As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on June 13, 2025
Registration No. 333-
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549
FORM S-8
REGISTRATION STATEMENT
UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933
SERVICE PROPERTIES TRUST
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
| Maryland (State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization) |
04-3262075 (I.R.S. Employer Identification Number) |
| Two Newton Place 255 Washington Street, Suite 300 Newton, Massachusetts (Address of Principal Executive Offices) |
02458-1634 (Zip Code) |
Service Properties Trust
Second Amended and Restated 2012 Equity Compensation Plan
(Full title of the plan)
Brian E. Donley
Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer
Service Properties Trust
Two Newton Place
255 Washington Street, Suite 300
Newton, Massachusetts 02458-1634
(Name and address of agent for service)
(617) 964-8389
(Telephone number, including area code, of agent for service)
Copy to:
Howard E. Berkenblit
Shu Wei
Sullivan & Worcester LLP
One Post Office Square
Boston, Massachusetts 02109
(617) 338-2800
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting company, or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.
| Large accelerated filer x | Accelerated filer ¨ |
| Non-accelerated filer ¨ | Smaller reporting company ¨ |
| Emerging growth company ¨ |
If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 7(a)(2)(B) of the Securities Act. ¨
EXPLANATORY NOTE
This Registration Statement on Form S-8, or this Registration Statement, is being filed by Service Properties Trust, a Maryland real estate investment trust, or the Registrant, relating to 3,100,000 common shares of beneficial interest, $.01 par value per share, or Common Shares, issuable under the Service Properties Trust Second Amended and Restated 2012 Equity Compensation Plan, or the Plan. At the 2025 Annual Meeting of Shareholders of the Registrant held on June 13, 2025, the Registrant’s shareholders approved the Plan to increase by 3,100,000 the total number of Common Shares available for award under the Plan to 6,100,000 Common Shares.
This Registration Statement is filed pursuant to General Instruction E to Form S-8. Accordingly, this Registration Statement hereby incorporates by reference the contents of the registration statement on Form S-8 filed by the Registrant on September 11, 2013 (File No. 333-191096), or the Prior Registration Statement, with respect to the Plan, except as supplemented by the information set forth below.
This Registration Statement relates solely to the registration of additional securities of the same class as are registered on the Prior Registration Statement.
PART I
INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE SECTION 10(a) PROSPECTUS
Information required by Part I to be contained in the Section 10(a) prospectus is omitted from this Registration Statement in accordance with Rule 428(b)(1) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Securities Act, and the introductory note to Part I of Form S-8. The documents containing the information specified in Part I have been or will be delivered to the participants in the Plan as required by Rule 428(b). Pursuant to General Instruction E to Form S-8, the Registrant hereby incorporates by reference the contents of the Prior Registration Statement, except as supplemented by the information set forth below.
PART II
INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT
| Item 3. | Incorporation of Documents by Reference. |
The Registrant hereby incorporates by reference into this Registration Statement the following documents filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, or the SEC:
| (a) | the Registrant’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2024; |
| (b) | the Registrant’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2025; |
| (c) | the Registrant’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on March 10, 2025; and |
| (d) | the description of the Registration’s Common Shares contained in its registration statement on Form 8-A dated June 30, 2016, as updated by the description of the Registrant’s Common Shares filed as Exhibit 4.20 to its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2024, including any further amendments or reports filed for the purpose of updating that description. |
All documents subsequently filed by the Registrant pursuant to Sections 13(a), 13(c), 14 and 15(d) of the Exchange Act (other than Current Reports on Form 8-K furnished pursuant to Item 2.02 or Item 7.01 of Form 8-K, including any exhibits included with such information that are related to such items) after the date of this Registration Statement but prior to the filing of a post-effective amendment which indicates that all securities offered hereby have been sold or which deregisters all securities then remaining unsold, shall be deemed to be incorporated by reference in this Registration Statement and to be a part hereof from the date of filing of such documents.
Any statement contained in a document incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference herein shall be deemed to be modified or superseded for purposes of this Registration Statement to the extent that a statement contained herein or in any other subsequently filed document which also is or is deemed to be incorporated by reference herein modifies or supersedes such statement. Any statement so modified or superseded shall not be deemed, except as so modified or superseded, to constitute a part of this Registration Statement.
| Item 6. | Indemnification of Directors and Officers. |
The laws related to Maryland real estate investment trusts, or the Maryland REIT Law, permit a real estate investment trust, or REIT, formed under Maryland law to include in its declaration of trust a provision limiting the liability of its trustees and officers to the REIT and its shareholders for money damages except for liability resulting from (a) actual receipt of an improper benefit or profit in money, property or services or (b) active and deliberate dishonesty by the trustee or officer that was established by a final judgment as being material to the cause of action adjudicated. The Registrant’s declaration of trust contains a provision that eliminates the liability of its trustees and officers to the maximum extent permitted by the Maryland REIT Law.
The Maryland REIT Law also permits a Maryland REIT to indemnify and advance expenses to its trustees, officers, employees and agents to the same extent permitted by the Maryland General Corporation Law, or the MGCL, for directors and officers of Maryland corporations. The MGCL permits a corporation to indemnify its present and former directors and officers, among others, against judgments, penalties, fines, settlements and reasonable expenses actually incurred by them in connection with any proceeding to which they may be made, or are threatened to be made, a party by reason of their service in those capacities. However, a Maryland corporation is not permitted to provide this type of indemnification if the following is established:
| · | the act or omission of the director or officer was material to the matter giving rise to the proceeding and (a) was committed in bad faith or (b) was the result of active and deliberate dishonesty; |
| · | the director or officer actually received an improper personal benefit in money, property or services; or |
| · | in the case of any criminal proceeding, the director or officer had reasonable cause to believe that the act or omission was unlawful. |
Under Maryland law, a Maryland corporation may not indemnify a director or officer in a suit by the corporation or in its right in which the director or officer was adjudged liable to the corporation or in a suit in which the director or officer was adjudged liable on the basis that a personal benefit was improperly received. A court may order indemnification if it determines that the director or officer is fairly and reasonably entitled to indemnification, even though the director or officer did not meet the prescribed standard of conduct or was adjudged liable on the basis that personal benefit was improperly received. However, indemnification for an adverse judgment in a suit by the corporation or in its right, or for a judgment of liability on the basis that a personal benefit was improperly received, is limited to expenses. The MGCL permits a corporation to advance reasonable expenses to a director or officer upon the corporation’s receipt of the following:
| · | a written affirmation by the director or officer of his or her good faith belief that he or she has met the standard of conduct necessary for indemnification by the corporation; and |
| · | a written undertaking by him or her, or on his or her behalf, to repay the amount paid or reimbursed by the corporation if it is ultimately determined that this standard of conduct was not met. |
The Registrant’s declaration of trust requires the Registrant, to the maximum extent permitted by Maryland law in effect from time to time, to indemnify its trustees and officers, whether serving the Registrant or, at its request, any other entity, or other employees and agents to such extent as shall be authorized by the Registrant’s trustees or bylaws. The Registrant’s declaration of trust also requires the Registrant to advance expenses to its trustees and officers under the procedures therein and to the fullest extent permitted by law.
The Registrant has also entered into indemnification agreements with its trustees and officers providing for procedures for indemnification by the Registrant to the maximum extent permitted by Maryland law and advancements by the Registrant of certain expenses and costs relating to claims, suits or proceedings arising from their service to the Registrant. The Registrant also maintains directors’ and officers’ liability insurance for its trustees and officers.
The SEC has expressed the opinion that indemnification of trustees, officers or persons otherwise controlling a company for liabilities arising under the Securities Act is against public policy and is therefore unenforceable.
| Item 8. | exhibits. |
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, the Registrant certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all of the requirements for filing on Form S-8 and has duly caused this Registration Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in the City of Newton, Commonwealth of Massachusetts, on June 13, 2025.
| SERVICE PROPERTIES TRUST | ||
| By: | /s/ Christopher J. Bilotto | |
| Christopher J. Bilotto | ||
| President and Chief Executive Officer | ||
KNOW ALL PERSONS BY THESE PRESENTS, that each person whose signature appears below hereby constitutes and appoints Christopher J. Bilotto and Brian E. Donley, and each of them, his, her or their true and lawful attorneys in fact and agents, with full power of substitution and resubstitution, for him, her or them and in his, her or their name, place and stead, in any and all capacities, to sign any and all amendments, including post- effective amendments, to this Registration Statement, and to file the same, with exhibits thereto and other documents in connection therewith, with the Securities and Exchange Commission, granting unto said attorneys-in-fact and agents, and each of them, full power and authority to do and perform each and every act and thing requisite and necessary to be done, as fully to all intents and purposes as he, she or they might or could do in person, hereby ratifying and conforming all that said attorneys in fact and agents, and each of them, or their respective substitutes, and each of them, may lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this Registration Statement has been signed by the following persons in the capacities and on the date indicated.
| Signature | Title | Date | ||
| /s/ Christopher J. Bilotto | Managing Trustee; President and Chief Executive Officer | June 13, 2025 | ||
| Christopher J. Bilotto | (principal executive officer) | |||
| /s/ Brian E. Donley | Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer | June 13, 2025 | ||
| Brian E. Donley | (principal financial officer and principal accounting officer) | |||
| /s/ Laurie B. Burns | Independent Trustee | June 13, 2025 | ||
| Laurie B. Burns | ||||
| /s/ Robert E. Cramer | Independent Trustee | June 13, 2025 | ||
| Robert E. Cramer | ||||
| /s/ Donna D. Fraiche | Independent Trustee | June 13, 2025 | ||
| Donna D. Fraiche | ||||
| /s/ William A. Lamkin | Independent Trustee | June 13, 2025 | ||
| William A. Lamkin | ||||
| /s/ Rajan C. Penkar | Independent Trustee | June 13, 2025 | ||
| Rajan C. Penkar | ||||
| /s/ Adam D. Portnoy | Managing Trustee | June 13, 2025 | ||
| Adam D. Portnoy |
Exhibit 5.1
![]() | 750 E. PRATT STREET SUITE 900 BALTIMORE, MD 21202 T 410.244.7400 F 410.244.7742 www.Venable.com |
|
June 13, 2025
Service Properties Trust
Two Newton Place
255 Washington Street, Suite 300
Newton, Massachusetts 02458-1634
Re: Registration Statement on Form S-8
Ladies and Gentlemen:
We have served as Maryland counsel to Service Properties Trust, a Maryland real estate investment trust (the “Company”), in connection with certain matters of Maryland law arising out of the registration of 3,100,000 common shares (the “Shares”) of beneficial interest, $.01 par value per share (the “Common Shares”), of the Company that the Company may issue pursuant to the Service Properties Trust Second Amended and Restated 2012 Equity Compensation Plan (the “Plan”), covered by the above-referenced Registration Statement, and all amendments thereto (the “Registration Statement”), to be filed by the Company with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “1933 Act”), on or about the date hereof.
In connection with our representation of the Company, and as a basis for the opinion hereinafter set forth, we have examined originals, or copies certified or otherwise identified to our satisfaction, of the following documents (hereinafter collectively referred to as the “Documents”):
1. The Registration Statement;
2. The Declaration of Trust of the Company (the “Declaration of Trust”), certified by the State Department of Assessments and Taxation of Maryland (the “SDAT”);
3. The Third Amended and Restated Bylaws of the Company, certified as of the date hereof by an officer of the Company;
4. A certificate of the SDAT as to the good standing of the Company, dated as of a recent date;
5. The Plan, certified as of the date hereof by an officer of the Company;
6. Resolutions (the “Resolutions”) adopted by the Board of Trustees of the Company relating to the approval of the Plan and the issuance of the Shares, certified as of the date hereof by an officer of the Company;

Service Properties Trust
June 13, 2025
Page 2
7. A certificate executed by an officer of the Company, dated as of the date hereof; and
8. Such other documents and matters as we have deemed necessary or appropriate to express the opinion set forth below, subject to the assumptions, limitations and qualifications stated herein.
In expressing the opinion set forth below, we have assumed the following:
1. Each individual executing any of the Documents, whether on behalf of such individual or another person, is legally competent to do so.
2. Each individual executing any of the Documents on behalf of a party (other than the Company) is duly authorized to do so.
3. Each of the parties (other than the Company) executing any of the Documents has duly and validly executed and delivered each of the Documents to which such party is a signatory, and such party’s obligations set forth therein are legal, valid and binding and are enforceable in accordance with all stated terms.
4. All Documents submitted to us as originals are authentic. The form and content of all Documents submitted to us as unexecuted drafts do not differ in any respect relevant to this opinion from the form and content of such Documents as executed and delivered. All Documents submitted to us as certified or photostatic copies conform to the original documents. All signatures on all Documents are genuine. All public records reviewed or relied upon by us or on our behalf are true and complete. All representations, warranties, statements and information contained in the Documents are true and complete. There has been no oral or written modification of or amendment to any of the Documents, and there has been no waiver of any provision of any of the Documents, by action or omission of the parties or otherwise.
5. None of the Shares will be issued or transferred in violation of any restriction or limitation contained in the Declaration of Trust or the Plan. Upon the issuance of any Shares, the total number of Common Shares issued and outstanding will not exceed the total number of Common Shares that the Company is then authorized to issue under the Declaration of Trust.

Service Properties Trust
June 13, 2025
Page 3
Based upon the foregoing, and subject to the assumptions, limitations and qualifications stated herein, it is our opinion that:
1. The Company is a real estate investment trust duly formed and existing under and by virtue of the laws of the State of Maryland and is in good standing with the SDAT.
2. The issuance of the Shares has been duly authorized and, when issued and delivered by the Company pursuant to the Resolutions and the Plan and otherwise in accordance with the Registration Statement, the Shares will be validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable.
The foregoing opinion is limited to the laws of the State of Maryland and we do not express any opinion herein concerning any federal law or the laws of any other jurisdiction. We express no opinion as to the applicability or effect of federal or state securities laws, including the securities laws of the State of Maryland, or as to federal or state laws regarding fraudulent transfers. To the extent that any matter as to which our opinion is expressed herein would be governed by the laws of any jurisdiction other than the State of Maryland, we do not express any opinion on such matter. The opinion expressed herein is subject to the effect of any judicial decision which may permit the introduction of parol evidence to modify the terms or the interpretation of agreements.
The opinion expressed herein is limited to the matters specifically set forth herein and no other opinion shall be inferred beyond the matters expressly stated. We assume no obligation to supplement this opinion if any applicable law changes after the date hereof or if we become aware of any fact that might change the opinion expressed herein after the date hereof.
This opinion is being furnished to you solely for submission to the Commission as an exhibit to the Registration Statement. We hereby consent to the filing of this opinion as an exhibit to the Registration Statement and to the use of the name of our firm therein. In giving this consent, we do not admit that we are within the category of persons whose consent is required by Section 7 of the 1933 Act.
| Very truly yours, | ||
| /s/ Venable LLP |
Exhibit 23.1
CONSENT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM
We consent to the incorporation by reference in this Registration Statement on Form S-8 of our reports dated February 26, 2025, relating to the financial statements of Service Properties Trust and the effectiveness of Service Properties Trust’s internal control over financial reporting, appearing in the Annual Report on Form 10-K of Service Properties Trust for the year ended December 31, 2024.
/s/ Deloitte & Touche LLP
Boston, Massachusetts
June 13, 2025
|
Calculation of Filing Fee Tables |
|||
|
|
|||
|
|
|||
|
Table 1: Newly Registered Securities |
|---|
|
Security Type |
Security Class Title |
Fee Calculation Rule |
Amount Registered |
Proposed Maximum Offering Price Per Unit |
Maximum Aggregate Offering Price |
Fee Rate |
Amount of Registration Fee |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
|
|
|
|
$
|
$
|
|
$
|
|
Total Offering Amounts: |
$
|
$
|
||||||
|
Total Fee Offsets: |
$
|
|||||||
|
Net Fee Due: |
$
|
|||||||
|
Offering Note |
|
1 |
|
||||||
|
|
|||||||
Submission |
Jun. 12, 2025 |
|---|---|
| Submission [Line Items] | |
| Central Index Key | 0000945394 |
| Registrant Name | Service Properties Trust |
| Form Type | S-8 |
| Submission Type | S-8 |
| Fee Exhibit Type | EX-FILING FEES |
Offerings - Offering: 1 |
Jun. 12, 2025
USD ($)
shares
|
|---|---|
| Offering: | |
| Fee Previously Paid | false |
| Rule 457(a) | true |
| Security Type | Equity |
| Security Class Title | Common shares of beneficial interest, par value $.01 per share |
| Amount Registered | shares | 3,100,000 |
| Proposed Maximum Offering Price per Unit | 2.44 |
| Maximum Aggregate Offering Price | $ 7,564,000.00 |
| Fee Rate | 0.01531% |
| Amount of Registration Fee | $ 1,158.05 |
| Offering Note | (a) Pursuant to Rule 416 under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Securities Act, this registration statement on Form S-8 also covers an indeterminate number of additional common shares of beneficial interest of Service Properties Trust, or the Registrant, that may become issuable under the Service Properties Trust Second Amended and Restated 2012 Equity Compensation Plan, or the Plan, by any reason of any stock dividend, stock split, recapitalization or other similar transaction. (b) Represents an additional 3,100,000 common shares of beneficial interest of the Registrant issuable under the Plan. The Registrant previously filed a registration statement on Form S-8 (No. 333-191096) with respect to common shares of beneficial interest issuable under the Plan. (c) Estimated solely for the purpose of calculating the registration fee pursuant to Rules 457(c) and (h) under the Securities Act, on the basis of the average of the high and low prices per share of the common shares of beneficial interest as reported on The Nasdaq Stock Market LLC on June 10, 2025. (d) Estimated solely for the purpose of calculating the registration fee pursuant to Rule 457(o) under the Securities Act. Calculated in accordance with Section 6 of the Securities Act and Rule 457 under the Securities Act by multiplying 0.00015310 and the proposed maximum aggregate offering price. |
Fees Summary |
Jun. 12, 2025
USD ($)
|
|---|---|
| Fees Summary [Line Items] | |
| Total Offering | $ 7,564,000.00 |
| Total Fee Amount | 1,158.05 |
| Total Offset Amount | 0.00 |
| Net Fee | $ 1,158.05 |
3V;
M82'".'!-R,>A&/]]=/+IY'S8Y 6IE-VW54M,_F::Y)