COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES	9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2017
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]
COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES	COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES Restricted Cash The Company maintains reserve funds for property taxes, insurance, capital expenditures and replacement or refurbishment of furniture, fixtures and equipment at some of our hotel properties in accordance with management, franchise or mortgage loan agreements. These agreements generally require us to reserve cash ranging from 3% to 5% of the revenues of the individual hotel in restricted cash escrow accounts. Any unused restricted cash balances revert to us upon the termination of the underlying agreement or may be released to us from the restricted cash escrow accounts upon proof of expenditures and approval from the lender or other party requiring the restricted cash reserves. At September 30, 2017 and December 31, 2016, approximately $28.9 million and $24.9 million, respectively, was available in restricted cash reserve funds for property taxes, insurance, capital expenditures and replacement or refurbishment of furniture, fixtures and equipment at our hotel properties. Ground Leases We lease land for one hotel property in Duluth, GA under the terms of an operating ground lease agreement expiring April 1, 2069. We have two prepaid land leases for two hotel properties in Portland, OR which expire in June of 2084 and had remaining prepaid balances of approximately $3.2 million and $3.3 million at September 30, 2017 and December 31, 2016, respectively. We have one option to extend these leases for an additional 14 years. We lease land for one hotel property in Houston (Galleria Area), TX under the terms of an operating ground lease agreement with an initial termination date of April 20, 2053 and one option to extend for an additional 10 years. We lease land for one hotel property in Austin, TX with an initial lease termination date of May 31, 2050. We lease land for one hotel property in Baltimore (Hunt Valley), MD with a lease termination date of December 31, 2019 and twelve remaining options to extend for five additional years per extension. Total rent expense for ground leases for the three months ended September 30, 2017 and 2016 was $0.4 million and $0.4 million, respectively. Total rent expense for ground leases for the nine months ended September 30, 2017 and 2016 was $1.3 million and $1.2 million, respectively. In addition, we lease land for one hotel property in Garden City, NY under a PILOT (payment in lieu of taxes) lease. We pay a reduced amount of property tax each year of the lease as rent. The lease expires on December 31, 2019. Upon expiration of the lease, we expect to exercise our right to acquire a fee simple interest in the hotel for nominal consideration. Franchise Agreements All of our hotel properties operate under franchise agreements with major hotel franchisors. The terms of our franchise agreements generally range from 10 to 20 years with various extension provisions. Each franchisor receives franchise fees ranging from 2% to 6% of each hotel property’s gross revenue, and some agreements require that we pay marketing fees of up to 4% of gross revenue. In addition, some of these franchise agreements require that we deposit a percentage of the hotel property’s gross revenue, generally not more than 5%, into a reserve fund for capital expenditures. We also pay fees to our franchisors for services such as reservation and information systems. During the three months ended September 30, 2017 and 2016, we expensed fees related to our franchise agreements of $11.4 million and $9.3 million, respectively. During the nine months ended September 30, 2017 and 2016, we expensed fees related to our franchise agreements of $30.8 million and $28.3 million, respectively. Management Agreements Our hotel properties operate pursuant to management agreements with various professional third-party management companies. The terms of our management agreements range from three to 25 years with various extension provisions. Each management company receives a base management fee, generally a percentage of total hotel property revenues. In some cases there are also monthly fees for certain services, such as accounting, based on the number of guestrooms. Generally there are also incentive fees based on attaining certain financial thresholds. Management fee expenses for the three months ended September 30, 2017 and 2016 were $4.2 million and $4.2 million, respectively. Management fee expenses for the nine months ended September 30, 2017 and 2016 were $14.0 million and $14.9 million, respectively. Litigation We are involved from time to time in litigation arising in the ordinary course of business. We are currently involved in litigation related to the settlement of a contractual obligation related to the purchase of a hotel property in 2012. We have accrued the amount of our expected liability to settle the contractual obligation at September 30, 2017. We are not currently aware of any actions against us that we believe would have a material effect on our financial condition or results of operations.

COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES

Restricted Cash

The Company maintains reserve funds for property taxes, insurance, capital expenditures and replacement or refurbishment of furniture, fixtures and equipment at some of our hotel properties in accordance with management, franchise or mortgage loan agreements. These agreements generally require us to reserve cash ranging from 3% to 5% of the revenues of the individual hotel in restricted cash escrow accounts. Any unused restricted cash balances revert to us upon the termination of the underlying agreement or may be released to us from the restricted cash escrow accounts upon proof of expenditures and approval from the lender or other party requiring the restricted cash reserves. At September 30, 2017 and December 31, 2016, approximately $28.9 million and $24.9 million, respectively, was available in restricted cash reserve funds for property taxes, insurance, capital expenditures and replacement or refurbishment of furniture, fixtures and equipment at our hotel properties.

Ground Leases

We lease land for one hotel property in Duluth, GA under the terms of an operating ground lease agreement expiring April 1, 2069. We have two prepaid land leases for two hotel properties in Portland, OR which expire in June of 2084 and had remaining prepaid balances of approximately $3.2 million and $3.3 million at September 30, 2017 and December 31, 2016, respectively. We have one option to extend these leases for an additional 14 years. We lease land for one hotel property in Houston (Galleria Area), TX under the terms of an operating ground lease agreement with an initial termination date of April 20, 2053 and one option to extend for an additional 10 years. We lease land for one hotel property in Austin, TX with an initial lease termination date of May 31, 2050. We lease land for one hotel property in Baltimore (Hunt Valley), MD with a lease termination date of December 31, 2019 and twelve remaining options to extend for five additional years per extension. Total rent expense for ground leases for the three months ended September 30, 2017 and 2016 was $0.4 million and $0.4 million, respectively. Total rent expense for ground leases for the nine months ended September 30, 2017 and 2016 was $1.3 million and $1.2 million, respectively.

In addition, we lease land for one hotel property in Garden City, NY under a PILOT (payment in lieu of taxes) lease. We pay a reduced amount of property tax each year of the lease as rent. The lease expires on December 31, 2019. Upon expiration of the lease, we expect to exercise our right to acquire a fee simple interest in the hotel for nominal consideration.

Franchise Agreements

All of our hotel properties operate under franchise agreements with major hotel franchisors. The terms of our franchise agreements generally range from 10 to 20 years with various extension provisions. Each franchisor receives franchise fees ranging from 2% to 6% of each hotel property’s gross revenue, and some agreements require that we pay marketing fees of up to 4% of gross revenue. In addition, some of these franchise agreements require that we deposit a percentage of the hotel property’s gross revenue, generally not more than 5%, into a reserve fund for capital expenditures. We also pay fees to our franchisors for services such as reservation and information systems. During the three months ended September 30, 2017 and 2016, we expensed fees related to our franchise agreements of $11.4 million and $9.3 million, respectively. During the nine months ended September 30, 2017 and 2016, we expensed fees related to our franchise agreements of $30.8 million and $28.3 million, respectively.

Management Agreements

Our hotel properties operate pursuant to management agreements with various professional third-party management companies. The terms of our management agreements range from three to 25 years with various extension provisions. Each management company receives a base management fee, generally a percentage of total hotel property revenues. In some cases there are also monthly fees for certain services, such as accounting, based on the number of guestrooms. Generally there are also incentive fees based on attaining certain financial thresholds. Management fee expenses for the three months ended September 30, 2017 and 2016 were $4.2 million and $4.2 million, respectively. Management fee expenses for the nine months ended September 30, 2017 and 2016 were $14.0 million and $14.9 million, respectively.

Litigation

We are involved from time to time in litigation arising in the ordinary course of business. We are currently involved in litigation related to the settlement of a contractual obligation related to the purchase of a hotel property in 2012. We have accrued the amount of our expected liability to settle the contractual obligation at September 30, 2017. We are not currently aware of any actions against us that we believe would have a material effect on our financial condition or results of operations.