BASIS OF PRESENTATION

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2023

Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]

BASIS OF PRESENTATION

BASIS OF PRESENTATION

Principles of Consolidation and Presentation

The accompanying consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with US GAAP and include all of our accounts as well as accounts of the Partnership, subsidiary partnerships and our wholly owned Taxable REIT Subsidiary Lessee (“TRS Lessee”), 44 New England Management Company. All significant inter-company amounts have been eliminated.

Consolidated properties are either wholly owned or owned less than 100% by the Partnership and are controlled by the Company as general partner of the Partnership. Properties owned in joint ventures are also consolidated if the determination is made that we are the primary beneficiary in a variable interest entity (“VIE”) or we maintain control of the asset through our voting interest in the entity.

Variable Interest Entities

We evaluate each of our investments and contractual relationships to determine whether they meet the guidelines for consolidation. To determine if we are the primary beneficiary of a VIE, we evaluate whether we have a controlling financial interest in that VIE. An enterprise is deemed to have a controlling financial interest if it has i) the power to direct the activities of a variable interest entity that most significantly impact the entity’s economic performance, and ii) the obligation to absorb losses of the VIE that could be significant to the VIE or the rights to receive benefits from the VIE that could be significant to the VIE. Control can also be demonstrated by the ability of a member to manage day-to-day operations, refinance debt and sell the assets of the partnerships without the consent of the other member and the inability of the members to replace the managing member.  Based on our examination, there have been no changes to the operating structure of our legal entities during the three and nine months ended September 30, 2023 and, therefore, there are no changes to our evaluation of VIE's as presented within our annual report presented on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2022.

Noncontrolling Interest

We classify the noncontrolling interests of our common units of limited partnership interest in HHLP (“Common Units”), and Long Term Incentive Plan Units (“LTIP Units”) as equity. LTIP Units are a separate class of limited partnership interest in the Operating Partnership that are convertible into Common Units under certain circumstances. The noncontrolling interest of Common Units and LTIP Units totaled $74,340 as of September 30, 2023 and $73,461 as of December 31, 2022. As of September 30, 2023, there were 8,037,472 Common Units and LTIP Units outstanding with a fair market value of $79,249, based on the price per share of our common shares on the NYSE on such date. In accordance with the partnership agreement of HHLP, holders of these Common Units may redeem them for cash unless we, in our sole and absolute discretion, elect to issue common shares on a one-for-one basis in lieu of paying cash.

As noted in Note 1 - Company Overview and Merger Agreement, at the Company Merger date, each Company LTIP Unit that is outstanding and unvested shall vest and become transferable and immediately thereafter, the Company shall cause a Forced Conversion (as defined in the Merger Agreement) with respect to all Company LTIP Units then eligible for conversion (after giving effect to the vesting of all Company LTIP Units as described in the Merger Agreement) such that, as of the Partnership Merger Effective Time, each then outstanding Company LTIP Unit will be converted into an equal number of common Company Partnership Units (with such converted Company Partnership Units treated in the same manner under the Merger Agreement as other outstanding Company Partnership Units).

Net income or loss attributed to Common Units and LTIP Units is included in net income or loss but excluded from net income or loss applicable to common shareholders in the consolidated statements of operations.

NOTE 2 - BASIS OF PRESENTATION (CONTINUED)

We are party to a joint venture that owns the Ritz-Carlton Coconut Grove, FL, in which our joint venture partner has a noncontrolling equity interest of 15% in the property. Hersha Holding RC Owner, LLC, the owner entity of the Ritz-Carlton Coconut Grove joint venture ("Ritz Coconut Grove"), will distribute income based on cash available for distribution which will be distributed as follows: (1) to us until we receive a cumulative return on our contributed senior common equity interest, currently at 8%, and (2) then to the owner of the noncontrolling interest until they receive a cumulative return on their contributed junior common equity interest, currently at 8%, and (3) then 75% to us and 25% to the owner of the noncontrolling interest until we both receive a cumulative return on our contributed senior common equity interest, currently at 12%, and (4) finally, any remaining operating profit shall be distributed 70% to us and 30% to the owner of the noncontrolling interest. Additionally, the noncontrolling interest in the Ritz Coconut Grove has the right to put their ownership interest to us for cash consideration at any time during the life of the venture. The balance sheets and financial results of the Ritz Coconut Grove are included in our consolidated financial statements and the book value of the noncontrolling interest in the Ritz Coconut Grove is classified as temporary equity within our Consolidated Balance Sheets.

For Ritz Coconut Grove, income or loss is allocated using Hypothetical Liquidation at Book Value ("HLBV method") as the liquidation rights and priorities, as defined by the venture's governing agreement, differs from the underlying percentage ownership in the venture. The Company applies the HLBV method using a balance sheet approach. A calculation is prepared at each balance sheet date to determine the amount that we would receive if the venture entity were to liquidate all of its assets at carrying value and distribute that cash to the joint venture based on the contractually defined liquidation priorities. The difference between the calculated liquidation distribution amounts at the beginning and the end of the reporting period, after adjusting for capital contributions and distributions, is our share of the earnings or losses and the remainder is allocated to noncontrolling interest.

The noncontrolling interest in the Ritz Coconut Grove is measured at the greater of historical cost or the put option redemption value, and is recorded as part of the (Income) Loss Allocated to Noncontrolling Interests - Consolidated Joint Venture line item within the Consolidated Statements of Operations. The value of the noncontrolling interest at the put option redemption value was $4,660 as of September 30, 2023.

Shareholders’ Equity

Terms of the Series C, Series D, and Series E Preferred Shares outstanding at September 30, 2023 and December 31, 2022 are summarized as follows:

							Dividend Per Share
	Shares Outstanding						Nine Months Ended September 30,
Series	September 30, 2023	December 31, 2022	Aggregate Liquidation Preference		Distribution Rate		2023		2022
Series C	3,000,000	3,000,000	$	75,000	6.875	%	$	1.2891	$	1.2891
Series D	7,701,700	7,701,700	$	192,500	6.500	%	$	1.2188	$	1.2188
Series E	4,001,514	4,001,514	$	100,000	6.500	%	$	1.2188	$	1.2188
Total	14,703,214	14,703,214

NOTE 2 - BASIS OF PRESENTATION (CONTINUED)

As noted in Note 1 - Company Overview and Merger Agreement, pursuant to the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in the Merger Agreement, at the Company Merger Effective Time, (A) each Priority Class A common share of beneficial interest, $0.01 par value per share, of the Company issued and outstanding immediately prior to the Company Merger Effective Time (other than Excluded Shares) will be automatically converted into the right to receive an amount in cash equal to $10.00 per share; (B) each 6.875% Series C Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Share of Beneficial Interest, par value $0.01 per share, of the Company issued and outstanding immediately prior to the Company Merger Effective Time (other than Excluded Shares) will be automatically converted into the right to receive an amount in cash equal to $25.00 per share plus accrued and unpaid dividends, if any, up to and including the Closing Date, without interest; (C) each 6.50% Series D Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Share of Beneficial Interest, par value $0.01 per share, of the Company issued and outstanding immediately prior to the Company Merger Effective Time (other than Excluded Shares) will be automatically converted into the right to receive an amount in cash equal to $25.00 per share plus accrued and unpaid dividends, if any, up to and including the Closing Date, without interest; and (D) each 6.50% Series E Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Share of Beneficial Interest, par value $0.01 per share, of the Company issued and outstanding immediately prior to the Company Merger Effective Time (other than Excluded Shares) will be automatically converted into the right to receive an amount in cash equal to $25.00 per share per share plus accrued and unpaid dividends, if any, up to and including the Closing Date, without interest.

Investment in Hotel Properties

Investments in hotel properties are recorded at cost. Improvements and replacements are capitalized when they extend the useful life of the asset. Costs of repairs and maintenance are expensed as incurred. Depreciation is computed using the straight-line method over the estimated useful life of up to 40 years for buildings and improvements, and two to seven years for furniture, fixtures and equipment. We are required to make subjective assessments as to the useful lives of our properties for purposes of determining the amount of depreciation to record on an annual basis with respect to our investments in hotel properties. These assessments have a direct impact on our net income because if we were to shorten the expected useful lives of our investments in hotel properties we would depreciate these investments over fewer years, resulting in more depreciation expense and lower net income on an annual basis.

Identifiable assets, liabilities, and noncontrolling interests related to hotel properties acquired are recorded at fair value. Estimating techniques and assumptions used in determining fair values involve significant estimates and judgments. These estimates and judgments have a direct impact on the carrying value of our assets and liabilities which can directly impact the amount of depreciation expense recorded on an annual basis and could have an impact on our assessment of potential impairment of our investment in hotel properties.

We consider a hotel to be held for sale when management and our independent trustees commit to a plan to sell the property, the property is available for sale, management engages in an active program to locate a buyer for the property and it is probable the sale will be completed within a year of the initiation of the plan to sell. We evaluate each disposition to determine whether we need to classify the disposition as discontinued operations. We generally include the operations of a hotel that was sold or a hotel that has been classified as held for sale in continuing operations unless the sale represents a strategic shift that will have a major impact on our future operations and financial results. We anticipate that most of our hotel dispositions will not be classified as discontinued operations as most will not fit this definition.

NOTE 2 - BASIS OF PRESENTATION (CONTINUED)

Based on the occurrence of certain events or changes in circumstances, we review the recoverability of the property’s carrying value. Such events or changes in circumstances include the following:

•a significant decrease in the market price of a long-lived asset;

•a significant adverse change in the extent or manner in which a long-lived asset is being used or in its physical condition; 

•a significant adverse change in legal factors or in the business climate that could affect the value of a long-lived asset, including an adverse action or assessment by a regulator;

•an accumulation of costs significantly in excess of the amount originally expected for the acquisition or construction of a long-lived asset;

•a current-period operating or cash flow loss combined with a history of operating or cash flow losses or a projection or forecast that demonstrates continuing losses associated with the use of a long-lived asset; and

•a current expectation that, it is more likely than not that, a long-lived asset will be sold or otherwise disposed of significantly before the end of its previously estimated useful life.

We review our portfolio on an ongoing basis to evaluate the existence of any of the aforementioned events or changes in circumstances that would require us to test for recoverability. In general, our review of recoverability is based on an estimate of the future undiscounted cash flows, excluding interest charges, expected to result from the property’s use and eventual disposition. These estimates consider factors such as expected future operating income, market and other applicable trends and residual value expected, as well as the effects of hotel demand, competition and other factors. Other assumptions used in the review of recoverability include the holding period and expected terminal capitalization rate. If impairment exists due to the inability to recover the carrying value of a property, an impairment loss is recorded to the extent that the carrying value exceeds the estimated fair value of the property. We are required to make subjective assessments as to whether there are impairments in the values of our investments in hotel properties.