<?xml version="1.0"?>
<ownershipDocument>

    <schemaVersion>X0306</schemaVersion>

    <documentType>4</documentType>

    <periodOfReport>2018-06-18</periodOfReport>

    <notSubjectToSection16>0</notSubjectToSection16>

    <issuer>
        <issuerCik>0001232582</issuerCik>
        <issuerName>ASHFORD HOSPITALITY TRUST INC</issuerName>
        <issuerTradingSymbol>AHT</issuerTradingSymbol>
    </issuer>

    <reportingOwner>
        <reportingOwnerId>
            <rptOwnerCik>0001314182</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>PANTERMUEHL SHERI L</rptOwnerName>
        </reportingOwnerId>
        <reportingOwnerAddress>
            <rptOwnerStreet1>14185 DALLAS PARKWAY</rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2>SUITE 1100</rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>DALLAS</rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState>TX</rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode>75254</rptOwnerZipCode>
            <rptOwnerStateDescription></rptOwnerStateDescription>
        </reportingOwnerAddress>
        <reportingOwnerRelationship>
            <isDirector>1</isDirector>
            <isOfficer>0</isOfficer>
            <isTenPercentOwner>0</isTenPercentOwner>
            <isOther>0</isOther>
            <officerTitle></officerTitle>
            <otherText></otherText>
        </reportingOwnerRelationship>
    </reportingOwner>

    <nonDerivativeTable></nonDerivativeTable>

    <derivativeTable>
        <derivativeTransaction>
            <securityTitle>
                <value>Special Limited Partnership Units</value>
                <footnoteId id="F1"/>
            </securityTitle>
            <conversionOrExercisePrice>
                <value>0</value>
                <footnoteId id="F1"/>
            </conversionOrExercisePrice>
            <transactionDate>
                <value>2018-06-18</value>
            </transactionDate>
            <deemedExecutionDate></deemedExecutionDate>
            <transactionCoding>
                <transactionFormType>4</transactionFormType>
                <transactionCode>A</transactionCode>
                <equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved>
                <footnoteId id="F2"/>
            </transactionCoding>
            <transactionAmounts>
                <transactionShares>
                    <value>12839</value>
                </transactionShares>
                <transactionPricePerShare>
                    <value>0.05</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F4"/>
                </transactionPricePerShare>
                <transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
                    <value>A</value>
                </transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
            </transactionAmounts>
            <exerciseDate>
                <footnoteId id="F1"/>
            </exerciseDate>
            <expirationDate>
                <footnoteId id="F3"/>
            </expirationDate>
            <underlyingSecurity>
                <underlyingSecurityTitle>
                    <value>Common Stock</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F1"/>
                    <footnoteId id="F5"/>
                </underlyingSecurityTitle>
                <underlyingSecurityShares>
                    <footnoteId id="F5"/>
                </underlyingSecurityShares>
            </underlyingSecurity>
            <postTransactionAmounts>
                <sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
                    <value>12839</value>
                </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
            </postTransactionAmounts>
            <ownershipNature>
                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                    <value>D</value>
                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
            </ownershipNature>
        </derivativeTransaction>
    </derivativeTable>

    <footnotes>
        <footnote id="F1">Special long-term incentive partnership units (&quot;LTIP Units&quot;) in Ashford Hospitality Limited Partnership, the Issuer's operating subsidiary (&quot;Subsidiary&quot;). Vested LTIP Units, upon achieving parity with the Common Limited Partnership Units of the Subsidiary (&quot;Common Units&quot;), are convertible into Common Units at the option of the Reporting Person. See Footnote 5 discussing the convertibility of Common Units.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F2">The LTIP Units reported herein were issued as an annual award under the Issuer's 2011 Stock Incentive Plan after the Reporting Person's election to the Issuer's Board of Directors.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F3">Neither the LTIP Units nor the Common Units have an expiration date.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F4">Per LTIP Unit purchase price.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F5">Common Units are redeemable for cash or, at the option of the Issuer, convertible into shares of the Issuer's common stock based on a conversion ratio described in the Amendment No. 5 to the Seventh Amended and Restated Agreement of the Limited Partnership dated December 13, 2017, which, on June 18, 2018, was 1.0 shares of the Issuer's common stock for each Common Unit.</footnote>
    </footnotes>

    <ownerSignature>
        <signatureName>/s/ SHERI L. PANTERMUEHL</signatureName>
        <signatureDate>2018-06-26</signatureDate>
    </ownerSignature>
</ownershipDocument>
