<PAGE>   1


                                                                 EXHIBIT 10.2(a)


RFS HOTEL INVESTORS, INC.
BASIC LEASE TERMS

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                           DATE OF     DATE OF    SUBJECT                 TIER 1       TIER 1       TIER 2       TIER 2  
   HOTEL CITY      STATE  INCEPTION  TERMINATION  TO CPI    BASE RENT  ROOM REVENUE  PERCENTAGE  ROOM REVENUE  PERCENTAGE
   ----------      -----  ---------  -----------  -------  ----------  ------------  ----------  ------------  ----------
<S>                <C>    <C>        <C>          <C>      <C>         <C>           <C>         <C>           <C>       
Ann Arbor            MI    10/15/94   10/15/2009     1     $  308,000   $1,150,000      24.00%    $        0      0.00%  
Arlington Heights    IL    06/07/94   06/07/2009     1        289,961    1,100,000      38.50%             0      0.00%  
Atlanta              GA    12/21/94   12/21/2009     1      1,194,200    3,200,000      36.50%             0      0.00%  
Atlanta              GA    10/02/95   10/02/2010     1        815,500    1,500,000      30.00%       500,000     50.00%  
Austin               TX    01/03/95   01/03/2010     1        367,500    1,300,000      36.50%             0      0.00%  
Bakersfield          CA    01/01/97   01/01/2012     1        675,768    1,513,792      23.50%     1,449,375     41.00%  
Birmingham           AL    10/01/97   10/01/2007     0              0            0       0.00%             0      0.00%  
Bloomington          MN    06/07/94   06/07/2009     1        515,793    1,500,000      27.50%             0      0.00%  
Bloomington          MN    06/07/94   06/07/2009     1        613,288    1,750,000      41.50%             0      0.00%  
Chandler             AZ    05/11/97   05/11/2012     1        369,514    1,580,000      47.20%       275,000     62.00%  
Charlotte            NC    11/15/94   11/15/2009     1        315,000    1,150,000      24.00%             0      0.00%  
Clayton              MO    08/13/93   08/13/2008     0        557,228    2,505,320      17.00%       250,000     30.00%  
Clemson              SC    04/19/94   04/19/2009     1        360,500    1,000,000      27.00%             0      0.00%  
Columbia             SC    08/13/93   08/13/2008     0        368,754    1,475,513      17.50%       250,000     30.00%  
Conyers              GA    09/23/93   09/23/2008     0        234,500    1,000,000      32.00%             0      0.00%  
Crystal Lake         IL    10/05/95   10/05/2010     1      1,016,000    2,400,000      30.00%       500,000     50.00%  
Denver               CO    06/07/94   06/07/2009     1        568,981    1,425,000      27.50%             0      0.00%  
Downers Grove        IL    06/07/94   06/07/2009     1        409,850    1,100,000      34.50%             0      0.00%  
Farmington Hills     MI    06/07/94   06/07/2009     1        303,594    1,050,000      36.00%             0      0.00%  
Fishkill             NY    07/29/94   07/29/2009     1        888,822    2,200,000      27.50%             0      0.00%  
Flint                MI    10/29/94   10/29/2009     1        933,100    2,750,000      40.00%       250,000     65.00%  
Flint                MI    12/19/96   12/19/2011     1        427,000    1,540,000      41.50%             0      0.00%  
Franklin             TN    08/13/93   08/13/2008     0        237,642    1,000,000      20.00%             0      0.00%  
Ft. Lauderdale       FL    04/19/94   04/19/2009     1        364,000    1,450,000      27.50%             0      0.00%  
Ft. Mill             SC    04/29/94   04/29/2009     1        518,000    1,250,000      32.00%             0      0.00%  
Ft. Worth            TX    10/01/94   10/01/2009     1        812,000    2,300,000      41.00%             0      0.00%  
Grand Rapids         MI    06/07/94   06/07/2009     1        227,080      950,000      29.50%             0      0.00%  
Hattiesburg          MS    04/20/95   04/20/2010     1        385,000    1,150,000      36.00%             0      0.00%  
Houston              TX    11/12/96   11/12/2011     1        420,052    1,335,000      35.00%             0      0.00%  
Indianapolis         IN    06/07/94   06/07/2009     1        556,693    1,400,000      40.50%             0      0.00%  
Jacksonville         FL    10/12/97   10/12/2007     1        575,658    1,934,250      34.60%             0      0.00%  
Kansas City          MO    02/02/94   02/02/2009     0        406,000    1,400,000      24.00%       250,000     45.00%  
Lafayette            LA    10/26/93   10/26/2008     0        700,000    2,750,000      24.00%       250,000     35.00%  
Lakewood             CO    03/16/95   03/16/2010     1        553,000    1,600,000      33.50%             0      0.00%  
Lansing              MI    06/07/94   06/07/2009     1        263,325      775,000      30.50%             0      0.00%  
Laredo               TX    07/05/95   07/05/2010     1        409,255      500,000      21.00%       800,000     37.00%  
Lincoln              NE    06/07/94   06/07/2009     1        342,202      950,000      30.50%             0      0.00%  
Louisville           KY    08/13/93   08/13/2008     0        409,727    1,537,499      23.00%       250,000     45.00%  
Marietta             GA    12/17/93   12/17/2008     0        472,500    1,400,000      27.50%             0      0.00%  
Memphis              TN    09/30/94   09/30/2009     1        516,250    1,250,000      33.00%             0      0.00%  
Milpitas             CA    01/01/97   01/01/2012     1      2,199,601    3,506,412      47.00%     3,357,203     54.30%  
Milpitas             CA    06/23/97   06/23/2007     1      2,395,750    4,000,000      53.10%     2,356,591     65.00%  
Minnetonka           MN    06/07/94   06/07/2009     1        348,052    1,100,000      38.50%             0      0.00%  
Oklahoma City        OK    06/07/94   06/07/2009     1        489,631    1,400,000      32.50%             0      0.00%  
Omaha                NE    06/07/94   06/07/2009     1        463,545    1,250,000      38.00%             0      0.00%  
Orlando              FL    10/19/95   10/19/2010     1        707,000    2,350,000      25.00%       500,000     50.00%  
Plano                TX    07/15/96   07/15/2011     1        490,000    1,100,000      33.00%       300,000     50.00%  
Pleasanton           CA    01/01/97   01/01/2012     1      1,585,783    2,407,568      48.10%     2,305,118     57.00%  
Sacramento           CA    01/12/96   01/12/2011     1      1,008,000    2,975,000      40.00%             0      0.00%  
San Diego            CA    05/30/96   05/30/2011     1      1,162,000    2,800,000      26.00%       515,000     45.00%  
Sedona               AZ    06/17/97   06/17/2007     1        398,397    1,155,000      43.60%       137,000     65.00%  
Sunnyvale            CA    01/01/97   01/01/2012     1      1,733,847    2,585,969      45.90%     2,475,928     52.60%  
Torrance             CA    10/15/94   10/15/2009     1      1,365,000    4,000,000      35.00%             0      0.00%  
Tulsa                OK    06/07/94   06/07/2009     1        423,390    1,350,000      33.50%             0      0.00%  
Tupelo               MS    08/13/93   08/13/2008     0        278,614    1,007,909      34.00%             0      0.00%  
Tyler                TX    08/12/94   08/12/2009     1        512,750    1,700,000      26.00%             0      0.00%  
Warren               MI    06/07/94   06/07/2009     1        203,688      975,000      33.50%             0      0.00%  
Warwick              RI    07/29/94   07/29/2009     1        651,994    1,875,000      31.00%             0      0.00%  
Wauwatosa            WI    06/07/94   06/07/2009     1        373,516    1,200,000      40.50%             0      0.00%  
Wilmington           DE    10/15/94   10/15/2009     1        703,500    2,000,000      36.00%             0      0.00%  
</TABLE>


<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                TIER 3       TIER 3       FOOD      BEVERAGE     PHONE       OTHER
   HOTEL CITY      STATE     ROOM REVENUE  PERCENTAGE  PERCENTAGE  PERCENTAGE  PERCENTAGE  PERCENTAGE
   ----------      -----     ------------  ----------  ----------  ----------  ----------  ----------
<S>                <C>       <C>           <C>         <C>         <C>         <C>         <C>
Ann Arbor            MI               $0      69.00%       5.00%       20.00%     0.00%        0.00%
Arlington Heights    IL                0      70.00%       5.00%       20.00%     0.00%        0.00%
Atlanta              GA                0      70.00%       5.00%       20.00%     0.00%        0.00%
Atlanta              GA                0      70.00%       5.00%       20.00%     0.00%        0.00%
Austin               TX                0      65.00%       5.00%       20.00%     0.00%        0.00%
Bakersfield          CA                0      65.00%       0.00%        0.00%     0.00%       90.00%
Birmingham           AL                0       0.00%       0.00%        0.00%     0.00%        0.00%
Bloomington          MN                0      72.00%       5.00%       20.00%     0.00%        0.00%
Bloomington          MN                0      70.00%       5.00%       20.00%     0.00%        0.00%
Chandler             AZ                0      72.00%       0.00%        0.00%     0.00%        0.00%
Charlotte            NC                0      69.00%       5.00%       20.00%     0.00%        0.00%
Clayton              MO                0      50.00%       5.00%       20.00%     0.00%        0.00%
Clemson              SC                0      75.00%       5.00%       20.00%     0.00%        0.00%
Columbia             SC                0      50.00%       5.00%       20.00%     0.00%        0.00%
Conyers              GA                0      75.00%       5.00%       20.00%     0.00%        0.00%
Crystal Lake         IL                0      70.00%       5.00%       20.00%     0.00%        0.00%
Denver               CO                0      76.50%       5.00%       20.00%     0.00%        0.00%
Downers Grove        IL                0      70.00%       5.00%       20.00%     0.00%        0.00%
Farmington Hills     MI                0      70.00%       5.00%       20.00%     0.00%        0.00%
Fishkill             NY                0      72.00%       5.00%       20.00%     0.00%        0.00%
Flint                MI                0      70.00%       5.00%       20.00%     0.00%        0.00%
Flint                MI                0      70.00%       5.00%       20.00%     0.00%        0.00%
Franklin             TN                0      70.00%       5.00%       20.00%     0.00%        0.00%
Ft. Lauderdale       FL                0      70.00%       5.00%       20.00%     0.00%        0.00%
Ft. Mill             SC                0      65.00%       5.00%       20.00%     0.00%        0.00%
Ft. Worth            TX                0      70.00%       5.00%       20.00%     0.00%        0.00%
Grand Rapids         MI                0      72.00%       5.00%       20.00%     0.00%        0.00%
Hattiesburg          MS                0      65.00%       5.00%       20.00%     0.00%        0.00%
Houston              TX                0      65.00%       0.00%        0.00%     0.00%        0.00%
Indianapolis         IN                0      72.00%       5.00%       20.00%     0.00%        0.00%
Jacksonville         FL                0      70.00%       5.00%       20.00%     0.00%        0.00%
Kansas City          MO                0      60.00%       5.00%       20.00%     0.00%        0.00%
Lafayette            LA                0      70.00%       5.00%       20.00%     0.00%        0.00%
Lakewood             CO                0      70.00%       5.00%       20.00%     0.00%        0.00%
Lansing              MI                0      70.00%       5.00%       20.00%     0.00%        0.00%
Laredo               TX                0      70.00%       5.00%       20.00%     0.00%        0.00%
Lincoln              NE                0      70.00%       5.00%       20.00%     0.00%        0.00%
Louisville           KY                0      60.00%       5.00%       20.00%     0.00%        0.00%
Marietta             GA                0      60.00%       5.00%       20.00%     0.00%        0.00%
Memphis              TN                0      70.00%       5.00%       20.00%     0.00%        0.00%
Milpitas             CA                0      65.00%       0.00%        0.00%     0.00%       90.00%
Milpitas             CA                0      75.00%       5.00%       20.00%     0.00%        0.00%
Minnetonka           MN                0      70.00%       5.00%       20.00%     0.00%        0.00%
Oklahoma City        OK                0      70.00%       5.00%       20.00%     0.00%        0.00%
Omaha                NE                0      70.00%       5.00%       20.00%     0.00%        0.00%
Orlando              FL                0      70.00%       5.00%       20.00%     0.00%        0.00%
Plano                TX                0      68.00%       5.00%       20.00%     0.00%        0.00%
Pleasanton           CA                0      65.00%       5.00%        0.00%     0.00%       90.00%
Sacramento           CA                0      70.00%       5.00%       20.00%     0.00%        0.00%
San Diego            CA                0      70.00%       5.00%       20.00%     0.00%        0.00%
Sedona               AZ                0      72.00%       0.00%        0.00%     0.00%        0.00%
Sunnyvale            CA                0      65.00%       5.00%        0.00%     0.00%       90.00%
Torrance             CA                0      69.00%       5.00%       20.00%     0.00%        0.00%
Tulsa                OK                0      70.00%       5.00%       20.00%     0.00%        0.00%
Tupelo               MS                0      60.00%       5.00%       20.00%     0.00%        0.00%
Tyler                TX                0      67.50%       5.00%       20.00%     0.00%        0.00%
Warren               MI                0      70.00%       5.00%       20.00%     0.00%        0.00%
Warwick              RI                0      70.00%       5.00%       20.00%     0.00%        0.00%
Wauwatosa            WI                0      70.00%       5.00%       20.00%     0.00%        0.00%
Wilmington           DE                0      70.00%       5.00%       20.00%     0.00%        0.00%
</TABLE>