements of equity (or partners’ capital) and in the consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive income (loss) with respect to the manner in which income or loss is allocated to non-controlling interests. Income or loss allocable to the holders of approximately 1% of the OP units is reflected as income or loss allocable to non-controlling interests at Host Inc. and within net income at Host L.P. Also, earnings per share generally will be slightly less than the earnings per OP unit, as each Host Inc. common share is the equivalent of .97895 OP units (instead of 1 OP unit). Apart from these differences, the financial statements of Host Inc. and Host L.P. are nearly identical.
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To help investors understand the differences between Host Inc. and Host L.P., this report presents the following separate sections or portions of sections for each of Host Inc. and Host L.P.:
This report also includes separate Item 9A. Controls and Procedures sections and separate Exhibit 31 and 32 certifications for each of Host Inc. and Host L.P. in order to establish that the Chief Executive Officer and the Chief Financial Officer of Host Inc. and the Chief Executive Officer and the Chief Financial Officer of Host Inc. as the general partner of Host L.P. have made the requisite certifications and that Host Inc. and Host L.P. are compliant with Rule 13a-15 or Rule 15d-15 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and 18 U.S.C. §1350.
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HOST HOTELS & RESORTS, INC. AND HOST HOTELS & RESORTS, L.P.
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Part I |
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Item 1. |
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Item 1A. |
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Item 1B. |
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Item 2. |
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Item 3. |
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Item 4. |
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Part II |
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Item 5. |
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Item 6. |
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Item 7. |
Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations |
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Item 7A. |
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Item 8. |
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Item 9. |
Changes in and Disagreements with Accountants on Accounting and Financial Disclosure |
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Item 9A. |
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Item 9B. |
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Item 9C. |
Disclosure Regarding Foreign Jurisdictions that Prevent Inspections |
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Part III |
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Item 10. |
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Item 11. |
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Item 12. |
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Item 13. |
Certain Relationships and Related Transactions, and Director Independence |
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Item 14. |
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Part IV |
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Item 15. |
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Item 16. |
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PART I
Forward Looking Statements
Our disclosure and analysis in this 2021 Annual Report on Form 10-K and in Host Inc.’s 2021 Annual Report to Stockholders contain some forward-looking statements that set forth anticipated results based on management’s plans and assumptions. From time to time, we also provide forward-looking statements in other materials we release to the public. Such statements give our current expectations or forecasts of future events; they do not relate strictly to historical or current facts. We have tried, wherever possible, to identify each such statement by using words such as “anticipate,” “estimate,” “expect,” “project,” “intend,” “plan,” “believe,” “will,” “target,” “forecast” and similar expressions in connection with any discussion of future operating or financial performance. In particular, these forward-looking statements include those relating to future actions, future acquisitions or dispositions, future capital expenditures plans, future performance or results of current and anticipated expenses, interest rates, foreign exchange rates or the outcome of contingencies, such as legal proceedings.
We cannot guarantee that any future results discussed in any forward-looking statements will be realized, although we believe that we have been prudent in our plans and assumptions. Achievement of future results is subject to risks, uncertainties and potentially inaccurate assumptions, including those discussed in Item 1A “Risk Factors.” Should known or unknown risks or uncertainties materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove inaccurate, actual results could differ materially from past results and those results anticipated, estimated or projected. You should bear this in mind as you consider forward-looking statements.
We undertake no obligation to publicly update forward-looking statements, whether because of new information, future events or otherwise. You are advised, however, to consult any additional disclosures we make or related subjects in our reports on Form 10-Q and Form 8-K that we file with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”). Also note that, in our risk factors, we provide a cautionary discussion of risks, uncertainties and possibly inaccurate assumptions relevant to our business. These are factors that, individually or in the aggregate, we believe could cause our actual results to differ materially from past results and those results anticipated, estimated or projected. We note these factors for investors as permitted by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. It is not possible to predict or identify all such risk factors. Consequently, you should not consider the discussion of risk factors to be a complete discussion of all the potential risks or uncertainties that could affect our business.
Item 1. Business
We are the largest publicly traded lodging REIT, with a geographically diverse portfolio of luxury and upper upscale hotels. As of February 17, 2022, our consolidated lodging portfolio consists of 80 primarily luxury and upper-upscale hotels containing approximately 44,400 rooms, with substantially all located in the United States (five of the hotels are located outside of the U.S. in Brazil and Canada). In addition, we own non-controlling interests in five domestic and one international joint ventures that primarily own hotels. We also own non-controlling interests in a timeshare joint venture in Hawaii and in a joint venture that owns an asset management business.
Host Inc. was incorporated as a Maryland corporation in 1998 and operates as a self-managed and self-administered REIT. Host Inc. owns hotels and conducts operations through Host L.P., of which Host Inc. is the sole general partner and of which it holds approximately 99% of the partnership interests (“OP units”) as of December 31, 2021. The remaining partnership interests are owned by various unaffiliated limited partners. Host Inc. has the exclusive and complete responsibility for Host L.P.’s day-to-day management and control.
Business Strategy
Our goal is to be the preeminent owner of high-quality lodging real estate in growing markets in the U.S. and to generate superior long-term risk adjusted returns for our stockholders throughout all phases of the lodging cycle through a combination of appreciation in asset values, growth in earnings and the payment of dividends. The pillars of our strategy to achieve this objective and elevate our growth profile include:
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Geographically Diverse Portfolio.
We seek to have a geographically diversified portfolio in major markets and premier resort destinations in the U.S. We primarily focus on acquisitions and, occasionally, new development opportunities to enhance our portfolio. We have historically targeted acquisitions in the top 25 U.S. markets but also consider hotels in other markets which we believe have high growth potential and diverse demand generators. We focus generally on the following types of assets:
As one of the largest owners of Marriott and Hyatt hotels, our hotels primarily are operated under brand names that are among the most respected and widely recognized in the lodging industry. Within these brands, we have focused predominantly on the upper-upscale and luxury chain scales, as we believe these have a broad appeal for both individual and group leisure and business customers. In addition, we own several unbranded or soft-branded hotels that appeal to distinctive customer profiles in certain submarkets.
Strong Scale and Integrated Platform
Enterprise Analytics Platform. Due to the scale of our asset management and business intelligence platform, we believe we are in a unique position to implement value-added real estate decisions and to assist our managers in improving operating performance and profitability. The size and composition of our portfolio and our affiliation with most of the leading brands and operators in the industry allow our enterprise analytics team to benchmark similar hotels and identify revenue-enhancement opportunities and cost efficiencies that can maximize the operating performance, long-term profitability and value of our real estate. We perform independent underwriting of return on investment (“ROI”) projects and potential acquisitions, as well as revenue management analysis of ancillary revenue opportunities. Our goal is to continue to differentiate our hotels within their competitive markets, drive operating performance and enhance the overall value of our real estate through the following:
Disciplined Capital Allocation. Guided by a disciplined approach to capital allocation, we are equipped to make investment decisions that seek to deliver the greatest value and returns to stockholders. Our goal is to allocate capital to enhance and improve our portfolio, while balancing the importance of prudently returning capital to stockholders.
For 2022, we will continue our disciplined approach to capital allocation and intend to take advantage of our strong balance sheet and overall scale. We are constantly evaluating potential acquisitions of iconic upper-upscale and luxury properties that we believe have sustainable competitive advantages. Similarly, we intend to continue our capital recycling program with strategic and
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opportunistic dispositions. This may include the sale of assets where we believe the potential for growth is constrained or hotels with significant capital expenditure requirements that we do not believe would generate an adequate return.
We may acquire additional properties or dispose of properties through various structures, including transactions involving single assets, portfolios, joint ventures, mergers and acquisitions of the securities or assets of other REITs or distributions of hotels to our stockholders. We anticipate that any acquisitions may be funded by, or through a combination of, proceeds from the sales of hotels, equity offerings of Host Inc., issuances of OP units by Host L.P., incurrence of debt, available cash or advances under our credit facility. We note, however, that the nature and supply of these assets make acquisitions inherently difficult to predict. For these reasons, we can make no assurances that we will be successful in purchasing any one or more hotels that we are reviewing currently, or may in the future review, bid on or negotiate to buy.
We also seek to create and mine value from our existing portfolio through value enhancement initiatives and ROI projects. We believe these investments provide a significant opportunity to achieve returns well in excess of our cost of capital. We work closely with our managers to attempt to schedule these projects to minimize operational disruption and environmental impact. Value enhancement initiatives seek to maximize the value of real estate within our existing portfolio through its highest and best use. These projects may include hotel expansion, timeshare, office space or condominium units on excess land, redevelopment or expansion of existing retail space, and the acquisition of development entitlements. ROI projects are designed to improve the positioning of our hotels within their markets and competitive set. These projects include extensive renovations, including guest rooms, lobbies, food and beverage outlets; expansions and/or extensive renovation of ballroom and meeting rooms; major mechanical system upgrades; and green building initiatives and certifications. Also included are projects focused on increasing space profitability or lowering net operating costs, such as converting unprofitable or underutilized space into meeting space, adding guestrooms, and implementing energy and water conservation measures such as LED lighting, high-efficiency mechanical, electrical and plumbing equipment and fixtures, solar power, energy management systems, guestroom water efficient fixtures, and building automation systems.
Renewal and replacement capital expenditures are designed to maintain the quality and competitiveness of our hotels. Typically, renovations occur at intervals of approximately seven to ten years, but the timing may vary based on the type of property, function of area being renovated, hotel occupancy and other factors. These renovations generally are divided into the following types: soft goods, case goods, bathroom and architectural and engineering systems. Soft goods include items such as carpeting, textiles and wall finishes, which may require more frequent updates in order to maintain brand quality standards. Case goods include dressers, desks, couches, restaurant and meeting room tables and chairs, which generally are not replaced as frequently. Bathroom renovations include the refurbishment or replacement of tile, vanity, lighting and plumbing fixtures. Architectural and engineering systems include the physical plant of the hotel, including the roof, elevators/escalators, façade, heating, ventilation, and air conditioning and fire systems.
Throughout the lodging cycle, to the extent that we are unable to find appropriate investment opportunities that meet our return requirements, we will focus on returning capital to stockholders through dividends or common stock repurchases. Significant factors we review to determine the level and timing of the returns to stockholders include our current stock price compared to our determination of the underlying value of our assets, current and forecast operating results and the completion of hotel sales.
Investment Grade Balance Sheet
Our goal is to maintain a flexible capital structure that allows us to execute our strategy throughout the lodging cycle. To maintain its qualification as a REIT, Host Inc. is required to distribute 90% of its taxable income (other than net capital gain) to its stockholders each year and, as a result, generally relies on external sources of capital, as well as cash from operations, to finance growth.
Management believes that a strong balance sheet is a key competitive advantage that affords us a lower cost of debt and positions us for external growth. While we may issue debt at any time, we will target a net debt-to-earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (“EBITDA”) ratio, (or “Leverage Ratio,” as defined in our credit facility) that allows us to maintain an investment grade rating on our senior unsecured debt. We believe an investment grade rating will give us the most consistent access to capital throughout the business cycle.
We seek to structure our debt profile to maintain financial flexibility and a staggered maturity schedule with access to different forms of financing, consisting primarily of senior notes and exchangeable debentures, as well as mortgage debt. Generally, we look to minimize the number of assets that are encumbered by mortgage debt, minimize near-term maturities and maintain a staggered maturity schedule. Depending on market conditions, we also may utilize variable rate debt which can provide greater protection during a decline in the lodging industry.
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Corporate Responsibility
We are committed to creating long-term value through investing responsibly in our business, environment, people and community. Our Corporate Responsibility ("CR") program is centered around the concept of responsible investment—an overarching strategy that guides our focus and actions across our three main themes of Environmental Stewardship, Social Responsibility and Governance:
The Real Estate Sustainability Accounting Standard issued by the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (“SASB”) (now the Value Reporting Foundation) outlines the disclosure topics and accounting metrics for the real estate industry. The energy and water management metrics that best correlate with our industry include total energy consumed (“Total Energy Consumption”) and total water withdrawn (“Total Water Consumption”). The energy and water data we use is collected and reviewed by third-parties who compile the data from property utility statements.
Beginning in 2015, we contracted with a third-party to provide further verification of our energy and water consumption data. The charts below detail our Total Energy Consumption and Total Water Consumption for 2018 through 2020, the last three fiscal years for which data is available(1). The declines in Total Energy Consumption and Total Water Consumption for 2020 reflect the significant decrease in occupancy at our hotels as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic:
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(1) Energy and water metrics relate to our consolidated hotels owned for the entire year presented.
Our 2021 Corporate Responsibility Report, which details our CR program and responsible investment strategy, along with our environmental, social and governance performance and progress, including full SASB disclosure, was issued in September 2021. The contents of our Corporate Responsibility Report are not incorporated by reference into this Form 10-K and do not form a part of this Form 10-K.
The Lodging Industry
The lodging industry in the United States consists of private and public entities that operate in a diversified market under a variety of brand names. The lodging industry has several key participants:
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The hotel manager is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the hotel, including the employment of hotel staff, the determination of room rates, the development of sales and marketing plans, the preparation of operating and capital expenditures budgets and the preparation of financial reports for the owner. The hotel manager typically receives fees based on the revenues and profitability of the hotel.
Supply and Demand. Our industry is influenced by the cyclical relationship between the supply of and demand for hotel rooms. Lodging demand growth typically is related to the vitality of the overall economy, in addition to local market factors that stimulate travel to specific destinations. Trends in economic indicators such as gross domestic product (“GDP”) growth, business investment, corporate profits and employment growth are key indicators of the relative strength of lodging demand. Lodging demand also will be affected by changes to international travel patterns.
Lodging supply growth generally is driven by overall lodging demand, as extended periods of strong demand growth tend to encourage new development. However, the rate of supply growth also is influenced by several additional factors, including the availability of capital, interest rates, construction costs and unique market considerations. The relatively long lead-time required to complete the development of hotels makes supply growth easier to forecast than demand growth, but increases the volatility of the cyclical behavior of the lodging industry, as new supply may be planned during an upcycle but such supply may open for business in a weaker economy. Therefore, as illustrated in the charts below for the U.S. lodging industry, at different points in the cycle, demand growth may accelerate when supply growth is very low, or supply may accelerate while demand growth is slowing. Online short-term rentals are a source of non-traditional supply for the industry, in both urban and resort destinations, including as a flexible option for apartment buildings and vacation homes. Though not reported through official industry statistics, the impact on the hotel industry and the availability of these outlets is more variable than typical changes in supply from hotel construction and tends to be very market specific. Local legislation has the potential to limit supply growth for these online short-term rentals in many top markets, though the growth of professional management for legal rentals remains a key trend.
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Our portfolio primarily consists of upper upscale and luxury hotels and, accordingly, its performance is best understood in comparison to the luxury and upper upscale categories rather than the entire industry. The charts below detail the historical supply, demand and revenue per available room (“RevPAR”) growth for the U.S. lodging industry and for the U.S. luxury and upper upscale categories for 2017 to 2021.
U.S. Lodging Industry Supply, Demand and RevPAR Growth
Source: STR *2020 & 2021 Supply, Demand and RevPAR estimates reflect economic methodology that assumes no temporary hotel closures
U.S. Luxury and Upper Upscale Supply, Demand and RevPAR Growth
Source: STR *2020 & 2021 Supply, Demand and RevPAR estimates reflect economic methodology that assumes no temporary hotel closures
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Our Customers. Our customers fall into three broad groups: transient business, group business and contract business. Similar to the majority of the lodging industry, we further categorize business within these broad groups based on characteristics they have in common as follows:
Transient business broadly represents individual business and/or leisure travelers. Historically, business travelers have made up the majority of transient demand at our hotels, although leisure has driven the majority of our demand during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and 2021. Therefore, in general we will likely be more affected by trends in business travel than trends in leisure demand. The four key subcategories of rates offered to the transient business group are:
Group business represents clusters of guestrooms booked together, usually with a minimum of 10 rooms. The three key sub-categories of the group business category are:
Contract business refers to blocks of rooms sold to a specific company for an extended period at significantly discounted rates. Airline crews are typical generators of contract demand for our airport hotels. Contract rates may be utilized by hotels that are in markets that are experiencing consistently lower levels of demand.
Managers and Operational Agreements
All our hotels are managed by third parties pursuant to management or operating agreements, with some of such hotels also subject to separate franchise or license agreements addressing matters pertaining to operations under the designated brand. Under these agreements, the managers have sole responsibility and exclusive authority for all activities necessary for the day-to-day operation of the hotels, including establishing room rates, securing and processing reservations, procuring inventories, supplies and services, providing periodic inspection and consultation visits to the hotels by the managers’ technical and operational experts and promoting and publicizing the hotels. The managers employ all managerial and other employees for the hotels, review hotel operations with a focus on improving revenues and managing expenses, review the maintenance of the hotels, prepare reports, budgets and projections, and provide other administrative and accounting support services to the hotels. These support services include planning and policy services, divisional financial services, product planning and development, employee staffing and training, corporate executive management and certain in-house legal services. We have certain approval rights over budgets, capital expenditures, significant leases and contractual commitments, and various other matters.
General Terms and Provisions – Agreements governing our hotels that are managed by brand owners (Marriott, Hyatt, Hilton and AccorHotels) typically include the terms described below:
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In addition to hotels managed by brand owners, we have both branded hotels and non-branded hotels operated by independent managers. Our management agreements with independent managers, while similar in operational scope to agreements with our brand managers, typically have shorter initial terms, no renewal rights, more flexible termination rights, and more limited system-wide services. However, while we have additional flexibility with respect to these operators, certain of those hotels remain subject to underlying franchise or licensing agreements. These franchise or licensing agreements allow us to engage independent managers to operate our hotels under the applicable brand names and to participate in the brands’ reservation and loyalty-rewards systems. Under these agreements, we pay the brand owners a franchise or licensing fee equal to a specified percentage of gross room revenues, as well as other system fees and reimbursements. In addition, we are obligated to maintain applicable brand standards at our franchised hotels.
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Operating Structure
Host Inc. operates through an umbrella partnership structure in which substantially all its assets are owned by Host L.P., of which Host Inc. is the sole general partner and holds approximately 99% of the OP units as of December 31, 2021. A REIT is a corporation that has elected to be treated as a REIT under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”), and that meets certain ownership, organizational and operating requirements set forth under the Code. In general, by payments of dividends to stockholders, a REIT is permitted to reduce or eliminate federal income taxes at the corporate level. Each OP unit owned by unaffiliated limited partners other than Host Inc. is redeemable, at the option of the limited partner, for an amount of cash equal to the market value of one share of Host Inc. common stock multiplied by the current conversion factor of 1.021494. Host Inc. has the right to acquire any OP unit offered for redemption directly from the limited partner in exchange for 1.021494 shares of Host Inc. common stock instead of Host L.P. redeeming such OP unit for cash. Additionally, for every share of common stock issued by Host Inc., Host L.P. will issue .97895 OP units to Host Inc. in exchange for the consideration received from the issuance of the common stock. As of December 31, 2021, unaffiliated limited partners owned 7.1 million OP units, which were convertible into 7.2 million Host Inc. common shares. Assuming that all OP units held by unaffiliated limited partners were converted into common shares, there would have been 721.3 million common shares of Host Inc. outstanding at December 31, 2021.
Our operating structure is as follows:
As a REIT, certain tax laws limit the amount of “non-qualifying” income that Host Inc. and Host L.P. can earn, including income derived directly from the operation of hotels. As a result, we lease substantially all our consolidated hotels to certain of our subsidiaries designated as taxable REIT subsidiaries (“TRS”) for federal income tax purposes. Our TRS are subject to federal and state corporate income tax and are not limited as to the amount of non-qualifying income they can generate, but they are limited in terms of their value as a percentage of the total value of our assets. Our TRS enter into agreements with third parties to manage the operations of the hotels. Our TRS also may own assets engaging in activities that produce non-qualifying income, such as the development of timeshare or condominium units and the generation of asset management fees, subject to certain restrictions. The difference between the hotels’ net operating cash flow and the aggregate rents paid to Host L.P. is retained or incurred by our TRS as taxable income or loss. Accordingly, the net effect of the TRS leases is that a portion of the net operating cash flow from our hotels is subject to federal, state and, if applicable, foreign corporate income tax.
Our Consolidated Hotel Portfolio
As of February 17, 2022, we owned a portfolio of 80 hotels, of which 75 are in the United States and five are located in Brazil and Canada. Our consolidated hotels located outside the United States collectively have approximately 1,500 rooms. Approximately 1% of our revenues in 2021 and 2020, and 2% in 2019, were attributed to the operations of these five foreign hotels.
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The lodging industry is viewed as consisting of six different categories, each of which caters to a discrete set of customer tastes and needs: luxury, upper upscale, upscale, upper midscale, midscale and economy. Our portfolio primarily consists of luxury and upper upscale properties, which are operated under internationally recognized brand names such as Marriott, Westin, Ritz-Carlton, Hyatt and Hilton. There also has been a trend towards specialized, smaller boutique hotels that are customized towards a particular customer profile. Generally, these hotels will be operated by an independent third-party and either will have no brand affiliation, or will be associated with a major brand, while maintaining most of its independent identity (which we refer to as “soft-branded” hotels).
Revenues earned at our hotels consist of three broad categories: rooms, food and beverage, and other revenues. While approximately 64.3% of our revenues in 2021 were generated from rooms sales, the majority of our properties feature a variety of amenities that help drive demand and profitability. Our hotels typically include meeting and banquet facilities, a variety of restaurants and lounges, swimming pools, exercise facilities and/or spas, gift shops and parking facilities, the combination of which enable them to serve business, leisure and group travelers.
Our consolidated portfolio includes 29 hotels that have more than 500 rooms. The average age of our properties is 35 years, although substantially all of them have benefited from significant renovations or major additions, as well as regularly scheduled renewal and replacement expenditures and other capital improvements. In our consolidated portfolio, approximately 88% of our hotels, by room count, are managed by their own brand managers, and 12% are managed by independent managers as a franchise or as an independent brand.
By Brand. The following table details our consolidated hotel portfolio by brand as of February 17, 2022:
Brand |
|
Number |
|
|
Rooms |
|
|
Percentage |
|
|||
Marriott: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||
Marriott |
|
|
27 |
|
|
|
19,275 |
|
|
|
26.6 |
% |
Ritz-Carlton |
|
|
5 |
|
|
|
1,890 |
|
|
|
11.5 |
|
Autograph Collection |
|
|
2 |
|
|
|
500 |
|
|
|
0.6 |
|
Tribute Portfolio |
|
|
1 |
|
|
|
173 |
|
|
|
— |
|
JW Marriott |
|
|
4 |
|
|
|
1,909 |
|
|
|
2.8 |
|
AC Hotels |
|
|
1 |
|
|
|
165 |
|
|
|
0.2 |
|
W |
|
|
1 |
|
|
|
424 |
|
|
|
0.5 |
|
St. Regis |
|
|
1 |
|
|
|
232 |
|
|
|
0.4 |
|
Luxury Collection |
|
|
1 |
|
|
|
645 |
|
|
|
5.2 |
|
Westin |
|
|
8 |
|
|
|
3,968 |
|
|
|
6.7 |
|
Sheraton |
|
|
2 |
|
|
|
2,150 |
|
|
|
2.3 |
|
Total Marriott |
|
|
53 |
|
|
|
31,331 |
|
|
|
56.8 |
|
Hyatt: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||
Alila |
|
|
1 |
|
|
|
59 |
|
|
|
0.6 |
|
Andaz |
|
|
1 |
|
|
|
321 |
|
|
|
3.2 |
|
Grand Hyatt |
|
|
4 |
|
|
|
3,633 |
|
|
|
5.7 |
|
Hyatt Place |
|
|
1 |
|
|
|
426 |
|
|
|
0.8 |
|
Hyatt Regency |
|
|
6 |
|
|
|
3,866 |
|
|
|
9.2 |
|
Total Hyatt |
|
|
13 |
|
|
|
8,305 |
|
|
|
19.5 |
|
Hilton: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||
Curio |
|
|
2 |
|
|
|
591 |
|
|
|
1.6 |
|
Hilton |
|
|
1 |
|
|
|
223 |
|
|
|
0.7 |
|
Embassy Suites |
|
|
1 |
|
|
|
455 |
|
|
|
0.6 |
|
Total Hilton |
|
|
4 |
|
|
|
1,269 |
|
|
|
2.9 |
|
AccorHotels: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||
Swissôtel |
|
|
1 |
|
|
|
662 |
|
|
|
0.9 |
|
Fairmont |
|
|
1 |
|
|
|
450 |
|
|
|
3.7 |
|
ibis |
|
|
1 |
|
|
|
256 |
|
|
|
0.1 |
|
Novotel |
|
|
1 |
|
|
|
149 |
|
|
|
— |
|
Total AccorHotels |
|
|
4 |
|
|
|
1,517 |
|
|
|
4.7 |
|
Four Seasons |
|
|
1 |
|
|
|
444 |
|
|
|
3.3 |
|
Other/Independent |
|
|
5 |
|
|
|
1,495 |
|
|
|
9.0 |
|
|
|
|
80 |
|
|
|
44,361 |
|
|
|
96.2 |
% |
___________
11
By Location. The following table details the locations and numbers of rooms at our consolidated hotels as of February 17, 2022:
Location |
|
Rooms |
|
|
Location |
|
Rooms |
|
||
Arizona |
|
|
|
|
Louisiana |
|
|
|
||
AC Hotel Scottsdale North |
|
|
165 |
|
|
New Orleans Marriott |
|
|
1,333 |
|
The Phoenician, A Luxury Collection Resort |
|
|
645 |
|
|
Maryland |
|
|
|
|
The Camby Hotel |
|
|
277 |
|
|
Gaithersburg Marriott Washingtonian Center |
|
|
284 |
|
The Westin Kierland Resort & Spa |
|
|
735 |
|
|
Massachusetts |
|
|
|
|
California |
|
|
|
|
Boston Marriott Copley Place ⁽¹⁾ |
|
|
1,144 |
|
|
Alila Ventana Big Sur |
|
|
59 |
|
|
The Westin Waltham Boston |
|
|
351 |
|
Axiom Hotel, San Francisco |
|
|
152 |
|
|
Minnesota |
|
|
|
|
Coronado Island Marriott Resort & Spa ⁽¹⁾ |
|
|
300 |
|
|
Minneapolis Marriott City Center |
|
|
585 |
|
Grand Hyatt San Francisco |
|
|
669 |
|
|
New Jersey |
|
|
|
|
Hyatt Regency San Francisco Airport |
|
|
790 |
|
|
Newark Liberty International Airport Marriott ⁽¹⁾ |
|
|
591 |
|
Manchester Grand Hyatt San Diego ⁽¹⁾ |
|
|
1,628 |
|
|
Sheraton Parsippany Hotel |
|
|
370 |
|
Marina del Rey Marriott ⁽¹⁾ |
|
|
370 |
|
|
New York |
|
|
|
|
Marriott Marquis San Diego Marina ⁽¹⁾ |
|
|
1,360 |
|
|
New York Marriott Downtown |
|
|
515 |
|
San Francisco Marriott Fisherman's Wharf |
|
|
285 |
|
|
New York Marriott Marquis |
|
|
1,966 |
|
San Francisco Marriott Marquis ⁽¹⁾ |
|
|
1,500 |
|
|
Sheraton New York Times Square Hotel |
|
|
1,780 |
|
Santa Clara Marriott ⁽¹⁾ |
|
|
766 |
|
|
Ohio |
|
|
|
|
The Ritz-Carlton, Marina del Rey ⁽¹⁾ |
|
|
304 |
|
|
The Westin Cincinnati ⁽¹⁾ |
|
|
456 |
|
The Westin South Coast Plaza, Costa Mesa ⁽²⁾ |
|
|
393 |
|
|
Pennsylvania |
|
|
|
|
Colorado |
|
|
|
|
Philadelphia Airport Marriott ⁽¹⁾ |
|
|
419 |
|
|
Denver Marriott Tech Center |
|
|
605 |
|
|
The Logan |
|
|
391 |
|
Denver Marriott West ⁽¹⁾ |
|
|
305 |
|
|
Texas |
|
|
|
|
The Westin Denver Downtown |
|
|
430 |
|
|
Hotel Van Zandt, Austin |
|
|
319 |
|
Florida |
|
|
|
|
Houston Airport Marriott at George Bush Intercontinental ⁽¹⁾⁽³⁾ |
|
|
573 |
|
|
1 Hotel South Beach, Miami Beach |
|
|
433 |
|
|
Houston Marriott Medical Center/Museum District ⁽¹⁾ |
|
|
398 |
|
Baker's Cay Resort Key Largo, Curio Collection by Hilton |
|
|
200 |
|
|
Hyatt Regency Austin |
|
|
448 |
|
Four Seasons Resort Orlando at Walt Disney World® Resort |
|
|
444 |
|
|
JW Marriott Houston by the Galleria |
|
|
516 |
|
Hilton Singer Island Oceanfront/Palm Beaches Resort |
|
|
223 |
|
|
San Antonio Marriott Rivercenter ⁽¹⁾ |
|
|
1,000 |
|
Hyatt Regency Coconut Point Resort and Spa |
|
|
462 |
|
|
San Antonio Marriott Riverwalk |
|
|
512 |
|
Miami Marriott Biscayne Bay |
|
|
600 |
|
|
The Laura Hotel, Houston |
|
|
223 |
|
Orlando World Center Marriott |
|
|
2,004 |
|
|
The St. Regis Houston |
|
|
232 |
|
Tampa Airport Marriott ⁽¹⁾ |
|
|
298 |
|
|
Virginia |
|
|
|
|
The Don CeSar |
|
|
348 |
|
|
Hyatt Regency Reston |
|
|
518 |
|
The Ritz-Carlton, Amelia Island |
|
|
446 |
|
|
The Ritz-Carlton, Tysons Corner ⁽¹⁾ |
|
|
398 |
|
The Ritz-Carlton, Naples |
|
|
447 |
|
|
Washington |
|
|
|
|
The Ritz-Carlton Golf Resort, Naples |
|
|
295 |
|
|
The Westin Seattle |
|
|
891 |
|
YVE Hotel Miami |
|
|
243 |
|
|
W Seattle |
|
|
424 |
|
Georgia |
|
|
|
|
Washington, D.C. |
|
|
|
||
The Alida, Savannah, a Tribute Portfolio Hotel |
|
|
173 |
|
|
Grand Hyatt Washington |
|
|
897 |
|
Grand Hyatt Atlanta in Buckhead |
|
|
439 |
|
|
Hyatt Regency Washington on Capitol Hill |
|
|
838 |
|
JW Marriott Atlanta Buckhead |
|
|
371 |
|
|
JW Marriott Washington, DC |
|
|
777 |
|
Hawaii |
|
|
|
|
The Westin Georgetown, Washington D.C. |
|
|
267 |
|
|
Andaz Maui at Wailea Resort |
|
|
321 |
|
|
Washington Marriott at Metro Center |
|
|
459 |
|
Fairmont Kea Lani, Maui |
|
|
450 |
|
|
Brazil |
|
|
|
|
Hyatt Place Waikiki Beach |
|
|
426 |
|
|
ibis Rio de Janeiro Parque Olimpico |
|
|
256 |
|
Hyatt Regency Maui Resort and Spa |
|
|
810 |
|
|
JW Marriott Hotel Rio de Janeiro |
|
|
245 |
|
Illinois |
|
|
|
|
Novotel Rio de Janeiro Parque Olimpico |
|
|
149 |
|
|
Chicago Marriott Suites Downers Grove |
|
|
254 |
|
|
Canada |
|
|
|
|
Embassy Suites by Hilton Chicago Downtown Magnificent Mile |
|
|
455 |
|
|
Calgary Marriott Downtown Hotel |
|
|
388 |
|
Swissôtel Chicago |
|
|
662 |
|
|
Marriott Downtown at CF Toronto Eaton Centre ⁽¹⁾ |
|
|
461 |
|
The Westin Chicago River North |
|
|
445 |
|
|
Total |
|
|
44,361 |
|
___________
12
By Market Location: With our geographically diverse portfolio, no individual market represents more than 13% of total revenues. The following chart summarizes the composition of our consolidated hotels as of February 17, 2022 by each market location based on its percentage of 2021 revenues:
___________
Other Real Estate Interests
We own non-controlling interests in several entities that, as of February 17, 2022, owned, or owned an interest in, 10 hotels. Due to the ownership structure and economic or participating rights of our partners, we do not consolidate the operations of the properties owned by these entities and they are included in equity in earnings in our consolidated results of operations. Our investments in these entities are as follows:
Noble Joint Venture. While our primary investment focus is the upper-upscale and luxury chain scales, we also seek opportunities to elevate our growth profile through investment in select service hotels, extended stay hotels and new development deals. As such, on January 20, 2022, we entered into definitive agreements with Noble Investment Group, LLC, a leading private hospitality asset manager in the upscale, select service and extended stay chain scales, and certain other entities and persons related to Noble Investment Group, LLC. We invested an aggregate of $35 million of cash and issued approximately $56 million of Host L.P. OP units to acquire a non-voting minority equity interest in Noble Management Holdings, LLC and Noble Investment Holdings, LLC representing 49% of (a) the net fee income of the Noble Investment Group business in respect of existing and future Noble Investment
13
Group funds and other revenue-based activities, (b) 40% of the gross carried interest earned on the funds beginning as of closing, and (c) proceeds received from general partner commitments to future funds. As part of our investment, we have made a $150 million capital commitment to the next Noble fund.
Upon certain triggers being met, we have the ability to acquire up to 100% of Noble Management Holdings, LLC and Noble Investment Holdings, LLC. To the extent certain triggers are met and we have not exercised our call right, Noble Investment Group, LLC has a one-time ability, but not the obligation, to exercise its put right to cause us to purchase up to an additional 26% of Noble Management Holdings, LLC and Noble Investment Holdings, LLC.
Maui Joint Venture. We own a 67% interest in a joint venture with an affiliate of HV Global Group, a subsidiary of Marriott Vacations Worldwide Corporation, that owns a 131-unit vacation ownership development in Maui, Hawaii adjacent to our Hyatt Regency Maui Resort & Spa (the “Maui JV”). Since 2012, we have contributed approximately $87 million to the Maui JV, which includes the contribution of land valued at $36 million.
Hyatt Place Joint Venture. We own a 50% interest in a joint venture with White Lodging Services that owns the 255-room Hyatt Place Nashville Downtown in Tennessee. The joint venture has a $60 million mortgage loan that is non-recourse to us.
Harbor Beach Joint Venture. We own a 49.9% interest in a joint venture with R/V-C Association that owns the 650-room Fort Lauderdale Marriott Harbor Beach Resort & Spa in Florida. The joint venture has approximately $150 million of mortgage debt that is non-recourse to us.
Asia/Pacific Joint Venture. We have a 25% interest in an Asia/Pacific JV with RECO Hotels JV Private Limited, an affiliate of the Government of Singapore Investment Corporation Pte Ltd. The agreement may be terminated by either partner at any time, which would trigger the liquidation of the joint venture. The commitment period for equity contributions to the Asia/Pacific JV has expired. Certain funding commitments remain, however, related to its existing investments in India.
As of December 31, 2021, the Asia/Pacific JV has invested approximately $109 million (of which our share is $27 million) in a separate joint venture in India with Accor S.A. and InterGlobe Enterprises Limited, in which it holds a 36% interest. This joint venture owns seven hotels and an office building in Delhi, Bangalore and Chennai, India, totaling approximately 1,720 rooms. The hotels are managed by AccorHotels under the Pullman, ibis and Novotel brands.
For additional information see Part II Item 8. “Financial Statements and Supplementary Data – Note 4. Investments in Affiliates.”
Competition
The lodging industry is highly competitive. Competition often is specific to individual markets and is based on several factors, including location, brand, guest facilities and amenities, level of service, room rates and the quality of accommodations. The lodging industry is viewed as consisting of six different categories, each of which caters to a discrete set of customer tastes and needs: luxury, upper upscale, upscale, upper midscale, midscale and economy. The classification of a hotel is based on lodging industry standards, which take into consideration many factors, such as guest facilities and amenities, level of service and quality of accommodations. Most of our hotels operate in urban and resort markets either as luxury properties under such brand names as Alila®, Andaz®, Fairmont®, Four Seasons®, Grand Hyatt®, JW Marriott®, Ritz-Carlton®, St. Regis®, The Luxury Collection® and W®, or as upper upscale properties under such brand names as Embassy Suites®, Hilton®, Hyatt®, Kimpton®, Marriott®, Marriott Marquis®, Autograph Collection®, Curio – A Collection by Hilton®, Marriott Suites®, Pullman®, Sheraton®, Swissôtel®, Tribute Portfolio® and Westin®.1 While our hotels compete primarily with other hotels in the luxury and upper upscale category, they also may compete with hotels in other lower-tier categories. A recent source of supply for the lodging industry has been the rapid growth of online short-term rentals, including as a flexible option for apartment buildings. Our hotels also may compete with these short-term rentals in certain markets. In addition, many management contracts for our hotels do not prohibit our managers from converting, franchising or developing other hotels in our markets. As a result, our hotels compete with other hotels that our managers may own, invest in, manage or franchise.
We also compete with other REITs and other public and private investors for the acquisition of new properties and investment opportunities as we attempt to position our portfolio to best take advantage of changes in markets and travel patterns of our customers.
___________
[1] This annual report contains registered trademarks that are the exclusive property of their respective owners, which are companies other than us. None of the owners of these trademarks, their affiliates or any of their respective officers, directors, agents or employees, has or will have any responsibility or liability for any information contained in this annual report.
14
Seasonality
Our hotel sales traditionally have experienced moderate seasonality, which varies based on the individual hotel and the region. Operations in 2021 continued to be affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, resulting in hotel sales for our consolidated portfolio that were approximately 14%, 22%, 29% and 35% for the first, second, third and fourth calendar quarters, respectively. In 2019, prior to the pandemic, our sales were approximately 26%, 27%, 23% and 24% for the first, second, third and fourth calendar quarters, respectively.
Environmental, Governmental and Regulatory Matters
Under various federal, state and local environmental laws, ordinances and regulations, a current or previous owner or operator of real property may be liable for the costs of removal or remediation of hazardous or toxic substances. These laws may impose liability whether or not the owner or operator knew of, or was responsible for, the presence of such hazardous or toxic substances. In addition, certain environmental laws and common law principles could be used to impose liability for the release of hazardous or toxic materials, and third parties may seek recovery from owners or operators of real properties for personal injury associated with exposure to released hazardous or toxic materials. Environmental laws also may impose restrictions on the way property may be used or businesses may be operated, and these restrictions may require corrective or other expenditures. In connection with our current or prior ownership or operation of hotels, we potentially may be liable for various environmental costs or liabilities. Although currently we are not aware of any material environmental claims pending or threatened against us, we can offer no assurance that a material environmental claim will not be asserted against us in the future.
Our hotels also are subject to various other forms of regulation, including Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act (“ADA”), building codes and regulations pertaining to fire and life safety. Under the ADA, all public accommodations are required to meet certain federal rules related to access and use by disabled persons and we have in the past and may in the future incur capital expenditures to make our hotels accessible. These and other building laws and regulations may be changed from time to time, or new regulations adopted, resulting in additional costs of compliance, including potential litigation. A determination that we are not in compliance with these laws and regulations could result in a court order to bring the hotel into compliance, the imposition of civil penalties in cases brought by the Justice Department or an award of attorneys’ fees to private litigants. Compliance with these laws and regulations could require substantial capital expenditures.
Human Capital Resources
As of February 17, 2022, we had 160 employees, all of whom work in the United States, including our regional office in Miami. The current average tenure of our employees is more than 13 years and the voluntary and total turnover rates in 2021 were 6% and 8%, respectively. Our human capital objectives include encouraging individual contributions, reinforcing Host’s EPIC values and culture, maximizing employee engagement and retention and minimizing organizational disruption through succession action plans. Our employees are given the opportunity to participate in training and education programs such as external training, professional certifications, executive and leadership coaching, continuing education and professional memberships. Additionally, all employees receive annual performance reviews that incorporate our EPIC values of Excellence, Partnership, Integrity and Community, and our competencies, which include adaptability, communication, teamwork and complete thinking. We encourage regular and ongoing feedback tied to performance and career development. In order to ensure that we are meeting our human capital objectives, we conduct employee surveys to obtain feedback on various topics, informing how we execute on specific programs.
Our CEO is a part of the CEO Action for Diversity & Inclusion initiative in order to continue to advance diversity and inclusion within our workplace, along with our formal diversity and inclusion initiative. We also provide unconscious bias training to our employees. As of December 31, 2021, our total workforce consists of 43% men and 57% women, with 44% of management positions held by women. Our workforce also consists of 35% minorities, with 19% of management positions held by minorities.
The number of employees referenced above does not include the hotel employees of our three hotels in Brazil, which, while technically Host employees, are under the direct supervision and control of our third-party hotel manager in Brazil. The employees at all of our U.S. and Canadian hotels are employees of our third-party hotel managers, who are responsible for hiring and maintaining employees.
Although we do not manage employees at our consolidated hotels, we still are subject to many of the costs and risks generally associated with the hotel labor force. Employees of our third-party hotel managers at 17 of our hotels, representing approximately 28% of our total room count, are covered by collective bargaining agreements that are subject to review and renewal on a regular basis. For a discussion of these relationships, see Part I Item 1A. “Risk Factors—We are subject to risks associated with the employment of hotel personnel, particularly with hotels that employ unionized labor.” None of Host’s employees are covered by collective bargaining agreements.
15
Where to Find Additional Information
The address of our principal executive office is 4747 Bethesda Avenue, Suite 1300, Bethesda, Maryland, 20814. Our phone number is (240) 744-1000. We maintain an internet website at: www.hosthotels.com. Through our website, we make available free of charge as soon as reasonably practicable after they are filed electronically with, or furnished to, the SEC, our annual reports on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, current reports on Form 8-K and amendments to those reports filed or furnished pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”). The SEC also maintains an Internet site that contains reports, proxy and information statements, and other information regarding issuers at http://www.sec.gov.
Our website also is a key source of important information about us. We routinely post to the Investor Relations section of our website important information about our business, our operating results and our financial condition and prospects, including, for example, information about material acquisitions and dispositions, our earnings releases and certain supplemental financial information to our earnings releases. We also post to our website copies of investor presentations, which also contain important information about us, and we update those presentations periodically. The website has a Governance page in the Our Company section that includes, among other things, copies of our Bylaws, our Code of Business Conduct and Ethics, our Corporate Governance Guidelines and the charters for each standing committee of Host Inc.’s Board of Directors, which currently include the Audit Committee, the Culture and Compensation Committee and the Nominating, Governance and Corporate Responsibility Committee. Copies of these charters and policies, Host Inc.’s Bylaws and Host L.P.’s partnership agreement also are available in print to stockholders and unitholders upon request to Host Hotels & Resorts, Inc., 4747 Bethesda Avenue, Suite 1300, Bethesda, Maryland 20814, Attn: Secretary. Please note that the information contained on our website is not incorporated by reference in, or considered to be a part of, any document, unless expressly incorporated by reference therein.
16
Item 1A. Risk Factors
For an enterprise as large and complex as we are, a wide range of factors could materially affect future results and performance. The statements in this section describe the major risks to our business and should be considered carefully. In addition, these statements constitute our cautionary statements under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995.
Financial Risks and Risks of Operation
The current COVID-19 pandemic has materially and adversely impacted our business, financial condition, results of operations, liquidity and cash flows.
Since first reported in December 2019, the novel coronavirus that causes the COVID-19 disease has spread globally, including to every state in the United States. The pandemic has significantly adversely impacted U.S. and global economic activity, resulted in a global recession in 2020, and has contributed to significant volatility in financial markets. The global impact of the outbreak continues to be rapidly evolving. While many of the initial restrictive measures put in place in jurisdictions where we own hotels have been lifted, the pandemic continues to have a material adverse effect on operations and future bookings and is expected to continue to have a material negative impact on our financial results and cash flows. Many of our hotels are still operating significantly below pre-pandemic occupancy.
For these reasons, the COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in a sharp decline in revenues at our hotels and significantly adversely affected the ability of our hotel managers to successfully operate our hotels and has had a significant adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations, liquidity and cash flows due to, among other factors:
The duration of the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on our operations will depend on future developments, which are highly uncertain and cannot be predicted with confidence, including the continued scope and severity of the pandemic and existing and future variants of the COVID-19 virus, vaccination rates, governmental actions taken to contain the pandemic or to mitigate its impact, and the direct and indirect economic effects of the pandemic and containment measures, among others. The rapid development and fluidity of the COVID-19 pandemic makes it extremely difficult to assess its full adverse economic impact on our business, financial condition, results of operations, liquidity and cash flows. The effects of the COVID-19 pandemic also may have the effect of heightening our other risk factors disclosed in this section.
Our revenues and the value of our hotels are subject to conditions affecting the lodging industry.
The performance of the lodging industry traditionally has been affected by the strength of the general economy and, specifically, growth in gross domestic product. Because lodging industry demand typically follows the general economy, the lodging industry is highly cyclical, which contributes to potentially large fluctuations in our financial condition and our results of operations. Changes in travel patterns of both business and leisure travelers, particularly during periods of economic contraction or low levels of economic growth, may create difficulties for the industry over the long-term and adversely affect our results of operations. In addition, the majority of our hotels are classified as luxury or upper upscale and generally target business and high-end leisure travelers. In periods of economic difficulties, business and leisure travelers may seek to reduce travel costs by limiting travel or seeking to reduce the cost of their trips. Conseq