Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Policies)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2014

The Company and its subsidiaries are separate legal entities and maintain records and books of account separate and apart from each other. The consolidated financial statements include all of the accounts of the Company and its subsidiaries and are presented in accordance with U.S. GAAP. All significant intercompany balances and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation. Investments in entities in which the Company does not control, but has the ability to exercise significant influence over operating and financial policies, are accounted for under the equity method.

Use of Estimates

The preparation of the financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities, disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities, and revenues and expenses. These estimates are prepared using management’s best judgment, after considering past, current and expected events and economic conditions. Actual results could differ from these estimates.

Risks and Uncertainties

The state of the overall economy can significantly impact hotel operational performance and thus, impact the Company's financial position. Should any of the hotels experience a significant decline in operational performance, it may affect the Company's ability to make distributions to our shareholders and service debt or meet other financial obligations.

Fair Value Measurements

A fair value measurement is based on the assumptions that market participants would use in pricing an asset or liability in an orderly transaction. The hierarchy for inputs used in measuring fair value are as follows:


1.	Level 1 – Inputs are quoted prices (unadjusted) in active markets for identical assets or liabilities.


2.	Level 2 – Inputs include quoted prices in active markets for similar assets and liabilities, quoted prices for identical or similar assets or liabilities in markets that are not active, and model-derived valuations whose inputs are observable.


3.	Level 3 – Model-derived valuations with unobservable inputs.

In certain cases, the inputs used to measure fair value may fall into different levels of the fair value hierarchy. In such cases, for disclosure purposes, the level within which the fair value measurement is categorized is based on the lowest level input that is significant to the fair value measurement.

The Company's financial instruments include cash and cash equivalents, restricted cash, accounts payable and accrued expenses. Due to their short maturities, the carrying amounts of these assets and liabilities approximate fair value. See Note 6 for disclosures on the fair value of debt and derivative instruments.

Investment in Hotel Properties

Upon acquisition of hotel properties, the Company allocates the purchase price based on the fair value of the acquired land, land improvements, building, furniture, fixtures and equipment, identifiable intangible assets or liabilities, other assets and assumed liabilities. Identifiable intangible assets or liabilities typically arise from contractual arrangements in connection with the transaction, including terms that are above or below market compared to an estimated market agreement at the acquisition date. Acquisition-date fair values of assets and assumed liabilities are determined based on replacement costs, appraised values, and estimated fair values using methods similar to those used by independent appraisers and that use appropriate discount and/or capitalization rates and available market information.

Acquisition costs are expensed as incurred.

Hotel renovations and replacements of assets that improve or extend the life of the asset are recorded at cost and depreciated over their estimated useful lives. Furniture, fixtures and equipment under capital leases are recorded at the present value of the minimum lease payments. Repair and maintenance costs are expensed as incurred.

Hotel properties are recorded at cost and depreciated using the straight-line method over an estimated useful life of 10 to 40 years for buildings, land improvements, and building improvements and 1 to 10 years for furniture, fixtures and equipment. Leasehold improvements are amortized over the shorter of the lease term or the useful lives of the related assets. Intangible assets arising from contractual arrangements are typically amortized over the life of the contract. The Company is required to make subjective assessments as to the useful lives and classification of properties for purposes of determining the amount of depreciation expense to reflect each year with respect to the assets. These assessments may impact the Company’s results of operations.

The Company reviews its investments in hotel properties for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying value of the hotel properties may not be recoverable. Events or circumstances that may cause a review include, but are not limited to, when a hotel property experiences a current or projected loss from operations, when it becomes more likely than not that a hotel property will be sold before the end of its useful life, adverse changes in the demand for lodging at the properties due to declining national or local economic conditions and/or new hotel construction in markets where the hotels are located. When such conditions exist, the Company performs an analysis to determine if the estimated undiscounted future cash flows from operations and the proceeds from the ultimate disposition of a hotel exceed its carrying value. If the estimated undiscounted future cash flows are less than the carrying value of the asset, an adjustment to reduce the carrying value to the related hotel’s estimated fair market value is recorded and an impairment loss recognized. In the evaluation of impairment of its hotel properties, the Company makes many assumptions and estimates including projected cash flows both from operations and eventual disposition, expected useful life and holding period, future required capital expenditures, and fair values, including consideration of capitalization rates, discount rates, and comparable selling prices. The Company will adjust its assumptions with respect to the remaining useful life of the hotel property when circumstances change or it is more likely than not that the hotel property will be sold prior to its previously expected useful life.

The Company will classify a hotel as held for sale when a binding agreement to sell the property has been signed under which the buyer has committed a significant amount of nonrefundable cash, no significant financing contingencies exist, and the sale is expected to close within one year. If these criteria are met and if the fair value less costs to sell is lower than the carrying value of the hotel, the Company will record an impairment loss and will cease recording depreciation expense. The Company will generally classify the loss, together with the related operating results, as continuing operations on the statements of operations and classify the assets and related liabilities as held for sale on the balance sheet. See "Recent Accounting Standards" below.

Investment in Joint Venture

The Company reviews its investment in joint venture for impairment annually or at interim periods if events or circumstances indicate that the investment may be impaired. The investment is impaired when its estimated fair value is less than the carrying amount of the investment and that impairment is other than temporary.

Intangible Assets and Liabilities

Intangible assets or liabilities are recorded on non-market contracts assumed as part of the acquisition of certain hotels. The Company reviews the terms of agreements assumed in conjunction with the purchase of a hotel to determine if the terms are over or under market compared to an estimated market agreement at the acquisition date. Under market lease assets or over market contract liabilities are recorded at the acquisition date and amortized using the straight-line method over the term of the agreement. The Company does not amortize intangible assets with indefinite useful lives, but review these assets for impairment annually or at interim periods if events or circumstances indicate that the asset may be impaired.

Cash and Cash Equivalents

Cash and cash equivalents consist of cash on hand, demand deposits with financial institutions and short-term liquid investments with an original maturity of three months or less. The Company maintains cash and cash equivalents balances in excess of insured limits with various financial institutions. This may subject the Company to significant concentrations of credit risk. The Company performs periodic evaluations of the credit quality of these financial institutions.

Restricted Cash

Restricted cash primarily consists of reserves for replacement of furniture and fixtures and cash held in escrow pursuant to lender requirements to pay for real estate taxes or property insurance.

Prepaid Expenses and Other Assets

The Company's prepaid expenses and other assets consist of prepaid real estate taxes, prepaid insurance, deposits on hotel acquisitions, inventories, over or under market leases, and corporate office equipment and furniture.

Deferred Financing Costs

Financing costs are recorded at cost and consist of loan fees and other costs incurred in connection with obtaining debt. Amortization of deferred financing costs is computed using a method, which approximates the effective interest method over the remaining life of the debt, and is included in interest expense in the accompanying consolidated statements of operations.

Derivative Instruments

In the normal course of business, the Company is exposed to the effects of interest rate changes. The Company may enter into derivative instruments including interest rate swaps, caps and collars to manage or hedge interest rate risk. Derivative instruments are recorded at fair value on the balance sheet date. Unrealized gains and losses on the effective portion of hedging instruments are reported in other comprehensive income (loss) and are subsequently reclassified into earnings in the period that the hedged forecasted transaction affects earnings. Ineffective portions of changes in the fair value of a cash flow hedge are recognized as increases or decreases to interest expense.

Revenue Recognition

Revenue consists of amounts derived from hotel operations, including the sales of rooms, food and beverage, and other ancillary amenities. Revenue is recognized when rooms are occupied and services have been rendered. For retail operations, revenue is recognized on a straight-line basis over the lives of the retail leases. The Company collects sales, use, occupancy and similar taxes at its hotels which are presented on a net basis on the statement of operations. Accounts receivable primarily represents receivables from hotel guests who occupy hotel rooms and utilize hotel services. The Company maintains an allowance for doubtful accounts sufficient to cover potential credit losses.

Income Taxes

To qualify as a REIT for federal income tax purposes, the Company must meet a number of organizational and operational requirements, including a requirement that it currently distribute at least 90 percent of its adjusted taxable income to its shareholders. As a REIT, the Company generally is not subject to federal corporate income tax on that portion of its taxable income that is currently distributed to shareholders. The Company is subject to certain state and local taxes on its income and property, and to federal income and excise taxes on its undistributed taxable income. In addition, PHL, which leases the Company’s hotels from the Operating Partnership, is subject to federal and state income taxes. The Company accounts for income taxes using the asset and liability method under which deferred tax assets and liabilities are recognized for the future tax consequences attributable to differences between the financial statement carrying amounts of existing assets and liabilities and their respective tax bases. Valuation allowances are provided if, based upon the weight of the available evidence, it is more likely than not that some or all of the deferred tax assets will not be realized.

Share-based Compensation

The Company has adopted an equity incentive plan that provides for the grant of common share options, share awards, share appreciation rights, performance units and other equity-based awards. Equity-based compensation is measured at the fair value of the award on the date of grant and recognized as an expense on a straight-line basis over the vesting period. Share-based compensation awards that contain a performance condition are reviewed at least quarterly to assess the achievement of the performance condition. Compensation expense will be adjusted when a change in the assessment of achievement of the specific performance condition level is determined to be probable. The determination of fair value of these awards is subjective and involves significant estimates and assumptions including expected volatility of the Company's shares, expected dividend yield, expected term and assumptions of whether these awards will achieve parity with other operating partnership units or achieve performance thresholds.

Earnings Per Share

Basic earnings per share (“EPS”) is computed by dividing the net income (loss) attributable to common shareholders by the weighted-average number of common shares outstanding for the period. Diluted EPS is computed by dividing net income (loss) attributable to common shareholders as adjusted for dilutive securities, by the weighted-average number of common shares outstanding plus dilutive securities. Any anti-dilutive securities are excluded from the diluted per-share calculation.

Comprehensive Income

The purpose of reporting comprehensive income is to report a measure of all changes in equity of an entity that result from recognized transactions and other economic events of the period other than transactions with owners in their capacity as owners. Comprehensive income consists of all components of income, including other comprehensive income, which is excluded from net income. For the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012, comprehensive income (loss) was $72.1 million, $44.6 million and $26.2 million, respectively. As of December 31, 2014 and 2013, the Company's accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) was $(0.3) million and $1.1 million, respectively.

Recent Accounting Standards

On April 10, 2014, the FASB issued ASU 2014-08 Reporting Discontinued Operations and Disclosures of Disposals of Components of an Entity, which changes the criteria for determining which disposals are presented as discontinued operations and modifies related disclosure requirements. This standard is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2014 and for interim periods within those fiscal years with early adoption permitted. The Company has early adopted this standard effective January 1, 2014. Under this ASU, the Company anticipates that the majority of property sales will not be classified as discontinued operations.

On May 28, 2014, the FASB issued ASU No. 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers, which requires an entity to recognize the amount of revenue to which it expects to be entitled for the transfer of promised goods or services to customers. The ASU will replace most existing revenue recognition guidance in U.S. GAAP when it becomes effective. The new standard will be effective for the Company on January 1, 2017. Early adoption is not permitted. The standard permits the use of either the retrospective or cumulative effect transition method. The Company is evaluating the effect that ASU 2014-09 will have on its consolidated financial statements and related disclosures. The Company has not yet selected a transition method nor has it determined the effect of the standard on its financial statements.

In August 2014, the FASB issued ASU No. 2014-15, Disclosure of Uncertainties about an Entity’s Ability to Continue as a Going Concern, which requires management to perform interim and annual assessments of an entity’s ability to continue as a going concern within one year of the date the financial statements are issued and provides guidance on determining when and how to disclose going concern uncertainties in the financial statements. Certain disclosures will be required if conditions give rise to substantial doubt about an entity’s ability to continue as a going concern. This guidance will be effective for the Company on January 1, 2017 and will not have an impact on the Company’s financial position, results of operations or cash flows.