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Organization and Description of Business
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2021
Accounting Policies [Abstract]  
Organization and Description of Business

1. Organization and Description of Business

Sotherly Hotels Inc. (the “Company”) is a self-managed and self-administered lodging real estate investment trust (“REIT”) that was incorporated in Maryland on August 20, 2004. The Company historically has focused on the acquisition, renovation, upbranding and repositioning of upscale to upper-upscale full-service hotels in the southern United States.  The Company’s portfolio, as of December 31, 2021, consisted of investments in twelve hotel properties, comprising 3,156 rooms and two hotel commercial condominium units and their associated rental programs.  Nine of our hotels operated under the Hilton, DoubleTree, Hyatt and Sheraton brands, and three are independent hotels.

The Company commenced operations on December 21, 2004 when it completed its initial public offering (“IPO”) and thereafter consummated the acquisition of six hotel properties. Substantially all of the Company’s assets are held by, and all of its operations are conducted through, Sotherly Hotels LP, (the “Operating Partnership”).

Pursuant to the terms of the Amended and Restated Agreement of Limited Partnership (the “Partnership Agreement”), the Company, as general partner, is not entitled to compensation for its services to the Operating Partnership. The Company, as general partner, conducts substantially all of its operations through the Operating Partnership and the Company’s administrative expenses are the obligations of the Operating Partnership. Additionally, the Company is entitled to reimbursement for any expenditure incurred by it on the Operating Partnership’s behalf.

For the Company to qualify as a REIT, it cannot operate hotels. Therefore, the Operating Partnership, which, at December 31, 2021, was approximately 93.9% owned by the Company, and its subsidiaries, lease its hotels to direct and indirect subsidiaries of MHI Hospitality TRS Holding, Inc., MHI Hospitality TRS, LLC and certain of its subsidiaries, (collectively, “MHI TRS Entities”), each of which is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Operating Partnership.  For the years ended December 31, 2021, 2020, and 2019, the MHI TRS Entities engaged eligible independent hotel management companies, MHI Hotels Services, LLC, which does business as Chesapeake Hospitality (“Chesapeake Hospitality”); Highgate Hotels, L.P. (“Highgate Hotels”); and Our Town Hospitality, LLC (“Our Town”) to operate the hotels under management contracts.  MHI Hospitality TRS Holding, Inc. is treated as a taxable REIT subsidiary (“TRS”) for federal income tax purposes.  As of December 31, 2021, Our Town was the manager of each of our 12 wholly-owned hotels and our two condominium hotel rental programs.

All references in these “Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements” to “we,” “us” and “our” refer to the Company, its Operating Partnership and its subsidiaries and predecessors, collectively, unless the context otherwise requires or where otherwise indicated.

Effects of COVID-19 Pandemic on Our Business

In March 2020, the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 to be a global pandemic and the virus has continued to spread throughout the United States and the world.  As a result of this pandemic and subsequent government mandates and health official recommendations, hotel demand has been significantly reduced.  Following the government mandates and health official recommendations, we significantly reduced operations at all our hotels, suspended operations of our hotel condominium rental programs and dramatically reduced staffing and expenses.  Our hotels have been gradually re-introducing guest amenities relative to the return of business while focusing on profit generators and margin control and we intend to continue those re-introductions, provided that we can be confident that occupancy levels and reduced social distancing will not unduly jeopardize the health and safety of our guests, employees and communities.

COVID-19 had a significant negative impact on our operations and financial results in 2021, including a substantial decline in our revenues, profitability and cash flows from operations compared to similar pre-pandemic periods.  While the resurgence of leisure travel demand contributed to improved results for 2021 compared to 2020, business travel demand continues to lag.  As a result, although we anticipate further recovery in 2022, the Company cannot estimate with certainty when travel demand will fully recover.  

The COVID-19 pandemic has also significantly contributed to economic uncertainty and led to disruption and volatility in the global capital markets, which has limited our access to capital.  That economic uncertainty could increase our cost of capital during the course of the recovery from the pandemic.  Additionally, we sought and obtained forbearance and loan modification agreements with the lenders under the mortgages for all of our hotel properties.  See the discussion of forbearance, modifications, and waivers in Note 4.

As of December 31, 2021, we failed to meet the financial covenants under the mortgage secured by The Whitehall.  We have received a waiver of the financial covenants from the lender on The Whitehall mortgage through June 30, 2022.   While the Company believes it will be successful in obtaining waivers, loan modifications or securing refinance arrangements, it cannot provide assurance that it will be able to do so on acceptable terms or at all.  Based on our current projections, following the expiration of the waiver on the financial covenants from the mortgage lender on The Whitehall, we do not anticipate that the financial performance of the property will have sufficiently recovered in order to meet the existing covenants.  If we fail to obtain additional waivers from the lender, the lender could declare the Company in default under the mortgage loan on that property and require repayment of the outstanding balance.  

As of December 31, 2021, we had approximately $13.2 million in unrestricted cash and approximately $12.4 million in restricted cash.

U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“U.S. GAAP”) requires that, when preparing financial statements for each annual and interim reporting period, management evaluate whether there are conditions or events, considered in the aggregate, that raise substantial doubt regarding the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern within one year after the date the financial statements are issued. Due to the uncertainties described above related to future cash flows and resulting compliance with the financial covenants as well as the upcoming maturity of the mortgage on The Whitehall, the Company determined that there is substantial doubt about its ability to continue as a going concern. The consolidated financial statements have been prepared assuming that the Company will continue as a going concern and do not include any adjustments that might result from the outcome of this uncertainty.

Significant Transactions

Significant transactions occurring during the current and two prior fiscal years include the following:

On April 18, 2019, the Company closed a sale and issuance of 1,080,000 shares of its 8.25% Series D cumulative redeemable perpetual preferred stock (the “Series D Preferred Stock”), for gross proceeds of $27.0 million before underwriting discounts and commissions and expenses payable by the Company.  On May 1, 2019, the Company closed a sale and issuance of an additional 120,000 shares of its Series D Preferred Stock, for gross proceeds of $3.0 million before underwriting discounts and commissions and expenses payable by the Company, in connection with the partial exercise of the underwriters’ option to purchase additional shares of the Series D Preferred Stock.  Total net proceeds after all estimated expenses were approximately $28.4 million, which the Company contributed to its Operating Partnership for an equivalent number of Series D preferred units.  We used the net proceeds to redeem in full the Operating Partnership’s 7.25% Notes and for working capital.

 

On April 24, 2019, the Hyde Resort & Residences condominium association, 4111 South Ocean Drive Condominium Association, Inc., unilaterally terminated both (i) the existing Lease Agreement for the 400-space parking garage and meeting rooms associated with the condominium hotel and (ii) the Association Management Agreement relating to the operation and management of the hotel condominium association.  We continue to operate our rental program at the Hyde Resort & Residences.

 

On April 26, 2019, the Company entered into amended loan documents to modify the existing mortgage loan on the Hotel Alba Tampa with the existing lender, Fifth Third Bank.  Pursuant to the modification, the mortgage loan principal balance remained at approximately $18.2 million; the maturity date was extended to June 30, 2022, and may be extended for two additional periods of one year each, subject to certain conditions; the mortgage loan continues to bear a floating interest rate of 1-month LIBOR plus 3.75% subject to a floor rate of 3.75%, with a new provision to reduce the floating interest rate to 1-month LIBOR plus 3.00% upon the successful achievement of certain performance hurdles; the mortgage loan amortizes on a 25-year schedule; and the mortgage loan continues to be guaranteed by the Operating Partnership.

 

On May 20, 2019, the Operating Partnership redeemed the entire $25.0 million aggregate principal amount of its 7.25% Notes, at a redemption price equal to 101% of the principal amount of the 7.25% Notes, plus any accrued and unpaid interest to, but not including, the redemption date.

 

On September 26, 2019, the Company closed on the purchase of a commercial condominium unit of the Hyde Beach House Resort & Residences, a newly constructed 342-unit condominium hotel located in Hollywood, Florida, from 4000 South Ocean Property Owner, LLLP.  In connection with the closing, we (i) acquired commercial unit 2 of the Hyde Beach House, along with rights to certain limited common elements appurtenant to the commercial unit, for an adjusted purchase price of approximately $5.4 million; (ii) purchased inventories and equipment for additional consideration in the amount of approximately $0.7 million; (iii) entered into a second addendum to the purchase agreement; (iv) entered into a 20-year parking and cabana management agreement for the parking garage and poolside cabanas associated with the Hyde Beach House; (v) entered into a 20-year management agreement relating to the operation and management of the Hyde Beach House condominium association; and (vi) received a pre-opening services fee of $1.0 million.  We began operating a condominium unit rental program for residential units in the facility in November 2019.  Also, in connection with the closing, our DoubleTree Resort by Hilton Hollywood Beach acquired a commercial condominium

unit consisting of a 3,000 square foot ballroom and adjacent pre-function space, as well as 200 dedicated parking spaces within the parking garage adjacent to the hotel.

 

The Company received PPP Loans administered by the U.S. Small Business Administration pursuant to the CARES Act.  Each PPP Loan has a term of five years and carries an interest rate of 1.00%.  Equal payments of principal and interest begin no later than 10 months following origination of the loan and are amortized over the remaining term of the loan. Pursuant to the terms of the CARES Act, the proceeds of each PPP Loan may be used for payroll costs, mortgage interest, rent or utility costs.  The promissory note for each PPP Loan contains customary events of default relating to, among other things, payment defaults and breach of representations and warranties or of provisions of the relevant promissory note.   Under the terms of the CARES Act, each borrower can apply for and be granted forgiveness for all or a portion of the PPP Loan.  Such forgiveness will be determined, subject to limitations, based on the use of loan proceeds in accordance with the terms of the CARES Act.  No assurance is provided that any borrower will obtain forgiveness under any relevant PPP Loan in whole or in part.  On April 16, 2020, the Operating Partnership entered into a promissory note with Village Bank in connection with a PPP Loan and received proceeds of $333,500.  On April 28, 2020, the Company entered into a promissory note and received proceeds of $9,432,900 under a PPP Loan from Fifth Third Bank, National Association.  On May 6, 2020, the Company entered into a second promissory note with Fifth Third Bank, National Association and received proceeds of $952,700 under a PPP Loan.

 

On June 21, 2021, we entered into a Share Exchange Agreement with Palogic Value Fund, L.P., a Delaware limited partnership (“Palogic”).  Pursuant to the Share Exchange Agreement, Palogic agreed to exchange 100,000 shares of the Company’s 8.0% Series B Cumulative Redeemable Perpetual Preferred Stock, 85,000 shares of the Company’s 7.875% Series C Cumulative Redeemable Perpetual Preferred Stock, and 35,000 shares of the Company’s 8.25% Series D Cumulative Redeemable Perpetual Preferred Stock (the “Palogic Shares”), together with all of Palogic’s rights to receive accrued and unpaid dividends on those Palogic Shares, for 1,542,727 shares of the Company’s common stock, par value $0.01 per share. We closed the transaction and issued the common shares on June 22, 2021.  The Company did not receive any cash proceeds as a result of the exchange of the Palogic Shares for the Company’s common stock, and the Palogic Shares exchanged have been retired and cancelled.  The issuance of the shares of the Company’s common stock was made by the Company pursuant to the exemption from the registration requirements of the Securities Act contained in Section 3(a)(9) of such act on the basis that these offers constituted an exchange with existing holders of the Company’s securities, and no commission or other remuneration was paid to any party for soliciting such exchange.

 

On November 30, 2021, Raleigh Hotel Associates, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company and an affiliate of the Company, entered into a real estate sale agreement to sell the DoubleTree by Hilton Raleigh-Brownstone University hotel located in Raleigh, North Carolina to CS Acquisition Vehicle, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company, for a purchase price of $42.0 million.  The Company intends to use any net cash proceeds from the sale of the hotel to repay the existing mortgage on the property, repay a portion of the secured notes with Kemmons Wilson, to make any required distribution on the Company’s preferred stock related to maintaining the Company’s REIT status, and for general corporate purposes.  The closing of the sale of the hotel is subject to various customary closing conditions, including the satisfactory completion of a diligence review of the hotel, the accuracy of representations and warranties through closing, and conditions related to the termination of hotel agreements and leases.

 

On December 9, 2021, we entered into a Share Exchange Agreement with Palogic Value Fund, L.P., a Delaware limited partnership (“Palogic”).  Pursuant to the Share Exchange Agreement, Palogic agreed to exchange 75,000 shares of the Company’s 7.875% Series C Cumulative Redeemable Perpetual Preferred Stock (the “Series C Preferred Stock”), together with all of Palogic’s rights to receive accrued and unpaid dividends on those Series C Preferred Stock shares, for 620,919 shares of the Company’s common stock, par value $0.01 per share. Closing of the transaction occurred on December 9, 2021.  The common shares were issued in reliance on the exemption from registration set forth in Section 3(a)(9) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, for securities exchanged by an issuer with an existing security holder in a transaction where no commission or other remuneration was be paid or given directly or indirectly for soliciting such an exchange.

 

On December 13, 2021, Louisville Hotel Associates, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company and an affiliate of the Company, entered into a purchase and sale agreement to sell the Sheraton Louisville Riverside hotel located in Jeffersonville, Indiana to Riverside Hotel, LLC, an Indiana limited liability company, for a purchase price of $11.5 million, including the assumption by the Buyer of the mortgage loan on the hotel.  On February 10, 2022, the Company closed the sale of the Sheraton Louisville Riverside hotel.  There were no net proceeds from the sale.