Business
RLJ Lodging Trust Reports First Quarter 2025 Results
BETHESDA, Md., May 05, 2025--RLJ Lodging Trust (the "Company") (NYSE: RLJ) today reported results for the three months ended March 31, 2025.
About this update from Rlj Lodging Trust
Q1 RevPAR increased 1.6% Addressed all 2025 debt maturities Repurchased 2.7 million shares for $24.3 million year-to-date BETHESDA, Md., May 05, 2025 --( BUSINESS WIRE )--RLJ Lodging Trust (the "Company") (NYSE: RLJ) today reported results for the three months ended March 31, 2025. Highlights "We are pleased with our solid first quarter results which exceeded our expectations and were driven by our robust performance in urban markets and our strong momentum from conversions. Our ability to drive rate in this environment and control costs allowed us to exceed our EBITDA outlook. Additionally, we successfully recycled capital from disposition proceeds towards accretive share repurchases and further strengthened our balance sheet as we addressed all near-term debt maturities," commented Leslie D. Hale, President and Chief Executive Officer. "The heightened macroeconomic uncertainty has tempered our near-term view on fundamentals. Therefore, we are updating our outlook to reflect the current environment, which we assume will persist for the remainder of the year. Relative to this backdrop, we are well-positioned to navigate this choppy environment given our diversified urban-centric portfolio, our lean operating model and a favorable capital structure." The prefix "comparable" as defined by the Company, denotes operating results which include results for periods prior to its ownership and excludes sold hotels. Explanations of EBITDA, EBITDAre, Adjusted EBITDA, Hotel EBITDA, Hotel EBITDA Margin, FFO, and Adjusted FFO, as well as reconciliations of those measures to net income or loss, if applicable, are included within this release. Disposition During the first quarter of 2025, the Company sold the 181-room Courtyard Atlanta Buckhead for $24.3 million, reflecting a 18.0x multiple based on projected 2025 Hotel EBITDA. The Company recorded a gain on the sale of $1.3 million. Share Repurchases During the first quarter, the Company repurchased 2.3 million common shares for approximately $21.3 million at an average price of $9.28. Year-to-date, the Company has repurchased 2.7 million common shares for approximately $24.3 million at an average price of $8.91. In April, the Company's Board of Trustees approved the 2025 share repurchase program to acquire up to an aggregate of $250.0 million of common and preferred shares. Balance Sheet As of March 31, 2025, the Company had approximately $847.5 million of total liquidity, comprised of approximately $347.5 million of unrestricted cash and $500.0 million available under its revolving credit facility (the "Revolver"), and $2.2 billion of debt outstanding. In April 2025, the Company refinanced its $200.0 million term loan maturing in 2026, upsizing it to $300.0 million and extending the initial maturity to April 2030, inclusive of extension options. Borrowings under the amended term loan bear interest at a variable rate under the same pricing grid as the original loan. The Company utilized the incremental $100.0 million of proceeds to repay the outstanding balance on the Revolver. Additionally, the Company exercised the extension options on $181.0 million in mortgage loans to extend the maturities. Dividends The Company’s Board of Trustees declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.15 per common share of beneficial interest of the Company in the first quarter. The dividend was paid on April 15, 2025 to shareholders of record as of March 31, 2025. The Company's Board of Trustees declared a first quarter cash dividend of $0.4875 on the Company’s Series A Preferred Shares. The dividend was paid on April 30, 2025 to shareholders of record as of March 31, 2025. 2025 Outlook Update The Company is updating its full-year 2025 outlook to reflect first quarter results and the sale of the Courtyard Atlanta Buckhead and assumes that current operating trends continue through the balance of the year. Additionally, the Company's full year 2025 outlook includes: Earnings Call The Company will conduct its quarterly analyst and investor conference call on May 5, 2025 at 11:00 a.m. (Eastern Time). The conference call can be accessed by dialing (877) 407-3982 or (201) 493-6780 for international participants and requesting RLJ Lodging Trust’s first quarter earnings conference call. Additionally, a live webcast of the conference call will be available through the Company’s website at http://www.rljlodgingtrust.com . A replay of the conference call webcast will be archived and available through the Investor Relations section of the Company’s website for two weeks. Supplemental Information Please refer to the presentation of supplemental information for additional detail and comparable operating statistics, which will be available through the Investor Relations section of the Company's website. About Us RLJ Lodging Trust ("RLJ") is a self-advised, publicly traded real estate investment trust that owns 94 premium-branded, rooms-oriented, high-margin, urban-centric hotels located within the heart of demand locations. Our hotels are geographically diverse and concentrated in major urban markets that provide multiple demand generators from business, leisure, and other travelers. Forward-Looking Statements This information contains certain statements, other than purely historical information, including estimates, projections, statements relating to the Company’s business plans, objectives and expected operating results, and the assumptions upon which those statements are based, that are "forward looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. These forward-looking statements generally are identified by the use of the words "believe," "project," "expect," "anticipate," "estimate," "plan," "may," "will," "will continue," "intend," "should," "may," or similar expressions. Although the Company believes that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are based upon reasonable assumptions, beliefs and expectations, such forward-looking statements are not predictions of future events or guarantees of future performance and our actual results could differ materially from those set forth in the forward-looking statements. Except as required by law, the Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise publicly any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. The Company cautions investors not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements and urges investors to carefully review the disclosures the Company makes concerning risks and uncertainties in the sections entitled "Risk Factors," "Forward-Looking Statements," and "Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations" in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2024 and the Company's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2025, which will be filed on May 5, 2025, as well as risks, uncertainties and other factors discussed in other documents filed by the Company with the Securities and Exchange Commission. For additional information or to receive press releases via email, please visit our website: https://www.rljlodgingtrust.com RLJ Lodging Trust Non-GAAP and Accounting Commentary Non-Generally Accepted Accounting Principles ("Non-GAAP") Financial Measures The Company considers the following non-GAAP financial measures useful to investors as key supplemental measures of its performance: (1) FFO, (2) Adjusted FFO, (3) EBITDA, (4) EBITDA re, (5) Adjusted EBITDA, (6) Hotel EBITDA, and (7) Hotel EBITDA Margin. These Non-GAAP financial measures should be considered along with, but not as alternatives to, net income or loss as a measure of its operating performance. FFO, Adjusted FFO, EBITDA, EBITDA re , Adjusted EBITDA, Hotel EBITDA, and Hotel EBITDA Margin, as calculated by the Company, may not be comparable to other companies that do not define such terms exactly as the Company defines such terms. Funds From Operations ("FFO") The Company calculates Funds from Operations ("FFO") in accordance with standards established by the National Association of Real Estate Investment Trusts, or NAREIT, which defines FFO as net income or loss (calculated in accordance with GAAP), excluding gains or losses from sales of real estate, impairment, the cumulative effect of changes in accounting principles, plus depreciation and amortization, and adjustments for unconsolidated partnerships and joint ventures. Historical cost accounting for real estate assets implicitly assumes that the value of real estate assets diminishes predictably over time. Since real estate values have instead historically risen or fallen with market conditions, most real estate industry investors consider FFO to be helpful in evaluating a real estate company’s operations. The Company believes that the presentation of FFO provides useful information to investors regarding the Company’s operating performance and can facilitate comparisons of operating performance between periods and between real estate investment trusts ("REITs"), even though FFO does not represent an amount that accrues directly to common shareholders. The Company’s calculation of FFO may not be comparable to measures calculated by other companies who do not use the NAREIT definition of FFO or do not calculate FFO per diluted share in accordance with NAREIT guidance. Additionally, FFO may not be helpful when comparing the Company to non-REITs. The Company presents FFO attributable to common shareholders, which includes unitholders of limited partnership interest ("OP units") in RLJ Lodging Trust, L.P., the Company’s operating partnership, because the OP units may be redeemed for common shares of the Company. The Company believes it is meaningful for the investor to understand FFO attributable to all common shares and OP units. EBITDA and EBITDA re Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation, and Amortization ("EBITDA") is defined as net income or loss excluding: (1) interest expense; (2) income tax expense; and (3) depreciation and amortization expense. The Company considers EBITDA useful to an investor in evaluating and facilitating comparisons of its operating performance between periods and between REITs by removing the impact of its capital structure (primarily interest expense) and asset base (primarily depreciation and amortization expense) from its operating results. In addition, EBITDA is used as one measure in determining the value of hotel acquisitions and dispositions. In addition to EBITDA, the Company presents EBITDA re in accordance with NAREIT guidelines, which defines EBITDA re as net income or loss (calculated in accordance with GAAP) excluding interest expense, income tax expense, depreciation and amortization expense, gains or losses from sales of real estate, impairment, and adjustments for unconsolidated joint ventures. The Company believes that the presentation of EBITDA re provides useful information to investors regarding the Company's operating performance and can facilitate comparisons of operating performance between periods and between REITs. Adjustments to FFO and EBITDA The Company adjusts FFO, EBITDA, and EBITDA re for certain items that the Company considers outside the normal course of operations. The Company believes that Adjusted FFO, Adjusted EBITDA, and Adjusted EBITDA re provide useful supplemental information to investors regarding its ongoing operating performance that, when considered with net income or loss, FFO, EBITDA, and EBITDA re , are beneficial to an investor’s understanding of the Company's operating performance. The Company adjusts FFO, EBITDA, and EBITDA re for the following items: Hotel EBITDA and Hotel EBITDA Margin With respect to Consolidated Hotel EBITDA, the Company believes that excluding the effect of corporate-level expenses and certain non-cash items provides a more complete understanding of the operating results over which individual hotels and operators have direct control. The Company believes property-level results provide investors with supplemental information about the ongoing operational performance of the Company’s hotels and the effectiveness of third-party management companies. Comparable Hotel EBITDA and Comparable Hotel EBITDA margin include prior ownership information provided by the sellers of the hotels for periods prior to our acquisition of the hotels and excludes results from sold hotels as applicable. Comparable adjustments: Acquired hotel For the three months ended March 31, 2025 and 2024, Comparable adjustments included the following acquired hotel: Comparable adjustments: Sold hotels For the three months ended March 31, 2025 and 2024, Comparable adjustments included the following sold hotels: View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250505245862/en/ Contacts Sean M. Mahoney, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer – (301) 280-7774