EDGAR 10-K Filing

Company CIK: 1301236
Filing Year: 2025
Filename: 1301236_10-K_2025_0000950170-25-047657.json

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ITEM 1. BUSINESS
Item 1. Business
Organization
Sotherly Hotels Inc. (the “Company”) is a self-managed and self-administered lodging real estate investment trust, or REIT, that was formed in August 2004 to own, acquire, renovate and reposition full-service, primarily upscale and upper-upscale hotel properties located in primary markets in the mid-Atlantic and southern United States. On December 21, 2004, the Company successfully completed its initial public offering and elected to be treated as a self-advised REIT for federal income tax purposes. The Company conducts its business through Sotherly Hotels LP, its operating partnership (the “Operating Partnership”), of which the Company is the general partner. As of the filing date, the Company owns approximately 98.2% of the general and limited partnership units in the Operating Partnership. Other individuals and entities own the remaining 1.8% limited partnership units in the Operating Partnership.
As of December 31, 2024, our portfolio consisted of ten full-service, primarily upscale and upper-upscale hotels located in seven states with an aggregate of 2,786 hotel rooms, and interests in two condominium hotels and their associated rental programs. All of our hotels are wholly-owned by subsidiaries of the Operating Partnership and are managed on a day-to-day basis by Our Town Hospitality, LLC (“Our Town”). Our portfolio is concentrated in markets that we believe possess multiple demand generators and have significant barriers to entry for new product delivery, which are important factors for us in identifying hotel properties that we expect will be capable of providing strong risk-adjusted returns.
In order for the Company to qualify as a REIT, it cannot directly manage or operate our hotels. Therefore, we lease our wholly-owned hotel properties to entities that we refer to as our “TRS Lessees”, which are wholly-owned subsidiaries of MHI Hospitality TRS Holding, Inc. (“MHI Holding”, and collectively with the TRS Lessees, the “MHI TRS Entities”). The MHI TRS Entities, in turn, have engaged Our Town, which is an eligible independent contractor, to manage the day-to-day operations at our hotels. MHI Holding is a taxable REIT subsidiary (“TRS”) for federal income tax purposes.
Our corporate office is located at 306 South Henry Street, Suite 100, Williamsburg, Virginia 23185. Our telephone number is (757) 229-5648.
Our Properties
As of December 31, 2024, our hotels were located in Florida, Georgia, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Texas. Seven of these hotels operate under franchise agreements with major hotel brands, and three are independent hotels. We also own the hotel commercial condominium units of the Lyfe Resort & Residences and Hyde Beach House Resort & Residences condominium hotels. See Item 2 in Part I and Item 7 in Part II of this Form 10-K for additional detail on our properties.
Our Strategy and Investment Criteria
Our strategy is to grow through acquisitions of full-service, upscale and upper-upscale hotel properties located in the primary markets of the southern United States. The Company may also opportunistically acquire hotels throughout other regions of the United States. We intend to grow our portfolio through disciplined acquisitions of hotel properties and believe that we will be able to source significant external growth opportunities through our management team’s extensive network of industry, corporate and institutional relationships. Current market conditions and the terms of our loan agreements limit our ability to pursue our growth strategy, but as economic conditions improve and demand and consumer confidence increase, we intend to position the Company to execute on our growth strategy. We are not subject to limitations on the amount or percentage of our total assets that may be invested in any one property. Additionally, no limits have been set on the concentration of investments in any one location or facility type. Our policy is to acquire assets primarily for income and long-term appreciation.
Our investment criteria are further detailed below:
•Geographic Growth Markets: Our growth strategy focuses on the major markets in the Southern region of the United States. Our management team remains confident in the long-term growth potential associated with this part of the United States. We believe these markets have, during the Company’s and our predecessors’ existence, been characterized by population growth, economic expansion, growth in new businesses and growth in the resort, recreation and leisure segments. We will continue to focus on these markets, including coastal locations, and will investigate other markets for acquisitions only if we believe these new markets will provide similar long-term growth prospects. Sotherly may also opportunistically acquire hotels throughout the United States.
•Full-Service Hotels: Our acquisition strategy focuses on the full-service hotel segment. Our full-service hotels fall primarily under the upscale to upper-upscale categories and include such brands as Doubletree by Hilton, Tapestry
Collection by Hilton, and Hyatt Centric, as well as independent hotels. We may also acquire commercial unit(s) within upscale to upper-upscale condominium hotel projects, allowing us to establish and operate unit rental programs. We do not own limited service or extended-stay hotels. We believe that full-service hotels, in the upscale to upper-upscale categories, will outperform the broader U.S. hotel industry, and thus offer the highest returns on invested capital. Sotherly may also opportunistically acquire hotels outside of the full-service, upscale or upper-upscale category.
•Significant Barriers to Entry: We intend to execute a strategy that focuses on the acquisition of hotels in prime locations with significant barriers to entry.
•Proximity to Demand Generators: We seek to acquire hotel properties located in central business districts for both leisure and business travelers within the respective markets, including large state universities, airports, convention centers, corporate headquarters, sports venues and office buildings. We seek to be in walking locations that are proximate to the markets’ major demand generators.
We generally have a bias toward acquiring underperforming hotels, which we typically define as those that are poorly managed, suffer from significant deferred maintenance and capital investment and that are not properly positioned in their respective markets. In pursuing these opportunities, we hope to improve revenue and cash flow and increase the long-term value of the underperforming hotels we acquire. Our ultimate goal is to achieve a total investment that is substantially less than replacement cost of a hotel or the acquisition cost of a market performing hotel. In analyzing a potential investment in an underperforming hotel property, we typically characterize the investment opportunity as one of the following:
•Branding Opportunity: The acquisition of properties that includes a repositioning of the property through a change in brand affiliation, which may include positioning the property as an independent hotel. Branding opportunities typically include physical upgrades and enhanced efficiencies brought about by changes in operations.
•Shallow-Turn Opportunity: The acquisition of an underperforming but structurally sound hotel that requires moderate renovation to re-establish the hotel's appeal in its market.
•Deep-Turn Opportunity: The acquisition of a hotel that is closed or functionally obsolete and requires a restructuring of both the business components of the operations as well as the physical plant of the hotel, including extensive renovation of the building, furniture, fixtures and equipment.
Typically, in our experience, a deep-turn opportunity takes a total of approximately four years from the initial acquisition of a property until it achieves full post-renovation stabilization. Therefore, when evaluating future opportunities in underperforming hotels, we intend to focus on up-branding and shallow-turn opportunities, and to pursue deep-turn opportunities on a more limited basis, preferably within the structure of joint venture or partnership.
Investment Vehicles. In pursuit of our investment strategy, we may employ various traditional and non-traditional investment vehicles:
•Direct Purchase Opportunity: Our traditional investment strategy is to acquire direct ownership interests via our Operating Partnership in properties that meet our investment criteria, including opportunities that involve full-service, upscale and upper-upscale properties in identified geographic growth markets that have significant barriers to entry for new product delivery. Such properties, or portfolio of properties, may or may not be acquired subject to a mortgage, or other financing or lending instruments, by the seller or third-party.
•Joint Venture/Mezzanine Lending Opportunities: We may, from time to time, undertake a significant renovation and rehabilitation project that we characterize as a deep-turn opportunity. In such cases, we may acquire a functionally obsolete hotel whose renovation may be very lengthy and require significant capital. In these projects, we may choose to structure such acquisitions as a joint venture, or mezzanine lending program, in order to avoid severe short-term dilution and loss of current income commonly referred to as the “negative carry” associated with such extensive renovation programs. We will not pursue joint venture or mezzanine programs in which we would become a “de facto” lender to the real estate community.
•Investments in Mortgages, Structured Financings and Other Lending Policies: In sourcing acquisitions for our core turnaround growth strategy, we may pursue investments in debt instruments that are collateralized by underperforming hotel properties. In certain circumstances, we believe that owning these debt instruments is a way to (i) ultimately acquire the underlying real estate asset and (ii) provide a non-dilutive current return to the Company’s stockholders in the form of interest payments derived from the ownership of the debt. Our principal goal in pursuing distressed debt opportunities is ultimately to acquire the underlying real estate. By owning the debt, we believe that we may be in a position to acquire deeds to properties that fit our investment criteria in lieu of foreclosures. We do not have a policy limiting our ability to invest in loans secured by properties or to make loans to other persons. We may consider offering purchase money financing in connection with the sale of properties where the provision of that financing will increase the value to be
received by us for the property sold. We may make loans to joint ventures in which we may participate in the future. However, neither Sotherly nor the Operating Partnership intend to engage in significant lending activities.
Portfolio and Asset Management Strategy
We intend to ensure that the management of our hotel properties maximizes market share, as evidenced by revenue per available room (“RevPAR”) penetration indices, and that our market share yields the optimum level of revenues for our hotels in their respective markets. Our strategy is designed to actively monitor our hotels’ operating expenses in an effort to maximize hotel earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (“Hotel EBITDA”).
Over our long history in the lodging industry, we have refined many portfolio and asset management techniques that we believe provide for exceptional cash returns at our hotels. We undertake extensive budgeting due diligence wherein we examine market trends, one-time or exceptional revenue opportunities, and/or changes in the regulatory climate that may impact costs. We review daily revenue results and revenue management strategies at the hotels, and we focus on our manager's ability to produce high quality revenues that translate to higher profit margins. We look for ancillary forms of revenues, such as leasing roof-top space for cellular towers and other communication devices and also look to lease space to third parties in our hotels, which may include, but are not limited to, gift shops or restaurants. We have and will continue to engage parking management companies to maximize parking revenue. Our efforts further include periodic review of property insurance costs and coverage, and the cost of real and personal property taxes. We generally appeal tax increases in an effort to secure lower tax payments and routinely pursue strategies that allow for lower overall insurance costs, such as purchasing re-insurance.
We also require detailed and refined reporting data from our hotel manager, which includes detailed accounts of revenues, revenue segments, expenses and forecasts based on current and historic booking patterns. We also believe we optimize and successfully manage capital costs at our hotels while ensuring that adequate product standards are maintained to provide a positive guest experience.
None of our hotels are managed by a major national or global hotel franchise company. Through our long history in the lodging industry, we have found that management of our hotels by management companies other than franchisors is preferable to and more profitable than management services provided by the major franchise companies, specifically with respect to optimization of operating expenses and the delivery of guest service.
Our portfolio management strategy includes efforts to optimize labor costs. Our hotel manager is responsible for hiring and maintaining the labor force at each of our hotels. Although we do not directly employ or manage employees at our hotels, we monitor our hotel manager's human resource strategy and make recommendations regarding the operation of our hotels, if appropriate. The labor force in our hotels is predominately non-unionized, with only one property, the DoubleTree by Hilton Jacksonville Riverfront, having approximately 94 employees electing to participate under a collective bargaining arrangement. Further, the employees at our hotels that are managed by Our Town are eligible to receive health and other insurance coverage through Our Town, which self-insures. Self-insuring has, in our opinion and experience, provided significant savings over traditional insurance company sponsored plans.
Asset Disposition Strategy. When a property no longer fits with our investment objectives, we will pursue a direct sale of the property for cash so that our investment capital can be redeployed according to the investment strategies outlined above. Where possible, we will seek to subsequently purchase a hotel in connection with the requirements of a tax-free exchange. Such a strategy may be deployed in order to mitigate the tax consequence that a direct sale may cause.
Our Principal Agreements
Management Agreements
Our hotels are managed on a day-to-day basis by Our Town, an eligible independent contractor. The base management fee for each of our hotels is a percentage of the gross revenues of the hotel and is due monthly. The applicable percentages of gross revenue for the base management fee for each of our wholly-owned hotels and our condominium hotel rental programs are shown below:
Hotel Name
Commencement
Date
Expiration
Date
Percentage Fee
Hotel Ballast Wilmington, Tapestry Collection by Hilton
January 1, 2020
March 31, 2035
2.50%
The DeSoto
January 1, 2020
March 31, 2035
2.50%
DoubleTree by Hilton Philadelphia Airport
January 1, 2020
March 31, 2035
2.50%
Hotel Alba Tampa, Tapestry Collection by Hilton
January 1, 2020
March 31, 2035
2.50%
DoubleTree by Hilton Jacksonville Riverfront
January 1, 2020
March 31, 2035
2.50%
DoubleTree by Hilton Laurel
January 1, 2020
March 31, 2035
2.50%
Georgian Terrace
January 1, 2020
March 31, 2035
2.50%
The Whitehall
January 1, 2020
March 31, 2035
2.50%
DoubleTree Resort by Hilton Hollywood Beach
April 1, 2020
March 31, 2035
2.50%
Lyfe Resort & Residences
April 1, 2020
March 31, 2035
2.50%
Hyde Beach House Resort & Residences
April 1, 2020
March 31, 2035
2.50%
Hyatt Centric Arlington
November 15, 2020
March 31, 2035
2.50%
Agreements with Our Town. Our Town is the management company for each of our ten wholly-owned hotels, as well as the manager for our two condominium rental programs.
On September 6, 2019, we entered into a master agreement with Our Town and the former majority owner of Our Town related to the management of certain of our hotels, as amended and restated on November 6, 2024 (as amended, the “OTH Master Agreement”). On December 13, 2019, and subsequent dates we entered into a series of individual hotel management agreements for the management of our hotels. Those hotel management agreements for our ten wholly-owned hotels and the two rental programs are each referred to as an “OTH Hotel Management Agreement” and, together, the “OTH Hotel Management Agreements”.
The OTH Master Agreement:
•expires on March 31, 2035, or earlier if all of the OTH Hotel Management Agreements expire or are terminated prior to that date. The OTH Master Agreement shall be extended beyond 2035 for such additional periods as an OTH Hotel Management Agreement remains in effect;
•sets an incentive management fee for each of the hotels managed by Our Town, and any future hotels, equal to 10% of the amount by which gross operating profit, as defined in the OTH Hotel Management Agreements, for a given year exceeds the budgeted gross operating profit for such year; provided, however, that the incentive management fee payable in respect of any such year shall not exceed 0.25% of the gross revenues of the hotel included in such calculation;
•provides a mechanism and establishes conditions on which the Company will offer Our Town the opportunity to manage hotels acquired by the Company in the future, pursuant to a negotiated form of single facility management agreement, with the caveat that the Company is not required to offer the management of future hotels to Our Town; and
•sets a base management fee for future hotels of 2.00% for the first year of the term, 2.25% for the second year of the term, and 2.50% for the third and any additional years of the term.
Each of the OTH Hotel Management Agreements has an initial term ending March 31, 2035. Each of the OTH Hotel Management Agreements may be extended for up to two additional periods of five years subject to the approval of both parties with respect to any such extension. The agreements provide that Our Town will be the sole and exclusive manager of the hotels as the agent of the respective TRS Lessee, at the sole cost and expense of the TRS Lessee, and subject to certain operating standards. Each OTH Hotel Management Agreement may be terminated in connection with a sale of the related hotel. In connection with a termination upon the sale of the hotel, Our Town will be entitled to receive a termination fee equal to the lesser of the management fee paid with respect to the prior twelve months or the management fees paid for that number of months prior to the closing date of the hotel sale equal to the number of months remaining on the current term of the OTH Hotel Management Agreement. Upon the sale of a hotel, no termination fee will be due in the event the Company elects to provide Our Town with the opportunity to manage another comparable hotel and Our Town is not precluded from accepting such opportunity. Our Town is required to qualify as an eligible independent contractor in order to permit the Company to continue to operate as a real estate investment trust.
Pursuant to the management agreements for the Lyfe Resort & Residences and the Hyde Beach House Resort & Residences, Our Town manages the rental of individually owned condominium units pursuant to rental agreements entered into with individual condominium unit owners. We have also entered into an Association Sub Management and Assignment Agreement with Our Town for the management and operation of the condominium association responsible for the operation of the Hyde Beach House Resort & Residences, and a Rental Sales Management Agreement pursuant to which Our Town agreed to manage the marketing and negotiation of rental agreements with individual condominium unit owners.
As of March 14, 2025, an affiliate of Andrew M. Sims, our Chairman, an affiliate of David R. Folsom, our President and Chief Executive Officer, and Andrew M. Sims Jr., our Vice President - Operations & Investor Relations, beneficially owned approximately 62.77%, 6.21%, and 15.0%, respectively, of the total outstanding ownership interests in Our Town. Mr. Sims, Mr. Folsom, and Mr. Sims Jr. serve as directors of Our Town.
Franchise Agreements
As of December 31, 2024, all but three of our wholly-owned hotels operate under franchise licenses from national hotel companies. As our franchise agreements expire, we will continue to evaluate each hotel on a case-by-case basis and decide whether to re-license or re-brand with the existing franchisor, re-brand and license with a new franchisor, or re-brand as an independent hotel. We also periodically review our independent hotels to determine whether they would be better served by operating under a franchise license.
Our TRS Lessees hold the franchise licenses for our wholly-owned hotels. Under the terms of each hotel management agreement, our hotel manager must operate each of our hotels in accordance with and pursuant to the terms of the franchise agreement for the hotel.
The franchise licenses generally specify certain management, operational, record keeping, accounting, reporting and marketing standards and procedures with which the franchisee must comply. Under the franchise licenses, the franchisee must comply with the franchisors’ standards and requirements with respect to:
•training of operational personnel;
•safety;
•maintaining specified insurance;
•the types of services and products ancillary to guest room services that may be provided;
•display of signage;
•marketing standards including print media, billboards, and promotions standards; and
•the type, quality and age of furniture, fixtures and equipment included in guest rooms, lobbies and other common areas.
As the franchisee, our TRS Lessees are required to pay franchise/royalty fees, as well as certain other fees for marketing and reservations services in amounts that range from approximately 3.0% to 4.0% of gross revenues. The following table sets forth certain information for the franchise licenses of our wholly-owned hotel properties as of December 31, 2024:
Franchise/Royalty
Expiration
Fee (1)
Date
Hotel Alba Tampa, Tapestry Collection by Hilton
5.0
%
June 2029
DoubleTree by Hilton Jacksonville Riverfront
5.0
%
September 2025
DoubleTree by Hilton Laurel (2)
5.0
%
October 2030
DoubleTree by Hilton Philadelphia - Airport
5.0
%
October 2024
DoubleTree Resort by Hilton Hollywood Beach
5.0
%
October 2027
Hotel Ballast Wilmington, Tapestry Collection by Hilton
5.0
%
April 2028
Hyatt Centric Arlington
5.0
%
March 2038
(1) Percentage of room revenues payable to the franchisor.
(2) The Franchise/Royalty Fee is reduced to 4.0% from December 2023 through November 2025, and 5.0% thereafter.
Lease Agreements
	TRS Leases
In order for the Company to maintain qualification as a REIT, neither the Company nor the Operating Partnership or its subsidiaries can operate our hotels directly. Our wholly-owned hotels are leased to our TRS Lessees, which have engaged Our Town to manage the hotels. Each lease has a non-cancelable term ranging from four to thirty years, subject to earlier termination upon the occurrence of certain contingencies described in the lease.
During the term of each lease, our TRS Lessees are obligated to pay a fixed annual base rent plus a percentage rent and certain other additional charges. Base rent accrues and is paid monthly. Percentage rent is calculated by multiplying fixed percentages by gross room revenues, in excess of certain threshold amounts and is paid monthly or quarterly, according to the terms of the agreement.
	Other Leases
We lease the land underlying the Hyatt Centric Arlington hotel pursuant to a ground lease. The ground lease initially requires us to make rental payments of $50,000 per year in base rent and percentage rent equal to 3.5% of gross room revenue in excess of certain thresholds, as defined in the ground lease agreement. The ground lease contains a rent reset provision that will reset the rent in June 2025, and each successive 10 year period, to a fixed amount per annum equal to 8.0% of the land value, subject to an appraisal process. The appraisal process was completed in 2024 and, beginning in July 2025, the rent will adjust to $149,333 per month. The initial term of the ground lease expires in 2035 and may be extended by us for four additional renewal periods of 10 years each. In order to sell the Hyatt Centric Arlington hotel and assign our leasehold interest in the ground lease, we are required to obtain the consent of the third-party lessor.
In connection with the acquisition of the Hyde Beach House Resort & Residences hotel commercial condominium unit in 2019, we entered into a 20-year parking and cabana management agreement for the parking garage and poolside cabanas associated with the resort. In exchange for rights to the parking and cabana revenue, we pay the condominium association an annual payment of $271,000 for the initial five years of the term, with 5.0% increases on every fifth year of the term.
We lease approximately 8,500 square feet of commercial office space in Williamsburg, Virginia for our corporate offices, under an agreement with a ten-year term beginning January 1, 2020. The initial annual rent under the agreement is $218,875, with the rent for each successive annual period increasing by 3.0% over the prior annual period’s rent. The annual rent was offset by a tenant improvement allowance of $200,000, applied against one-half of each monthly rent payment until the tenant improvement allowance was exhausted in 2021. In December 2023, we received a rent concession of $257,731 against accrued and unpaid rents, and effective January 1, 2024, the landlord agreed to a one-third reduction in future rents.
Competition
The hotel industry is highly competitive with various participants competing on the basis of price, level of service and geographic location. Each of our hotels is located in a developed area that includes other hotel properties. The number of competitive hotel properties in a particular geographic area could have a material adverse effect on occupancy, ADR and RevPAR of our hotels or at hotel properties we acquire in the future. We believe that brand recognition, location, the quality of the hotel, consistency of services provided, and price are the principal competitive factors affecting our hotels.
Our hotels currently compete primarily in the full-service upscale and upper-upscale segments of the market. Positive competitive factors affecting our position include geographic location, markets with growth potential and strong franchise partners, while certain disadvantages to our position include limited geographic diversity and smaller size in relation to larger competitors.
Seasonality
The operations of our hotel properties have historically been seasonal. The months of April and May are traditionally strong, as is October. The periods from mid-November through mid-February are traditionally slow with the exception of hotels located in certain markets, namely Florida and Texas, which typically experience significant room demand during this period.
Tax Status
The Company elected to be taxed as a REIT under Sections 856 through 860 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”), commencing with its taxable year ended December 31, 2004. In order to maintain its qualification as a REIT, the Company must meet a number of organizational and operational requirements, including a requirement that it currently distribute, as “qualifying distributions,” at least 90.0% of its taxable income (determined without regard to the deduction for dividends paid and by excluding its net capital gains and reduced by certain non-cash items) to its stockholders. The Company has adhered to these requirements each taxable year since its formation in 2004 and intends to continue to adhere to these requirements and maintain its qualification for taxation as a REIT. As a REIT, the Company generally will not be subject to federal corporate income tax on that portion of its taxable income (including its net capital gain) that is distributed to its stockholders. If the Company fails to qualify for taxation as a REIT in any taxable year, and no relief provision applies, it will be subject to federal income taxes at regular corporate rates and it would be disqualified from re-electing treatment as a REIT until the fifth taxable year after the year in which it failed to qualify as a REIT. Even if the Company qualifies for taxation as a REIT, it may be 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, taxable income from non-REIT activities managed through taxable REIT subsidiaries, or TRSs, is subject to federal, state and local income taxes.
While the Operating Partnership is generally not subject to federal and state income taxes, the unit holders of the Operating Partnership, including the Company, are subject to tax on their respective allocable shares of the Operating Partnership’s taxable income.
The Company has one TRS, MHI Holding, in which it owns an interest through the Operating Partnership. MHI Holding is subject to federal, state and local income taxes. MHI Holding has operated at a cumulative taxable loss, through December 31, 2024, of approximately $56.1 million and deferred timing differences of approximately $4.2 million attributable to accrued, but not currently deductible, vacation and sick pay amounts, business interest, depreciation and other miscellaneous differences. Neither the Company nor MHI Holding has incurred federal income taxes since its formation. With the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and the anticipation of significant losses to MHI Holding, we reduced our deferred tax asset through the establishment of a 100% valuation allowance. As of December 31, 2024, we have a valuation allowance of approximately $14.3 million.
Environmental Matters
In connection with the ownership and operation of the hotels, we are subject to various federal, state and local laws, ordinances and regulations relating to environmental protection. Under these laws, a current or previous owner or operator of real estate may be liable for the costs of removal or remediation of certain hazardous or toxic substances on, under, or in such property. Such laws often impose liability without regard to whether the owner or operator knew of, or was responsible for, the presence of hazardous or toxic substances. In addition, the presence of contamination from hazardous or toxic substances, or the failure to remediate such contaminated property properly, may adversely affect the owner’s ability to borrow using such property as collateral. Furthermore, a person who arranges for the disposal or treatment of a hazardous or toxic substance at a property owned by another, or who transports such substance to or from such property, may be liable for the costs of removal or remediation of such substance released into the environment at the disposal or treatment facility. The costs of remediation or removal of such substances may be substantial, and the presence of such substances may adversely affect the owner’s ability to sell such real estate or to borrow using such real estate as collateral. In connection with the ownership and operation of the hotels, we may be potentially liable for such costs.
We believe that our hotels are in compliance, in all material respects, with all federal, state and local environmental ordinances and regulations regarding hazardous or toxic substances and other environmental matters, the violation of which would have a material adverse effect on us. We have not received written notice from any governmental authority of any material noncompliance, liability or claim relating to hazardous or toxic substances or other environmental matters in connection with any of our present hotel properties.
Employees and Human Capital
As of December 31, 2024, we employed nine full-time persons, all of whom work at our corporate office in Williamsburg, Virginia. We believe relations with our employees are positive. Our human capital resources objectives include attracting and
retaining talented and well-qualified employees. Our compensation program, including competitive salaries and other benefits, are designed to attract, hire, retain and motivate highly qualified employees and executives. We are committed to enhancing our culture through efforts to promote and preserve inclusion and by providing and maintaining a safe work environment. All persons employed in the day-to-day operations of each of our hotels are employees of our third-party hotel manager engaged by our TRS Lessees to operate such hotels.
Available Information
We maintain an Internet site, http://www.sotherlyhotels.com, which contains additional information concerning Sotherly Hotels Inc. We make available free of charge through our Internet site all our annual reports on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, current reports on Form 8-K, definitive proxy statements and other reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission as soon as reasonably practicable after we electronically file such material with, or furnish it to, the Securities and Exchange Commission. We have also posted on this website the Company’s Code of Business Conduct and the charters of the Company’s Nominating, Corporate Governance and Compensation Committee (“NCGC Committee”) and Audit Committee of the Company’s board of directors. We intend to disclose on our website any changes to, or waivers from, the Company’s Code of Business Conduct. Information on the Company’s Internet site is neither part of nor incorporated into this Form 10-K.

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ITEM 1A. RISK FACTORS
Item 1A. Risk Factors
The following are the material risks that may affect us. Any of the risks discussed herein can materially adversely affect our business, liquidity, operations, industry or financial position or our future financial performance.
SUMMARY
Risks Related to Our Business and Properties
•Risks related to the limited number of hotels that we own.
•Risks related to increased hotel operating expenses and decreased hotel revenues.
•Risks related to our investment strategy, and the acquisition, renovation, or repositioning of hotels.
•Risks related to our management company.
•Risks related to our ability to make distributions.
•Risks related to the geographic concentration of our hotels.
•Risks related to the concentration of our hotel franchise agreements.
•Risks related to our ground lease for the Hyatt Centric Arlington.
•Risks related to hedging against interest rate exposure.
•Risks related to investment opportunities and growth prospects.
•Risks related to internal controls.
•Risks related to information technology.
•Risks related to natural disasters and the physical effects of climate change.
•Risks related to restrictions on our investments and business activities by the applicable REIT laws.
Risks Related to the Lodging Industry
•Risks related to the overall economy and our financial performance.
•Risks related to operating risks, seasonality of the hotel business, investment concentration in particular segments of a single industry, and capital expenditures.
•Risks related to operating hotels with franchise agreements.
•Risks related to restrictive covenants in certain of our franchise agreements.
•Risks related to hotel re-development.
•Risks related to obtaining financing.
•Risks related to uninsured and underinsured losses.
•Risks related to governmental regulations, including regulations covering environmental matters or the Americans with Disabilities Act.
•Risks related to unknown or contingent liabilities.
•Risks related to future terrorist activities.
•Risks related to pandemic diseases.
•Risks related to heightened focus on corporate responsibility.
General Risks Related to the Real Estate Industry
•Risks related to illiquidity of real estate investments.
•Risks related to future acquisitions.
•Risks related to property damage including harmful mold.
•Risks related to increases in property taxes or insurance costs.
Risks Related to Our Debt and Financing
•Risks related to our financial leverage.
•Risks related to our financial covenants.
•Risks related to our debt maturities.
•Risks related to our borrowing costs and fluctuations in interest rates.
Risks Related to Our Organization and Structure
•Risks related to changes of control.
•Risks related to our executive employment agreements.
•Risks related to our Nasdaq listing.
•Risks related to ownership limitations on our common stock and preferred stock.
•Risks related to our preferred stock.
•Risks related to future indebtedness.
•Risks related to our REIT status.
•Risks related to our major corporate policies.
•Risks related to key personnel.
Risks Related to Conflicts of Interest of Our Officers and Directors
•Risks related to conflicts of interest of our officers and directors.
Federal Income Tax Risks Related to the Company’s Status as a REIT.
•Risks related to potential failure to qualify as a REIT.
•Risks related to potential failure to make distributions.
•Risks related to MHI Holding, including its TRS qualification and potential tax liability.
•Risks related to potential tax liabilities.
•Risks related to highly technical and complex REIT compliance requirements.
•Risks related to Operating Partnership’s qualification as a partnership for federal income tax purposes.
•Risks related to the qualification of our hotel manager as an “eligible independent contractor”.
•Risks related to our TRS leases.
•Risks related to taxation of dividend income and U.S. withholding tax.
•Risks related to foreign investors.
•Risks related to U.S. tax reform and related regulatory action.
DETAIL
Risks Related to Our Business and Properties
We own a limited number of hotels and significant adverse changes at one hotel could have a material adverse effect on our financial performance and may limit our ability to make distributions to stockholders.
As of December 31, 2024, our portfolio consisted of ten wholly-owned hotels with a total of 2,786 rooms and the hotel commercial condominium units of the Lyfe Resort & Residences and the Hyde Beach House Resort & Residences condominium hotels. Significant adverse changes in the operations of any one hotel could have a material adverse effect on our financial performance and, accordingly, on our ability to make distributions to stockholders.
We are subject to risks of increased hotel operating expenses and decreased hotel revenues.
Our leases with our TRS Lessees provide for the payment of rent based in part on gross revenues from our hotels. Our TRS Lessees are subject to hotel operating risks including decreased hotel revenues and increased hotel operating expenses, including but not limited to the following:
•wage and benefit costs;
•repair and maintenance expenses;
•energy costs;
•insurance costs; and
•other operating expenses.
Any increases in these operating expenses can have a significant adverse impact on our TRS Lessees’ ability to pay rent and other operating expenses and, consequently, our earnings and cash flow.
In keeping with our investment strategy, we may acquire, renovate and/or re-brand hotels in new or existing geographic markets as part of our repositioning strategy. Unanticipated expenses and insufficient demand for newly repositioned hotels could adversely affect our financial performance and our ability to comply with loan covenants and to make distributions to the Company’s stockholders.
We have in the past, and may in the future, develop or acquire hotels in geographic areas in which our management may have little or no operating experience. Additionally, those properties may also be renovated and re-branded as part of a repositioning strategy. Potential customers may not be familiar with our newly renovated hotel or be aware of the brand change. As a result, we may have to incur costs relating to the opening, operation and promotion of those new hotel properties that are substantially greater than those incurred in other geographic areas. These hotels may attract fewer customers than expected and we may choose to increase spending on advertising and marketing to promote the hotel and increase customer demand. Unanticipated expenses and insufficient demand at new hotel properties, therefore, could adversely affect our financial performance and our ability to comply with loan covenants and to make distributions to the Company’s stockholders.
We do not have the authority to require any hotel to be operated in a particular manner or to govern any particular aspect of the daily operations of any hotel and as a result, our returns are dependent on the management of our hotels by our hotel management company.
Since federal income tax laws restrict REITs and their subsidiaries from operating or managing hotels, we do not operate or manage our hotels. Instead, we lease all of our hotels to our TRS Lessees, and our TRS Lessees retain managers to operate our hotels pursuant to management agreements. All of our hotels currently are managed by Our Town.
Under the terms of our management agreements with our hotel manager and the REIT qualification rules, our ability to participate in operating decisions regarding the hotels is limited. We will depend on our hotel manager to operate our hotels as provided in the management agreements. We do not have the authority to require any hotel to be operated in a particular manner or to govern any particular aspect of the daily operations of any hotel. Thus, even if we believe our hotels are being operated inefficiently or in a manner that does not result in satisfactory occupancy rates, RevPAR, and average daily rates (“ADR”), we may not be able to force a hotel management company to change its method of operating our hotels. Additionally, in the event that we need to replace the manager of one or more of our hotels, we may be required by the terms of the applicable management agreement to pay substantial termination fees and may experience significant disruptions at the affected hotels.
Our ability to make distributions to the Company’s stockholders is subject to fluctuations in our financial performance, operating results and capital improvement requirements.
As a REIT, the Company is required to distribute, as “qualifying distributions,” at least 90.0% of its REIT taxable income (determined without regard to the dividends-paid deduction and by excluding its net capital gains, and reduced by certain noncash items), each year to the Company’s stockholders. However, several factors may make us unable to declare or pay distributions to the Company’s stockholders, including poor operating results and financial performance or unanticipated capital improvements to our hotels, including capital improvements that may be required by our franchisors.
We lease all of our hotels to our TRS Lessees. Our TRS Lessees are subject to hotel operating risks, including risks of sustaining operating losses after payment of hotel operating expenses, including management fees. Among the factors which could cause our TRS Lessees to fail to make required rent payments are reduced net operating profits or operating losses, increased debt service requirements and capital expenditures at our hotels, including capital expenditures required by the franchisors of our hotels. Among the factors that could reduce the net operating profits of our TRS Lessees are decreases in hotel revenues and increases in hotel operating expenses. Hotel revenue can decrease for a number of reasons, including increased competition from a new supply of hotel rooms and decreased demand for hotel rooms. These factors can reduce both occupancy and room rates at our hotels and limit the volume of food and beverage revenue and other operating revenue such as parking revenue.
The declaration of distributions to holders of our securities is subject to the sole discretion of the Company’s board of directors, which will consider, among other factors, our financial performance, debt service obligations, debt covenants and capital expenditure requirements. We cannot assure you that we will generate sufficient cash to fund distributions. We have not paid any common stock dividend distributions following the payment of dividends in January 2020. Once the payment of all preferred dividends in arrears has been made, the Company may make the common stock dividend distribution that was declared in January 2020 to shareholders of record on March 13, 2020.
Geographic concentration of our hotels makes our business vulnerable to economic downturns in the mid-Atlantic and southern United States.
Our hotels are located in the mid-Atlantic and southern United States. As a result, economic conditions in the mid-Atlantic and southern United States significantly affect our revenues and the value of our hotels to a greater extent than if we had a more geographically diversified portfolio. Business layoffs or downsizing, industry slowdowns, changing demographics and other similar factors that may adversely affect the economic climate in these areas could have a significant adverse impact on our business. Any resulting oversupply or reduced demand for hotels in the mid-Atlantic and southern United States and in our markets in particular would therefore have a disproportionate negative impact on our revenues and limit our ability to make distributions to stockholders.
A substantial number of our hotels operate under brands owned by Hilton Worldwide Holdings, Inc.("Hilton"); therefore, we are subject to risks associated with concentrating our portfolio in one brand. We also own a hotel operated under the brand owned by Hyatt Hotels Corporation ("Hyatt").
In our portfolio, the majority of the hotels that we owned as of December 31, 2024, utilize brands owned by Hilton. As a result, our success is dependent in part on the continued success of Hilton and their respective brands. If market recognition or the positive perception of Hilton is reduced or compromised, the goodwill associated with the Hilton branded hotels in our portfolio may be adversely affected, which may have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and our ability to make distributions to our stockholders. As of March 1, 2025, we owned one property that utilizes a brand owned by Hyatt. Our success is also dependent in part on the continued success, market recognition, and positive perception of these brands.
Our ground lease for the Hyatt Centric Arlington may constrain us from acting in the best interest of stockholders or require us to make certain payments.
The Hyatt Centric Arlington is subject to a ground lease with a third-party lessor which requires us to obtain the consent of the relevant third-party lessor in order to sell the Hyatt Centric Arlington hotel or to assign our leasehold interest in the ground lease. Accordingly, we may be prevented from completing such a transaction if we are unable to obtain the required consent from the lessor, even if we determine that the sale of this hotel or the assignment of our leasehold interest in the ground lease is in the best interest of the Company or our stockholders. In addition, at any given time, potential purchasers may be less interested in buying a hotel subject to a ground lease and may demand a lower price for the hotel than for a comparable property without such a restriction, or they may not purchase the hotel at any price. For these reasons, we may have a difficult time selling the hotel or may receive lower proceeds from any such sale. The ground lease is subject to four additional renewal periods of 10 years each, following the first renewal period which expires in 2035. At the beginning of each renewal period, certain provisions of the lease may be adjusted by the lessor, which could impact payments we are required to make to the lessor. The ground lease contains a rent reset provision that will reset the rent in June 2025, and each successive 10 year period, to a fixed amount per annum equal to 8.0% of the land value, subject to an appraisal
process. The appraisal process was completed in 2024 and, beginning in July 2025, the rent will adjust to $149,333 per month. If we are not able to come to reasonable terms with the lessor at the end of the term or if we are found to have breached certain obligations under the ground lease, the hotel may suffer a substantial decline in value and we may be forced to dispose of the hotel at a substantial loss.
Hedging against interest rate exposure may adversely affect us and our hedges may fail to protect us from the losses that the hedges were designed to offset.
Subject to maintaining the Company’s qualification as a REIT, we may elect to manage our exposure to interest rate volatility by using interest rate hedging arrangements, such as cap agreements and swap agreements. These agreements involve the risks that these arrangements may fail to protect or adversely affect us because, among other things:
•interest rate hedging can be expensive, particularly during periods of rising and volatile interest rates;
•available interest rate hedges may not correspond directly with the interest rate risk for which protection is sought;
•the financial instruments we select may not have the effect of reducing our interest rate risk;
•the duration of the hedge may not match the duration of the related liability;
•the credit quality of the hedging counterparty owing money on the hedge may be downgraded to such an extent that it impairs our ability to sell or assign our side of the hedging transaction; and
•the hedging counterparty owing money in the hedging transaction may default on its obligation to pay.
As a result of any of the foregoing, our hedging transactions, which are intended to limit losses, may fail to protect us from the losses that the hedges were designed to offset and could have a material adverse effect on us.
Our investment opportunities and growth prospects may be affected by competition for acquisitions.
We compete for investment opportunities with other entities, some of which have substantially greater financial resources than we do. This competition may generally limit the number of suitable investment opportunities offered to us, which may limit our ability to grow. This competition may also increase the bargaining power of property owners seeking to sell to us, making it more difficult for us to acquire new properties on attractive terms, or at all.
If we fail to maintain an effective system of internal controls, we may not be able to accurately determine our financial results or prevent fraud. As a result, the Company’s stockholders could lose confidence in our financial results, which could harm our business and the value of the Company’s shares.
Effective internal controls are necessary for us to provide reliable financial reports and effectively prevent fraud. Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 requires us to evaluate and report on our internal controls over financial reporting. Our internal controls and financial reporting are not subject to attestation by our independent registered public accounting firm pursuant to the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002. While we have undertaken substantial work to maintain effective internal controls, we cannot be certain that we will be successful in maintaining adequate internal controls over our financial reporting and financial processes in the future. In the future, we may discover areas of our internal controls that need improvement. Furthermore, as we grow our business, our internal controls will become more complex, and we will require significantly more resources to ensure our internal controls remain effective. If we or our independent auditors discover a material weakness, the disclosure of that fact, even if quickly remedied, could reduce the market value of the Company’s shares and make it more difficult for the Company to raise capital. Additionally, the existence of any material weakness or significant deficiency would require management to devote significant time and incur significant expense to remediate any such material weaknesses or significant deficiencies and management may not be able to remediate any such material weaknesses or significant deficiencies in a timely manner.
We and our hotel manager rely on information technology in our operations, and any material failure, inadequacy, interruption or security failure of that technology could harm our business.
We and our hotel manager rely on information technology networks and systems, including the Internet, to process, transmit and store electronic information, and to manage or support a variety of business processes, including financial transactions and records, personal identifying information, reservations, billing and operating data. We and our hotel manager purchase some of our information technology from vendors, on whom our systems depend. We and our hotel manager rely on commercially available systems, software, tools and monitoring to provide security for processing, transmission and storage of confidential operator and other customer information, such as individually identifiable information, including information relating to financial accounts. Although we and our hotel manager have taken steps we believe are necessary to protect the security of our information systems and the data maintained in
those systems, it is possible that the safety and security measures taken will not be able to prevent the systems’ improper functioning or damage, or the improper access or disclosure of personally identifiable information such as in the event of cyber-attacks. Security breaches, including physical or electronic break-ins, computer viruses, attacks by hackers and similar breaches, can create system disruptions, shutdowns or unauthorized disclosure of confidential information. Any failure to maintain proper functionality, security and availability of our information systems could interrupt our operations, damage our reputation, subject us to liability claims or regulatory penalties and could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. Our hotel manager carries cyber insurance policies to protect and offset a portion of potential costs incurred from a security breach. Additionally, we currently have cyber risk coverage to provide supplemental coverage above the coverage carried by our hotel manager. Despite various precautionary steps to protect our hotels from losses resulting from cyber-attacks, any cyber-attack occurrence could still result in losses at our properties, which could affect our results of operations. As of December 31, 2024, no risk from cybersecurity threats, including as a result of any previous cybersecurity incidents, has materially affected or is reasonably likely to materially affect the Company, including our business strategy, results of operations or financial condition. We also rely on the reservation systems of our brand partners and others to transmit and manage customer and payment information. Those systems may be hacked or subject to denial of service attacks which in turn may result in losses at our properties.
We face possible risks associated with natural disasters and the physical effects of climate change.
We are subject to the risks associated with natural disasters and the physical effects of climate change, which can include more frequent or severe storms, droughts, hurricanes and flooding, any of which could have a material adverse effect on our hotels, operations and business. In 2024, we experienced a casualty at our Tampa, Florida hotel as a result of Hurricane Helene. While this casualty was insured, both in terms of physical damage and business interruption, the storm impacted operations at the hotel. Over time, our coastal markets are expected to experience increases in storm intensity and rising sea-levels causing damage to our properties. As a result, we could become subject to significant losses and/or repair costs that may or may not be fully covered by insurance. Other markets may experience prolonged variations in temperature or precipitation that may limit access to the water needed to operate our hotels or significantly increase energy costs, which may subject those hotels to additional regulatory burdens, such as limitations on water usage or stricter energy efficiency standards. Climate change also may affect our business by increasing the cost of (or making unavailable) property insurance on terms we find acceptable in areas most vulnerable to such events, increasing operating costs at our hotels, such as the cost of water or energy, and requiring us to expend funds as we seek to repair and protect our hotels against such risks. There can be no assurance that climate change will not have a material adverse effect on our hotels, operations or business.
Our investments and business activities are restricted by the applicable REIT laws.
As a REIT, the Company is subject to various restrictions on the types of revenues it can earn, assets it can own and activities in which it can engage. Business activities that could be restricted by applicable REIT laws include, but are not limited to, developing alternative uses of real estate and the ownership of hotels that are not leased to a TRS, including the development and/or sale of timeshare or condominium units or the related land parcels. Due to these restrictions, we anticipate that we will continue to conduct certain business activities through MHI Holding. MHI Holding is taxable as a C corporation and is subject to federal, state, local, and, if applicable, foreign taxation on its taxable income.
Risks Related to the Lodging Industry
If the economy falls into a recessionary period or fails to maintain positive growth, our operating performance and financial results may be harmed by declines in occupancy, average daily room rates and/or other operating revenues.
The performance of the lodging industry and the general economy historically have been closely linked. In an economic downturn, business and leisure travelers may seek to reduce costs by limiting travel and/or reducing costs on their trips. Our hotels, which are all full-service hotels, may be more susceptible to a decrease in revenue, as compared to hotels in other categories that have lower room rates. A decrease in demand for hotel stays and hotel services, such as the decrease experienced due to COVID-19, will negatively affect our operating revenues, which will lower our cash flow and may affect our ability to make distributions to stockholders and to maintain compliance with our loan obligations. An economic downturn, such as the one caused by COVID-19, may result in losses or reduce our income in the future. A weakening of the economy may adversely and materially affect our industry, business and results of operations and we cannot predict the likelihood, severity or duration of any such downturn. Moreover, reduced revenues as a result of a weakening economy may also reduce our working capital and impact our long-term business strategy.
Our ability to comply with the terms of our loan covenants, our ability to make distributions to the Company’s stockholders and the value of our hotels in general, may be adversely affected by factors in the lodging industry.
Operating Risks
Our hotel properties are subject to various operating risks common to the lodging industry, many of which are beyond our control, including the following:
•competition from other hotel properties in our markets;
•over-building of hotels in our markets, which adversely affects occupancy and revenues at our hotels;
•dependence on business and commercial travelers and tourism;
•increases in energy costs and other expenses affecting travel, which may affect travel patterns and reduce the number of business and commercial travelers and tourists;
•increases in operating costs due to inflation and other factors, including increases in labor costs, that may not be offset by increased room rates;
•changes in interest rates and in the availability, cost and terms of debt financing;
•changes in governmental laws and regulations, fiscal policies and zoning ordinances and the related costs of compliance with laws and regulations, fiscal policies and ordinances;
•adverse effects of international, national, regional and local economic and market conditions;
•adverse effects of a downturn in the lodging industry; and
•risks generally associated with the ownership of hotel properties and real estate, as we discuss in detail below.
These factors could reduce the net income of our TRS Lessees, which in turn could adversely affect the value of our hotels and our ability to make distributions to the Company’s stockholders.
Seasonality of the Hotel Business
The lodging industry is seasonal in nature, which can be expected to cause quarterly fluctuations in our revenues. Our quarterly earnings may be adversely affected by factors outside our control, including weather conditions and poor economic factors. As a result, we may have to enter into short-term borrowings in certain quarters in order to offset these fluctuations in revenues and to make distributions to the Company’s stockholders.
Investment Concentration in Particular Segments of a Single Industry
Our entire business is lodging-related. Therefore, a downturn in the lodging industry, in general, and the full-service, upscale and upper-upscale segments in which we operate, in particular, will have a material adverse effect on the value of our hotels, our financial condition and the extent to which cash may be available for distribution to the Company’s stockholders.
Capital Expenditures
Our hotel properties have an ongoing need for renovations and other capital improvements, including replacements, from time to time, of furniture, fixtures and equipment. The franchisors of our hotels also require us to make periodic capital improvements as a condition of keeping the franchise licenses. In addition, several of our mortgage lenders require that we set aside amounts for capital improvements to the secured properties on a monthly basis. For the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, we spent approximately $14.6 million and approximately $8.2 million, respectively, on capital improvements to our hotels. Capital improvements and renovation projects may give rise to the following risks:
•possible environmental problems;
•construction cost overruns and delays;
•a possible shortage of available cash to fund capital improvements and the related possibility that financing for these capital improvements may not be available to us on affordable terms; and
•uncertainties as to market demand or a loss of market demand after capital improvements have begun.
The costs of all these capital improvements as well as future capital improvements could adversely affect our financial condition and amounts available for distribution to the Company’s stockholders.
Operating our hotels under franchise agreements could increase our operating costs and lower our net income.
Most of our hotels operate under franchise agreements which subject us to risks in the event of negative publicity related to one of our franchisors.
The maintenance of the franchise licenses for our hotels is subject to our franchisors’ operating standards and other terms and conditions. Many operating standards and other terms can be modified or expanded at the sole discretion of the franchisor. Our franchisors periodically inspect our hotels to ensure that we, our TRS Lessees, and our management company follow their standards. Failure by us, our TRS Lessees or our management company to maintain these standards or other terms and conditions could result in a franchise license being canceled. If a franchise license terminates due to our failure to make required improvements or to otherwise comply with its terms, we may also be liable to the franchisor for a termination payment, which varies by franchisor and by hotel. As a condition of continuing a franchise license, a franchisor may require us to make capital expenditures, even if we do not believe the capital improvements are necessary or desirable or will result in an acceptable return on our investment. Nonetheless, we may risk losing a franchise license if we do not make franchisor-required capital expenditures.
If a franchisor terminates the franchise license, we may try either to obtain a suitable replacement franchise license or to operate the hotel without a franchise license. The loss of a franchise license could significantly decrease the revenues at the hotel and reduce the underlying value of the hotel because of the loss of associated name recognition, marketing support and centralized reservation systems provided by the franchisor. A loss of a franchise license for one or more hotels could materially and adversely affect our revenues. This loss of revenues could, therefore, also adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations, our ability to comply with the terms of the loan covenants and reduce our cash available for distribution to stockholders.
Restrictive covenants in certain of our franchise agreements contain provisions that may operate to limit our ability to sell or refinance our hotels, which could have a material adverse effect on us.
Franchise agreements typically contain covenants that may affect our ability to sell or refinance a hotel, including requirements to obtain the consent of the franchisor in the event of such a sale or refinancing transaction. In the event that a franchisor’s consent is not forthcoming, the terms of a sale or refinancing may be less favorable to us than would otherwise be the case. Some of our franchise agreements provide the franchisor with a right of first offer in the event of certain sales or transfers of a hotel and provide that the franchisor has the right to approve any change in the hotel management company engaged to manage the hotel. Generally, we may be limited in our ability to sell, lease or otherwise transfer hotels unless the transferee is not a competitor of the franchisor and the transferee agrees to assume the related franchise agreements. If the franchisor does not consent to the sale or financing of our hotels, we may be unable to consummate transactions that are in our best interests or the terms of those transactions may be less favorable to us, which could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and the execution of our strategies.
Hotel re-development is subject to timing, budgeting and other risks that would increase our operating costs and limit our ability to make distributions to stockholders.
We intend to acquire hotel properties from time to time as suitable opportunities arise, taking into consideration general economic conditions, and seek to re-develop or reposition these hotels. Redevelopment of hotel properties involves a number of risks, including risks associated with:
•construction delays or cost overruns that may increase project costs;
•receipt of zoning, occupancy and other required governmental permits and authorizations;
•development costs incurred for projects that are not pursued to completion;
•acts of God such as earthquakes, hurricanes, floods or fires that could adversely impact a project;
•financing; and
•governmental restrictions on the nature or size of a project.
We cannot assure you that any re-development project will be completed on time or within budget. Our inability to complete a project on time or within budget would increase our operating costs and reduce our net income.
The hotel business is capital intensive and our inability to obtain financing could limit our growth.
Our hotel properties will require periodic capital expenditures and renovation to remain competitive. Acquisitions or development of additional hotel properties will require significant capital expenditures. In addition, several of our mortgage lenders require that we set aside annual amounts for capital improvements to the secured property. We may not be able to fund capital improvements or acquisitions solely from cash provided from our operating activities because we must distribute at least 90.0% of our
REIT taxable income, excluding net capital gains, each year to maintain our REIT tax status. As a result, our ability to fund significant capital expenditures, acquisitions or hotel development through retained earnings is very limited. Consequently, we rely upon the availability of debt or equity capital to fund any significant investments or capital improvements. Our ability to grow through acquisitions or development of hotels will be limited if we cannot obtain satisfactory debt or equity financing which will depend on market conditions. Neither our charter nor our bylaws limit the amount of debt that we can incur. However, we cannot assure you that we will be able to obtain additional equity or debt financing or that we will be able to obtain such financing on favorable terms.
Uninsured and underinsured losses could adversely affect our operating results and our ability to make distributions to the Company’s stockholders.
We maintain comprehensive insurance on each of our hotel properties, including liability, fire and extended coverage, of the type and amount we believe are customarily obtained for or by hotel owners. There are no assurances that current coverage will continue to be available at reasonable rates. Various types of catastrophic losses, like hurricanes, earthquakes and floods, such as Hurricane Helene in September 2024, Hurricane Ian in September 2022, Hurricanes Harvey and Irma in August and September 2017, respectively, Hurricane Matthew in October 2016 and Hurricane Sandy in October 2012, losses from foreign terrorist activities, such as those on September 11, 2001, losses from power outages or losses from domestic terrorist activities, such as the Oklahoma City bombing on April 19, 1995, may not be insurable or may not be economically insurable. Currently, our insurers provide terrorism coverage in conjunction with the Terrorism Risk Insurance Program sponsored by the federal government through which insurers are able to receive compensation for insured losses resulting from acts of terrorism.
In the event of a substantial loss, our insurance coverage may not be sufficient to cover the full current market value or replacement cost of our lost investment. Should an uninsured loss or a loss in excess of insured limits occur, we could lose all or a portion of the capital we have invested in a hotel, as well as the anticipated future revenue from the hotel. In that event, we might nevertheless remain obligated for any mortgage debt or other financial obligations related to the property. Inflation, changes in building codes and ordinances, environmental considerations and other factors might also keep us from using insurance proceeds to replace or renovate a hotel after it has been damaged or destroyed. Under those circumstances, the insurance proceeds we receive might be inadequate to restore our economic position on the damaged or destroyed property.
Noncompliance with governmental regulations could adversely affect our operating results.
Environmental Matters
Our hotels may be subject to environmental liabilities. An owner of real property can face liability for environmental contamination created by the presence or discharge of hazardous substances on the property. We may face liability regardless of:
•our knowledge of the contamination;
•the timing of the contamination;
•the cause of the contamination; or
•the party responsible for the contamination of the property.
There may be unknown environmental problems associated with our properties. If environmental contamination exists on our properties, we could become subject to strict, joint and several liability for the contamination by virtue of our ownership interest.
The presence of hazardous substances on a property may adversely affect our ability to sell the property and we may incur substantial remediation costs. The discovery of environmental liabilities attached to our properties could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations and financial condition and our ability to comply with our covenants and to pay distributions to stockholders.
Americans with Disabilities Act and Other Changes in Governmental Rules and Regulations
Under the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 ("ADA"), all public accommodations must meet various federal requirements related to access and use by disabled persons. Compliance with the ADA’s requirements could require removal of access barriers, and non-compliance could result in the U.S. government imposing fines or in private litigants winning damages. If we are required to make substantial modifications to our hotels, whether to comply with the ADA or other changes in governmental rules and regulations, our financial condition, results of operations and ability to comply with the terms of our loan covenants and to make distributions to the Company’s stockholders could be adversely affected.
Our hotels may be subject to unknown or contingent liabilities which could cause us to incur substantial costs.
The hotel properties that we acquire may be subject to unknown or contingent liabilities for which we may have no recourse, or only limited recourse, against the sellers. Contingent or unknown liabilities with respect to entities or properties acquired might include:
•liabilities for environmental conditions;
•losses in excess of our insured coverage;
•accrued but unpaid liabilities incurred in the ordinary course of business;
•tax, legal and regulatory liabilities;
•claims of customers, vendors or other persons dealing with the Company’s predecessors prior to our acquisition transactions that had not been asserted or were unknown prior to the Company’s acquisition transactions; and
•claims for indemnification by the general partners, officers and directors and others indemnified by the former owners of our properties.
In general, the representations and warranties provided under the transaction agreements related to the sales of the hotel properties may not survive the closing of the transactions. While we will likely seek to require the sellers to indemnify us with respect to breaches of representations and warranties that survive, such indemnification may be limited and subject to various materiality thresholds, a significant deductible or an aggregate cap on losses. As a result, there is no guarantee that we will recover any amounts with respect to losses due to breaches by the sellers of their representations and warranties. In addition, the total amount of costs and expenses that may be incurred with respect to liabilities associated with these hotels may exceed our expectations, and we may experience other unanticipated adverse effects, all of which may adversely affect our financial condition, results of operations and our ability to make distributions to the Company’s stockholders.
Future terrorist activities may adversely affect, and create uncertainty in, our business.
Terrorism in the United States or elsewhere could have an adverse effect on our business, although the degree of impact will depend on a number of factors, including the U.S. and global economies and global financial markets. Previous terrorist attacks in the United States and subsequent terrorism alerts have adversely affected the travel and hospitality industries in the past. Such attacks, or the threat of such attacks, could have a material adverse effect on our business, our ability to finance our business, our ability to insure our properties and/or our results of operations and financial condition, as a whole.
We face risks related to pandemic diseases, including COVID-19 and its variants, which could materially and adversely affect travel and result in reduced demand for our hotels.
Our business could be materially and adversely affected by the effect of a pandemic disease on the travel industry. For example, the outbreaks of SARS and avian flu in 2003 had a severe impact on the travel industry, the outbreaks of H1N1 flu in 2009 threatened to have a similar impact, the perceived threat of a Zika virus outbreak in 2016 had an impact on the south Florida market, and the COVID-19 pandemic had a severe impact on the travel industry. A prolonged recurrence of COVID-19, SARS, avian flu, H1N1 flu, Ebola virus, Zika virus or another pandemic disease also may result in health or other government authorities imposing restrictions on travel. Any of these events could result in a significant drop in demand for our hotels and adversely affect our financial conditions and results of operations.
Heightened focus on corporate responsibility, specifically related to ESG practices, may impose additional costs and expose the Company to new risks.
Companies across industries face increasing scrutiny from various stakeholders on how they address a variety of Environmental, Social and Governance (“ESG”) matters. Potential and current employees, hotel brands, hotel management companies and vendors may consider these factors when establishing and extending business relationships and hotel guests may consider these factors when choosing a hotel. With this increased focus, public reporting regarding ESG practices is becoming more broadly expected. The focus on and activism around ESG and related matters may constrain business operations or cause the Company to incur additional costs. The Company may face reputational damage in the event the Company’s corporate responsibility initiatives do not meet the standards set by various constituencies, including those of third-party providers of corporate responsibility ratings and reports. Furthermore, if competitors outperform the Company in such metrics, potential or current investors may elect to invest with the Company’s competitors, and employees, hotel brands, hotel management companies, vendors and guests may choose not to do business with the Company, which could have a material and adverse impact on the Company’s financial condition, the market price of its common shares and ability to raise capital. In addition, the SEC has issued new ESG disclosure and other requirements that would impact the Company, but such new regulations are currently voluntarily stayed by the SEC, pending resolution of certain legal challenges.
As the Company continues to invest and focus on ESG practices that the Company believes are appropriate for its business, the Company could also be criticized by ESG detractors for the scope or nature of its initiatives or goals. The Company could be subjected to negative responses of governmental actors (such as anti-ESG legislation or retaliatory legislative treatment), hotel brands, hotel management companies and hotel guests, that could have a material adverse effect on the Company’s reputation, financial condition and results of operations.
General Risks Related to the Real Estate Industry
Illiquidity of real estate investments could significantly impede our ability to respond to adverse changes in the performance of our properties and harm our financial condition.
Because real estate investments are relatively illiquid, our ability to promptly sell one or more hotel properties in our portfolio in response to changing economic, financial and investment conditions is limited.
The real estate market is affected by many factors that are beyond our control, including:
•adverse changes in international, national, regional and local economic and market conditions;
•changes in interest rates and in the cost and terms of debt financing;
•absence of liquidity in credit markets which limits the availability and amount of debt financing;
•changes in governmental laws and regulations, fiscal policies and zoning ordinances and the related costs of compliance with laws and regulations, fiscal policies and ordinances;
•the ongoing need for capital improvements, particularly in older structures;
•changes in operating expenses; and
•civil unrest, acts of war or terrorism and the consequences of terrorist acts, acts of God, including earthquakes, hurricanes, floods and other natural disasters, which may result in uninsured losses.
We may decide to sell our hotels in the future. We cannot predict whether we will be able to sell any hotel property for the price or on the terms set by us, or whether any price or other terms offered by a prospective purchaser would be acceptable to us. We also cannot predict the length of time needed to find a willing purchaser and to close the sale of a hotel property.
We may be required to expend funds to correct defects or to make improvements before a hotel property can be sold. We cannot assure you that we will have funds available to correct those defects or to make those improvements. In acquiring a hotel property, we may agree to lock-out provisions that materially restrict us from selling that property for a period of time or impose other restrictions, such as a limitation on the amount of debt that can be placed or repaid on that property. These factors and any others that would impede our ability to respond to adverse changes in the performance of our properties could have a material adverse effect on our operating results and financial condition, as well as our ability to pay distributions to stockholders.
Future acquisitions may not yield the returns expected, may result in disruptions to our business, may strain management resources and may result in stockholder dilution.
Our business strategy may not ultimately be successful and may not provide positive returns on our investments. Acquisitions may cause disruptions in our operations and divert management’s attention away from day-to-day operations. The issuance of equity securities in connection with any acquisition could be substantially dilutive to the Company’s stockholders.
Our hotels may contain or develop harmful mold, which could lead to liability for adverse health effects and costs of remediating the problem.
When excessive moisture accumulates in buildings or on building materials, mold growth may occur, particularly if the moisture problem remains undiscovered or is not addressed over a period of time. Some molds may produce airborne toxins or irritants. Concern about indoor exposure to mold has been increasing, as exposure to mold may cause a variety of adverse health effects and symptoms, including allergic or other reactions. As a result, the presence of significant mold at any of our properties could require us to undertake a costly remediation program to contain or remove the mold from the affected property, which would reduce our cash available for distribution. In addition, the presence of significant mold could expose us to liability from our guests, employees or the management company and others if property damage or health concerns arise and could harm our reputation.
Increases in property taxes or insurance costs would increase our operating costs, reduce our income and adversely affect our ability to make distributions to the Company’s stockholders.
Each of our hotel properties is subject to real and personal property taxes. These taxes may increase as tax rates change and as the properties are assessed or reassessed by taxing authorities. Additionally, we must procure property and casualty, general liability, and other lines of insurance for our hotels. The premiums we pay for insurance may increase significantly due to a number of factors, including natural disasters. If property taxes or insurance costs increase, our financial condition, results of operations and our ability to make distributions to the Company’s stockholders could be materially and adversely affected and the market price of the Company’s shares could decline.
Risks Related to Our Debt
We have substantial financial leverage.
As of December 31, 2024, the aggregate principal balances of our mortgages and unsecured debt amounted to approximately $319.3 million, not accounting for reductions of unamortized premiums or deferred financing costs as shown on our balance sheet. Historically, we have incurred debt for acquisitions and to fund our renovation, redevelopment and rebranding programs. Limitations upon our access to additional debt could adversely affect our ability to fund these programs or acquire hotels in the future.
Our financial leverage could negatively affect our business and financial results, including the following:
•require us to dedicate a substantial portion of our cash flow from operations to payments on our debt, thereby reducing funds available for operations, working capital, capital expenditures, future business opportunities, paying dividends or other purposes;
•limit our ability to obtain additional financing for working capital, renovation, redevelopment and rebranding plans, acquisitions, debt service requirements and other purposes;
•adversely affect our ability to satisfy our financial obligations, including those related to our loan covenants;
•limit our ability to refinance existing debt;
•require us to agree to additional restrictions and limitations on our business operations and capital structure to obtain financing or to modify the terms of existing obligations;
•force us to dispose of one or more of our properties, possibly on unfavorable terms;
•increase our vulnerability to adverse economic and industry conditions, and to interest rate fluctuations;
•force us to issue additional equity, possibly on terms unfavorable to existing stockholders;
•limit our flexibility to make, or react to, changes in our business and our industry; and
•place us at a competitive disadvantage, compared to our competitors that have less debt.
We must comply with financial covenants in our mortgage loan agreements.
Our mortgage loan agreements contain various financial covenants. Failure to comply with these financial covenants could result from, among other things, changes in the local competitive environment, general economic conditions and disruption caused by renovation activity or major weather disturbances.
If we violate the financial covenants contained in our mortgage loan agreements, we may attempt to negotiate waivers of the violations or amend the terms of the applicable mortgage loan agreement with the lender; however, we can make no assurance that we would be successful in any such negotiation or that, if successful in obtaining waivers or amendments, such waivers or amendments would be on attractive terms. Some mortgage loan agreements provide alternate cure provisions which may allow us to otherwise comply with the financial covenants by obtaining an appraisal of the hotel, prepaying a portion of the outstanding indebtedness or by providing cash collateral until such time as the financial covenants are met by the collateralized property without consideration of the cash collateral. Alternate cure provisions which include prepaying a portion of the outstanding indebtedness or providing cash collateral may have a material impact on our liquidity.
If we are unable to negotiate a waiver or amendment or satisfy alternate cure provisions, if any, or unable to meet any alternate cure requirements and a default were to occur, we would possibly have to refinance the debt through debt financing, private or public offerings of debt securities, additional equity financing, or by disposing of an asset. We are uncertain whether we will be able to refinance these obligations or if refinancing terms will be favorable.
We have five mortgage debt obligations maturing in 2025 and 2026 and if we are not successful in extending the terms of this indebtedness or in refinancing this debt on acceptable economic terms or at all, our overall financial condition could be materially and adversely affected.
We will be required to seek additional capital in the near future to refinance or replace existing long-term mortgage debt that is maturing. The ability to refinance or replace mortgage debt is subject to market conditions and could become limited in the future. There can be no assurance that we will be able to obtain future financings on acceptable terms, if at all. In June 2025, the mortgage on the Georgian Terrace matures. In October 2025, the mortgage on the DoubleTree Resort by Hilton Hollywood Beach matures. In April 2026, the mortgage on the DoubleTree by Hilton Philadelphia Airport matures. In July 2026, the first and second mortgages on The DeSoto mature. We also have additional significant obligations maturing in subsequent years. The total aggregate amount of our debt obligations scheduled to mature in 2025, inclusive of monthly principal and interest amortization of all our indebtedness, not including lease obligations, is approximately $110.5 million, which represents approximately 30.2% of our total debt obligations outstanding as of December 31, 2024. The total aggregate amount of our debt obligations scheduled to mature in 2026, inclusive of monthly principal and interest amortization of all our mortgage indebtedness, is approximately $111.5 million, which represents approximately 30.5% of our total debt obligations outstanding as of December 31, 2024. The Hotel Ballast Wilmington, Tapestry Collection by Hilton's aggregate debt, is set to mature on January 1, 2027, for approximately $29.8 million, however this is included in the 2026 maturities due to timing. The total aggregate amount of our debt obligations scheduled to mature in 2027, inclusive of monthly principal and interest amortization of all our mortgage indebtedness, is approximately $10.9 million, which represents approximately 3.0% of our total debt obligations outstanding as of December 31, 2024.
We will need to, and plan to, renew, replace or extend our long-term indebtedness prior to the respective maturity date. If we are unable to extend our maturing loans, we may be required to repay the outstanding principal amount at maturity or a portion of such indebtedness upon refinance. If we do not have sufficient funds to repay any portion of the indebtedness, it may be necessary to raise capital through debt financing, private or public offerings of debt securities or equity financings. We are uncertain whether we will be able to refinance this obligation or if refinancing terms will be favorable. If, at the time of any refinancing, prevailing interest rates or other factors result in higher interest rates on refinancing, increases in interest expense would lower our cash flow, and, consequently, cash available to meet our financial obligations. If we are unable to obtain alternative or additional financing arrangements in the future, or if we cannot obtain financing on acceptable terms, we may not be able to execute our business strategies or we may be forced to dispose of hotel properties on disadvantageous terms, potentially resulting in losses and potentially reducing cash flow from operating activities if the sale proceeds in excess of the amount required to satisfy the indebtedness could not be reinvested in equally profitable real property investments. Moreover, the terms of any additional financing may restrict our financial flexibility, including the debt we may incur in the future, or may restrict our ability to manage our business as we had intended. To the extent we cannot repay our outstanding debt, we risk losing some or all of our hotel properties to foreclosure and we could be required to invoke insolvency proceedings including, but not limited to, commencing a voluntary case under the U.S. Bankruptcy Code.
For tax purposes, a foreclosure of any of our hotels would be treated as a sale of the hotel for a purchase price equal to the outstanding balance of the debt secured by the mortgage. If the outstanding balance of the debt secured by the mortgage exceeds our tax basis in the hotel, we would recognize taxable income on foreclosure, but we would not receive any cash proceeds, which could hinder Sotherly’s ability to meet the REIT distribution requirements imposed by the Code. In addition, we have given full or partial guarantees to lenders of mortgage debt on behalf of the entities that own our hotels. When we give a guarantee on behalf of an entity that owns one of our hotels, we will be responsible to the lender for satisfaction of the debt if it is not paid by such entity.
Our borrowing costs are sensitive to fluctuations in interest rates.
Higher interest rates could increase our debt service requirements and interest expense. Currently, our floating rate debt is limited to the mortgages on the DoubleTree by Hilton Jacksonville Riverfront, the DoubleTree by Hilton Philadelphia Airport, and The Whitehall, in Houston, Texas. The mortgages on the DoubleTree by Hilton Jacksonville Riverfront and the DoubleTree by Hilton Philadelphia Airport bear interest at a rate tied to SOFR. The mortgage on The Whitehall, in Houston, Texas bears interest at a rate tied to the New York Prime Rate. Each mortgage provides for a substitute rate and minimum rates of interest. To the extent that increases in SOFR or New York Prime Rate, or a substitute rate of interest cause the interest on the mortgages to exceed the minimum rates of interest, we are exposed to rising interest rates.
Should we obtain new debt financing or refinance existing indebtedness, we may increase the amount of floating rate debt that currently exists. In addition, adverse economic conditions could also cause the terms on which we borrow to be unfavorable.
Risks Related to Our Organization and Structure
Our ability to effect a merger or other business combination transaction may be restricted by our Operating Partnership agreement.
In the event of a change of control of the Company, the limited partners of our Operating Partnership will have the right, for a period of 30 days following the change of control event, to cause the Operating Partnership to redeem all of the units held by the limited partners for a cash amount equal to the cash redemption amount otherwise payable upon redemption pursuant to the
partnership agreement. This cash redemption right may make it more unlikely or difficult for a third party to propose or consummate a change of control transaction, even if such transaction were in the best interests of the Company’s stockholders.
Provisions of the Company’s charter may limit the ability of a third party to acquire control of the Company.
Aggregate Share and Common Share Ownership Limits
The Company’s charter provides that no person may directly or indirectly own more than 9.9% of the value of the Company’s outstanding shares of capital stock or more than 9.9% of the number of the Company’s outstanding shares of common stock. These ownership limitations may prevent an acquisition of control of the Company by a third party without the Company’s board of directors’ approval, even if the Company’s stockholders believe the change of control is in their best interest. The Company’s board of directors has discretion to waive that ownership limit if, including other considerations, the board receives evidence that ownership in excess of the limit will not jeopardize the Company’s REIT status.
Authority to Issue Stock
The Company’s amended and restated charter authorizes our board of directors to issue up to 69,000,000 shares of common stock and up to 11,000,000 shares of preferred stock, to classify or reclassify any unissued shares of common stock or preferred stock and to set the preferences, rights and other terms of the classified or reclassified shares. Issuances of additional shares of stock may have the effect of delaying or preventing a change in control of the Company, including transactions at a premium over the market price of the Company’s stock, even if stockholders believe that a change of control is in their best interest. The Company will be able to issue additional shares of common or preferred stock without stockholder approval, unless stockholder approval is required by applicable law or the rules of any stock exchange or automated quotation system on which the Company’s securities may be listed or traded.
Provisions of Maryland law may limit the ability of a third party to acquire control of the Company.
Certain provisions of the Maryland General Corporation Law ("MGCL") may have the effect of inhibiting a third party from making a proposal to acquire us or of impeding a change of control under circumstances that otherwise could provide the holders of shares of the Company’s common stock with the opportunity to realize a premium over the then-prevailing market price of such shares, including:
•“business combination” provisions that, subject to limitations, prohibit certain business combinations between us and an “interested stockholder” (defined generally as any person who beneficially owns 10.0% or more of the voting power of our shares or an affiliate thereof) for five years after the most recent date on which the stockholder becomes an interested stockholder, and thereafter imposes special appraisal rights and special stockholder voting requirements on these combinations; and
•“control share” provisions that provide that “control shares” of the Company (defined as shares which, when aggregated with other shares controlled by the stockholder, entitle the stockholder to exercise one of three increasing ranges of voting power in electing directors) acquired in a “control share acquisition” (defined as the direct or indirect acquisition of ownership or control of “control shares”) have no voting rights except to the extent approved by the Company’s stockholders by the affirmative vote of at least two-thirds of all the votes entitled to be cast on the matter, excluding all interested shares.
The Company has opted out of these provisions of the MGCL, in the case of the business combination provisions of the MGCL, by resolution of the Company’s board of directors, and in the case of the control share provisions of the MGCL pursuant to a provision in the Company’s bylaws. However, the Company’s board of directors may by resolution elect to opt into the business combination provisions of the MGCL and the Company may, by amendment to its bylaws, opt into the control share provisions of the MGCL in the future. The Company’s board of directors has the exclusive power to amend the Company’s bylaws.
Additionally, Title 8, Subtitle 3 of the MGCL permits the Company’s board of directors, without stockholder approval and regardless of what is currently provided in the Company’s charter or bylaws, to implement takeover defenses, some of which (for example, a classified board) the Company does not currently have. These provisions may have the effect of inhibiting a third party from making an acquisition proposal for the Company or of delaying, deferring or preventing a change in control of the Company under the circumstances that otherwise could provide the holders of the Company’s common stock with the opportunity to realize a premium over the then current market price.
Provisions in the Company’s executive employment agreements may make a change of control of the Company more costly or difficult.
The Company’s employment agreements with Andrew M. Sims, our Chairman, David R. Folsom, our President and Chief Executive Officer, Anthony E. Domalski, our Secretary and Chief Financial Officer, Scott M. Kucinski, our Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, Robert E. Kirkland IV, our General Counsel, and Andrew M. Sims Jr., our Vice President - Operations &
Investor Relations, contain provisions providing for substantial payments to these officers in the event of a change of control of the Company. Specifically, if the Company terminates these executives’ employment without cause or the executive resigns with good reason (which for Sims, Folsom, and Domalski, includes a failure to nominate Andrew M. Sims to the Company’s board of directors or his involuntary removal from the Company’s board of directors, unless for cause or by vote of the stockholders), or if there is a change of control, each of these executives is entitled to the following:
•any accrued but unpaid salary and bonuses;
•vesting of any previously issued stock options and restricted stock;
•payment of the executive’s life, health and disability insurance coverage for a period of five years following termination;
•any unreimbursed expenses; and
•a severance payment equal to three times for each executive’s respective combined salary and actual bonus compensation for the preceding fiscal year.
In the event that the Company elects not to renew Mr. Folsom’s employment agreement, then Mr. Folsom is entitled to receive the following: (i) any accrued but unpaid salary and bonuses; (ii) a severance payment equal to Mr. Folsom’s combined salary and actual bonus compensation for the preceding fiscal year, to be paid within five (5) days of Mr. Folsom’s last day of employment; and (iii) payment of the full premium (including administrative fee) for continuing health insurance coverage under COBRA or any similar state law for a period of two (2) years following the expiration of Mr. Folsom’s employment agreement.
In addition, these executives will receive additional payments to compensate them for the additional taxes, if any, imposed on them under Section 4999 of the Code by reason of receipt of excess parachute payments. We will not be able to deduct any of the above amounts paid to the executives for tax purposes.
These provisions may make a change of control of the Company, even if it is in the best interests of the Company’s stockholders, more costly and difficult and may reduce the amounts the Company’s stockholders would receive in a change of control transaction.
Failure to meet Nasdaq’s continued listing requirements could result in the delisting of our common stock, negatively impact the price of our common stock and negatively impact our ability to raise additional capital.
We must continue to satisfy The Nasdaq Stock Market LLC (“Nasdaq”) continued listing requirements, including, among other things, certain corporate governance requirements and a minimum closing bid price requirement of $1.00 per share. If a company fails for 30 consecutive business days to meet the $1.00 minimum closing bid price requirement, Nasdaq will send a deficiency notice to the company, advising that it has been afforded a “compliance period” of 180 calendar days to regain compliance with the applicable requirements.
On February 11, 2025, we received a deficiency letter from Nasdaq notifying us that, for the last 30 consecutive business days, the closing bid price for our common stock was below the minimum $1.00 per share required for continued listing on Nasdaq pursuant to the minimum closing bid price requirement. The Nasdaq deficiency letter had no immediate effect on the listing of our common stock. In accordance with Nasdaq Listing Rule 5810(c)(3)(A), we have been given 180 calendar days, or until August 11, 2025, to regain compliance with the minimum closing bid price requirement by causing our stock to close above $1.00 for a minimum of 10 consecutive trading days. If we do not regain compliance with the minimum closing bid price requirement by August 11, 2025, we may be afforded a second 180 calendar day period to regain compliance. To qualify, we would be required to transfer to The Nasdaq Capital Market and meet the continued listing and all other applicable requirements for initial listing on The Nasdaq Capital Market, except for the minimum bid price requirement. In addition, we would be required to notify Nasdaq of our intent to cure the deficiency during the second compliance period. If Nasdaq concludes that we will not be able to cure the deficiency, or if we do not regain compliance with the minimum bid price requirement within such additional 180 calendar day compliance period, Nasdaq will provide written notification to us that our common stock will be subject to delisting. We will have the right to appeal a delisting determination, and our common stock will remain listed on Nasdaq until the completion of the appeal process.
If our common stock becomes subject to delisting, it would be subject to rules that impose additional sales practice requirements on broker-dealers who sell our securities. The additional burdens imposed upon broker-dealers by these requirements could discourage broker-dealers from effecting transactions in our common stock. This would adversely affect the ability of investors to trade our common stock and would adversely affect the value of our common stock. These factors could contribute to lower prices and larger spreads in the bid and ask prices for our common stock. If we seek to implement a reverse stock split in order to remain listed on Nasdaq, the announcement or implementation of such a reverse stock split could negatively affect the price of our common stock.
Our ownership limitations may restrict or prevent you from engaging in certain transfers of the Company’s common stock or preferred stock.
In order to maintain the Company’s REIT qualification, it cannot be closely held (i.e., more than 50.0% in value of our outstanding stock cannot be owned, directly or indirectly, by five or fewer individuals during the last half of any taxable year). To preserve the Company’s REIT qualification, the Company’s charter contains a 9.9% aggregate share ownership limit and a 9.9% common share ownership limit. Generally, any shares of the Company’s stock owned by affiliated persons will be added together for purposes of the aggregate share ownership limit, and any shares of common stock owned by affiliated owners will be added together for purposes of the common share ownership limit.
If anyone transfers shares in a way that would violate the aggregate share ownership limit or the common share ownership limit, or prevent the Company from continuing to qualify as a REIT under the federal income tax laws, those shares instead will be transferred to a trust for the benefit of a charitable beneficiary and will be either redeemed by us or sold to a person whose ownership of the shares will not violate the aggregate share ownership limit or the common share ownership limit. If this transfer to a trust fails to prevent such a violation or fails to preserve the Company’s continued qualification as a REIT, then the Company will consider the initial intended transfer to be null and void from the outset. The intended transferee of those shares will be deemed never to have owned the shares. Anyone who acquires shares in violation of the aggregate share ownership limit, the common share ownership limit or the other restrictions on transfer in the Company’s charter bears the risk of suffering a financial loss when the shares are redeemed or sold if the market price of the Company’s stock falls between the date of purchase and the date of redemption or sale.
The Company’s articles supplementary establishing and fixing the rights and preferences of each of our 8.0% Series B Cumulative Redeemable Perpetual Preferred Stock (the “Series B Preferred Stock”), 7.875% Series C Cumulative Redeemable Perpetual Preferred Stock (the “Series C Preferred Stock”), and 8.25% Series D Cumulative Redeemable Perpetual Preferred Stock (the “Series D Preferred Stock”, and together with the Series B Preferred Stock and the Series C Preferred Stock, the "Preferred Stock"), provide that no person may directly or indirectly own more than 9.9% of the aggregate number of outstanding shares of Series B Preferred Stock, Series C Preferred Stock, or Series D Preferred Stock, respectively, excluding any outstanding shares of Series B Preferred Stock, Series C Preferred Stock, or Series D Preferred Stock not treated as outstanding for federal income tax purposes. The Company’s board of directors has discretion to waive that ownership limit if, including other considerations, the board receives evidence that ownership in excess of the limit will not jeopardize the Company’s REIT status.
Holders of our outstanding preferred shares have dividend, liquidation and other rights that are senior to the rights of the holders of our common shares.
Our board of directors has the authority to designate and issue preferred shares with liquidation, dividend and other rights that are senior to those of our common shares. As of December 31, 2024, 1,464,100 shares of our Series B Preferred Stock were issued and outstanding, 1,346,110 shares of our Series C Preferred Stock were issued and outstanding, and 1,163,100 shares of our Series D Preferred Stock were issued and outstanding. The aggregate liquidation preference with respect to the outstanding shares of Series B Preferred Stock is approximately $44.7 million, and annual dividends on our outstanding shares of Series B Preferred Stock are approximately $2.9 million. The aggregate liquidation preference with respect to the outstanding shares of Series C Preferred Stock is approximately $40.9 million, and annual dividends on our outstanding shares of Series C Preferred Stock are approximately $2.7 million. The aggregate liquidation preference with respect to the outstanding shares of Series D Preferred Stock is approximately $35.7 million, and annual dividends on our outstanding shares of Series D Preferred Stock are approximately $2.4 million. Holders of our Preferred Stock are entitled to cumulative dividends before any dividends may be declared or set aside on our common shares. Upon our voluntary or involuntary liquidation, dissolution or winding up, before any payment is made to holders of our common shares, holders of these preferred shares are entitled to receive a liquidation preference of $25.00 per share plus any accrued and unpaid distributions. This will reduce the remaining amount of our assets, if any, available to distribute to holders of our common shares. In addition, holders of the Series B Preferred Stock, Series C Preferred Stock, and Series D Preferred Stock voting together as a separate class have the right to elect two additional directors to our board of directors whenever dividends on the preferred shares are in arrears in an aggregate amount equivalent to six or more quarterly dividends (whether or not consecutive). As of December 31, 2024, distributions on our Preferred Stock are in arrears for the last eleven quarterly payments. Therefore, the holders of our Preferred Stock are entitled to vote for the election of a total of two additional directors of the Company, at a special meeting or at the next annual meeting of stockholders and at each subsequent annual meeting of the stockholders until full cumulative distributions for all past unpaid periods are paid or declared and a sum sufficient for the payment thereof in cash is set aside. No dividends may be paid on our common stock until such time as the Preferred Stock distributions are made current.
Because our decision to issue securities will depend on market conditions and other factors beyond our control, we cannot predict or estimate the amount, timing or nature of any future preferred offerings. Thus, our stockholders bear the risk of our future securities issuances reducing the market price of our common shares and diluting their interest.
The change of control conversion and redemption features of the Company’s preferred stock may make it more difficult for a party to take over our Company or discourage a party from taking over our Company.
Upon a change of control (as defined in our charter), holders of our Preferred Stock will have the right (unless, as provided in our charter, we have provided or provide notice of our election to exercise our special optional redemption right before the relevant date) to convert some or all of their shares of preferred stock into shares of our common stock (or equivalent value of alternative consideration). Upon such a conversion, holders will be limited to a maximum number of shares equal to the share cap, subject to adjustments. Each holder of Series B Preferred Stock is entitled to receive a maximum of 8.29187 shares of our common stock per share of Series B Preferred Stock, which may result in the holder receiving value that is less than the liquidation preference of the Series B Preferred Stock. Each holders of Series C Preferred Stock is entitled to receive a maximum of 8.50340 shares of our common stock per share of Series C Preferred Stock, which may result in the holder receiving value that is less than the liquidation preference of the Series C Preferred Stock. Each holder of Series D Preferred Stock is entitled to receive a maximum of 7.39645 shares of our common stock per share of Series D Preferred Stock, which may result in the holder receiving value that is less than the liquidation preference of the Series D Preferred Stock. In addition, those features of our Preferred Stock may have the effect of inhibiting or discouraging a third party from making an acquisition proposal for our Company or of delaying, deferring or preventing a change in control of our Company under circumstances that otherwise could provide the holders of shares of our common stock and shares of our Preferred Stock with the opportunity to realize a premium over the then current market price or that stockholders may otherwise believe is in their best interests.
Our organizational documents have no limitation on the amount of indebtedness we may incur. As a result, we may become highly leveraged in the future, which could materially and adversely affect us.
Our business strategy contemplates the use of both secured and unsecured debt to finance long-term growth. In addition, our organizational documents contain no limitations on the amount of debt that we may incur, and the Company’s board of directors may change our financing policy at any time. As a result, we may be able to incur substantial additional debt, including secured debt, in the future. Incurring debt could subject us to many risks, including the risks that:
•our cash flows from operations may be insufficient to make required payments of principal and interest;
•our debt may increase our vulnerability to adverse economic and industry conditions;
•we may be required to dedicate a substantial portion of our cash flows from operations to payments on our debt, thereby reducing cash available for funds available for operations and capital expenditures, future business opportunities or other purposes; and
•the terms of any refinancing may not be in the same amount or on terms as favorable as the terms of the existing debt being refinanced.
The board of directors’ revocation of the Company’s REIT status without stockholder approval may decrease the Company’s stockholders’ total return.
The Company’s charter provides that the Company’s board of directors may revoke or otherwise terminate the Company’s REIT election, without the approval of the Company’s stockholders, if the Company’s board of directors determines that it is no longer in the Company’s best interest to continue to qualify as a REIT. If the Company ceases to be a REIT, it would become subject to federal income tax on its taxable income and would no longer be required to distribute most of its taxable income to the Company’s stockholders, which may have adverse consequences on our total return to the Company’s stockholders.
The ability of the Company’s board of directors to change the Company’s major corporate policies may not be in your best interest.
The Company’s board of directors determines the Company’s major corporate policies, including its acquisition, financing, growth, operations and distribution policies. The Company’s board of directors may amend or revise these and other policies from time to time without the vote or consent of the Company’s stockholders.
Our success depends on key personnel whose continued service is not guaranteed.
We depend on the efforts and expertise of our Chairman, Andrew M. Sims; our President and Chief Executive Officer, David R. Folsom; our Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, Scott M. Kucinski; and our Secretary and Chief Financial Officer, Anthony E. Domalski, to manage our day-to-day operations and strategic business direction. The loss of any of their services could have an adverse effect on our operations.
Risks Related to Conflicts of Interest of Our Officers and Directors
Conflicts of interest could result in our executive officers and certain of our directors acting in a manner other than in the Company’s stockholders’ best interest.
Conflicts of interest relating to Our Town, the entity that manages our ten wholly-owned hotels and our two condominium hotel rental programs, and the terms of our management agreements with Our Town may lead to management decisions that are not in the stockholders’ best interest.
Conflicts of interest relating to Our Town may lead to management decisions that are not in the stockholders’ best interest. An affiliate of Andrew M. Sims, our Chairman, an affiliate of David R. Folsom, our President and Chief Executive Officer, and Andrew M. Sims Jr., our Vice President - Operations & Investor Relations, together own an interest of approximately 84.0%, as of March 14, 2025, in Our Town. Mr. Sims, Mr. Folsom, and Mr. Sims Jr. serve as directors of Our Town.
Our management agreements with Our Town establish the terms of Our Town’s management of our hotels covered by those agreements. The OTH Master Agreement provides that in the event the agreement is terminated in connection with the sale of a hotel, and Our Town accepts an offer to manage another hotel which is reasonably comparable to the hotel that was sold, we will not be liable for any termination fee. If we do not offer Our Town such opportunity or Our Town declines such opportunity, then a termination fee equivalent to the lesser of the management fees paid for the prior twelve-month period or the management fees for the period prior to the sale that is equal to the number of months remaining under the term of the agreement will be due. If we terminate a hotel management agreement at the end of any renewable five-year term, Our Town is due a termination fee equivalent to one month’s management fees, as determined under the agreement.
As owners of Our Town, which would receive any management and management termination fees payable by us under the management agreements, Mr. Sims or Mr. Folsom may influence our decisions to sell a hotel or acquire or develop a hotel when it is not in the best interests of the Company’s stockholders to do so. In addition, Mr. Sims and Mr. Folsom will have conflicts of interest with respect to decisions to enforce provisions of the management agreements, including any termination thereof.
Mr. Sims and Mr. Folsom approve the budgets upon which the incentive management fee payable to Our Town is based. As owners of Our Town, which would receive any incentive management fees payable by us under the management agreements, Mr. Sims or Mr. Folsom may influence the budget process, including the revenue and profitability targets set for each hotel. The incentive management fees are based on each hotel exceeding budgeted profitability targets.
We purchase employee medical benefits through Our Town (or its affiliate) for those employees employed by Our Town who work exclusively for our properties. Mr. Sims and Mr. Folsom participate in the budget approval process confirming employee insurance rates paid to Our Town. For the year ended December 31, 2023, we received a rebate from Our Town equal to 70% of the annual surplus for the respective year. For the year ended December 31, 2024, no annual surplus was deemed to exist.
There can be no assurance that provisions in our bylaws will always be successful in mitigating conflicts of interest.
Under our bylaws, a committee consisting of only independent directors must approve any transaction between us and Our Town, or any interested director. However, there can be no assurance that these policies always will be successful in mitigating such conflicts, and decisions could be made that might not fully reflect the interests of all of the Company’s stockholders.
Federal Income Tax Risks Related to the Company’s Status as a REIT
The federal income tax laws governing REITs are complex.
The Company intends to operate in a manner that will maintain its qualification as a REIT under the federal income tax laws. The REIT qualification requirements are extremely complex, however, and interpretations of the federal income tax laws governing qualification as a REIT are limited. The Company has not requested or obtained a ruling from the Internal Revenue Service ("IRS") that it qualifies as a REIT. Accordingly, we cannot be certain that the Company will be successful in operating in a manner that will permit it to qualify as a REIT. At any time, new laws, interpretations or court decisions may change the federal tax laws or the federal income tax consequences of the Company’s qualification as a REIT. We cannot predict when or if any new federal income tax law, regulation or administrative interpretation, or any amendment to any existing federal income tax law, regulation or administrative interpretation, will be adopted, promulgated or become effective and any such law, regulation or interpretation may take effect retroactively. The Company and its stockholders could be adversely affected by any such change in, or any new, federal income tax law, regulation or administrative interpretation. We are not aware, however, of any pending tax legislation that would adversely affect the Company’s ability to qualify as a REIT.
Failure to make distributions could subject the Company to tax.
In order to maintain its qualification as a REIT, each year the Company must pay out to its stockholders in distributions, as “qualifying distributions,” at least 90.0% of its REIT taxable income, computed without regard to the deductions for dividends paid and excluding net capital gains and reduced by certain noncash items. To the extent that the Company satisfies this distribution requirement, but distributes less than 100.0% of its taxable income (including its net capital gain), it will be subject to federal corporate income tax on its undistributed taxable income. In addition, the Company will be subject to a 4.0% nondeductible excise tax if the actual amount that it pays out to its stockholders as a “qualifying distribution” for a calendar year is less than the sum of: (A) 85.0% of our ordinary income for such calendar year, plus (B) 95.0% of our capital gain net income for such calendar year. The Company’s only recurring source of funds to make these distributions comes from rent received from its TRS Lessees whose only recurring source of funds with which to make these payments and distributions is the net cash flow (after payment of operating and other costs and expenses and management fees) from hotel operations, and any dividend and other distributions that we may receive from MHI Holding. Accordingly, the Company may be required to borrow money or sell assets to make distributions sufficient to enable it to pay out enough of its taxable income to satisfy the distribution requirement and to avoid corporate income tax and the 4.0% nondeductible excise tax in a particular year.
Failure to qualify as a REIT would subject the Company to federal income tax.
If the Company fails to qualify as a REIT in any taxable year, it will be required to pay federal income tax on its taxable income at regular corporate rates. The resulting tax liability might cause the Company to borrow funds, liquidate some of its investments or take other steps that could negatively affect its operating results in order to pay any such tax. Unless it is entitled to relief under certain statutory provisions, the Company would be disqualified from treatment as a REIT for the four taxable years following the year in which it lost its qualification. If the Company lost its REIT status, its net earnings available for investment or distribution to stockholders would be significantly reduced for each of the years involved. In addition, the Company would no longer be required to make distributions to its stockholders, and it would not be able to deduct any stockholder distributions in computing its taxable income. This would substantially reduce the Company’s earnings, cash available to pay distributions, and the value of common stock.
Failure to qualify as a REIT may cause the Company to reduce or eliminate distributions to its stockholders, and the Company may face increased difficulty in raising capital or obtaining financing.
If the Company fails to remain qualified as a REIT, it may have to reduce or eliminate any distributions to its stockholders in order to satisfy its income tax liabilities. Any distributions that the Company does make to its stockholders would be treated as taxable dividends to the extent of its current and accumulated earnings and profits. This may result in negative investor and market perception regarding the market value of the Company’s stock, and the value of its stock may be reduced. In addition, the Company and the Operating Partnership may face increased difficulty in raising capital or obtaining financing if the Company fails to qualify or remain qualified as a REIT because of the resulting tax liability and potential reduction of its market valuation.
If MHI Holding exceeds certain value thresholds, this could cause the Company to fail to qualify as a REIT.
A REIT may own up to 100% of the stock of one or more TRSs. A TRS may hold assets and earn income that would not be qualifying assets or income if held or earned directly by a REIT. Overall, no more than 20.0% of the value of a REIT’s assets may consist of stock or securities of one or more TRSs. MHI Holding is a TRS and the Company may form other TRSs in the future. The Company plans to monitor the value of its shares of MHI Holding and of any other TRS the Company may form. However, there can be no assurance that the IRS will not attempt to attribute additional value to the shares of MHI Holding or to the shares of any other TRS that the Company may form. If the Company is treated as owning securities of one or more TRSs with an aggregate value that is in excess of the thresholds outlined above, the Company could lose its status as a REIT or become subject to penalties.
The Company’s transactions with MHI Holding may cause it to be subject to a 100% excise tax on certain income or deductions if such transactions are not conducted on arm’s-length terms.
Rent paid to the Company by the TRS Lessees cannot be based on net income or profits for such rents to qualify as “rents from real property.” We receive some percentage rent from the TRS Lessees that is calculated based on the gross revenues-not based on net income or profits. If the IRS determines that the rent paid pursuant to our leases with the TRS Lessees are excessive, the deductibility thereof by the TRS Lessees may be challenged, and we could be subject to a 100% excise tax on “re-determined rent” or “re-determined deductions” to the extent that such rent exceeds an arm’s-length amount. We believe that our rent and other transactions with the TRS Lessees are based on arm’s-length amounts and reflect normal business practices, but there can be no assurance that the IRS will agree with our belief.
Even if the Company remains qualified as a REIT, it may face other tax liabilities that reduce its cash flow.
Even if the Company remains qualified for taxation as a REIT, it may be subject to certain federal, state and local taxes on its income and assets. For example:
•it will be required to pay federal and state corporate income tax on undistributed REIT taxable income (including net capital gain);
•if it has net income from the disposition of foreclosure property held primarily for sale to customers in the ordinary course of business or other non-qualifying income from foreclosure property, it must pay federal corporate income tax on such income;
•if it (or the Operating Partnership or any subsidiary of the Operating Partnership other than MHI Holding) sells a property in a “prohibited transaction,” its gain, or its share of such gain, from the sale would be subject to a 100.0% penalty tax. A “prohibited transaction” would be a sale of property, other than a foreclosure property, held primarily for sale to customers in the ordinary course of business;
•it may, in certain circumstances, be required to pay an excise or penalty tax (which could be significant in amount) in order to utilize one or more relief provisions under the Code to maintain its qualification as a REIT;
•MHI Holding is a fully taxable corporation and is required to pay federal and state taxes on its taxable income; and
•it may experience increases in its state and/or local income tax burdens as states and localities continue to look to modify their tax laws in order to raise revenues, including by (among other things) changing from a net taxable income-based regime to a gross receipts-based regime, suspending and/or limiting the use of net operating losses ("NOL"), increasing tax rates and fees, imposing surcharges and subjecting partnerships to an entity-level tax, and limiting or disallowing certain U.S. federal deductions such as the dividends-paid deduction.
Complying with REIT requirements may cause the Company to forgo attractive opportunities that could otherwise generate strong risk-adjusted returns and instead pursue less attractive opportunities, or none at all.
To qualify as a REIT for federal income tax purposes, the Company must continually satisfy tests concerning, among other things, the sources of its income, the nature and diversification of its assets, the amounts it distributes to its stockholders and the ownership of its stock.
In general, when applying these tests, the Company is treated as owning its proportionate share of the Operating Partnership’s assets (which share is determined in accordance with the Company’s capital interest in the Operating Partnership) and as being entitled to the Operating Partnership’s income attributable to such share. Thus, compliance with the REIT requirements may hinder our ability to operate solely on the basis of generating strong risk-adjusted returns on invested capital for our stockholders.
Complying with REIT requirements may force the Company to liquidate otherwise attractive investments, which could result in an overall loss on its investments.
To maintain qualification as a REIT, the Company must ensure that at the end of each calendar quarter at least 75.0% of the value of its assets consists of cash, cash items, government securities and qualified REIT real estate assets. The remainder of the Company’s assets (other than securities of one or more TRSs) generally cannot include more than 10.0% of the outstanding voting securities of any one issuer or more than 10.0% of the total value of the outstanding securities of any one issuer. In addition, in general, no more than 5.0% of the value of the Company’s assets (other than government securities, qualified real estate assets and securities of one or more TRSs) can consist of the securities of any one issuer, and no more than 20.0% of the value of the Company’s total assets can be represented by securities of one or more TRSs.
When applying these asset tests, the Company is treated as owning its proportionate share of the Operating Partnership’s assets (which is determined in accordance with the Company’s capital interest in the Operating Partnership). If the Company fails to comply with these requirements at the end of any calendar quarter, it must correct such failure within 30 days after the end of the calendar quarter to avoid losing its REIT status and suffering adverse tax consequences. If the Company fails to comply with these requirements at the end of any calendar quarter, and the failure exceeds a de-minimis threshold, the Company may be able to preserve its REIT status if the failure was due to reasonable cause and not to willful neglect. In this case, we will be required to dispose of the assets causing the failure within six months after the last day of the quarter in which the failure occurred, and we will be required to pay an additional tax of the greater of $50,000 or the product of the net income generated on those assets multiplied by the federal corporate income tax rate of 21.0%.
As a result, we may be required to liquidate otherwise attractive investments.
If the Operating Partnership fails to qualify as a partnership for federal income tax purposes, the Company could cease to qualify as a REIT and suffer other adverse consequences.
We believe that the Operating Partnership will continue to qualify to be treated as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes for so long as the Operating Partnership has more than one partner. As a partnership, the Operating Partnership is not subject to federal income tax on its income. Instead, each of its partners, including the Company, will be required to pay tax on its allocable share of the Operating Partnership’s income. We cannot assure you, however, that the IRS will not challenge the Operating Partnership’s status as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes, or that a court would not sustain such a challenge. If the IRS were successful in treating the Operating Partnership as a corporation for federal income tax purposes, the Company could fail to meet the gross income tests and certain of the asset tests applicable to REITs and, accordingly, cease to qualify as a REIT. Also, if the Operating Partnership were to be classified as a corporation for federal income tax purposes, the Operating Partnership would become subject to federal and state corporate income tax, which would reduce significantly the amount of cash available for debt service and for distribution to its partners, including the Company.
The Company’s failure to qualify as a REIT would have serious adverse consequences to its stockholders.
The Company elected to be taxed as a REIT under Sections 856 through 860 of the Code, commencing with its taxable year ended December 31, 2004. The Company believes it has operated so as to qualify as a REIT under the Code and believes that its current organization and method of operation comply with the rules and regulations promulgated under the Code to enable the Company to continue to qualify as a REIT. However, it is possible that the Company has been organized or has operated in a manner that would not allow it to qualify as a REIT, or that its future operations could cause it to fail to qualify. Qualification as a REIT requires the Company to satisfy numerous requirements (some on an annual and others on a quarterly basis) established under highly technical and complex sections of the Code for which there are only limited judicial and administrative interpretations and involves the determination of various factual matters and circumstances not entirely within its control. For example, in order to qualify as a REIT, the Company must satisfy a 75.0% gross income test pursuant to Code Section 856(c)(3) and a 95.0% gross income test pursuant to Code Section 856(c)(2) each taxable year. In addition, the Company must pay dividends, as “qualifying distributions,” to its stockholders aggregating annually at least 90.0% of its REIT taxable income (determined without regard to the dividends-paid deduction and by excluding capital gains and also reduced by certain noncash items) and must satisfy specified asset tests on a quarterly basis. While historically the Company has satisfied the distribution requirement discussed above, by making cash distributions to its stockholders, the Company may choose to satisfy this requirement by making distributions of cash or other property, including, in limited circumstances, its stock. The provisions of the Code and applicable Treasury regulations regarding qualification as a REIT are more complicated in the Company’s case because it holds its assets through the Operating Partnership.
If MHI Holding does not qualify as a TRS, or if the Company’s hotel manager does not qualify as an “eligible independent contractor,” the Company would fail to qualify as a REIT and would be subject to higher taxes and have less cash available for distribution to its stockholders.
Rent paid by a lessee that is a “related party tenant” of ours will not be qualifying income for purposes of the two gross income tests applicable to REITs, as noted above. The Company currently leases substantially all of its hotels to the TRS Lessees, which are disregarded entities for U.S. federal income tax purposes and are wholly-owned by MHI Holding, a TRS, and expects to continue to do so. So long as MHI Holding qualifies as a TRS, it will not be treated as a “related party tenant” with respect to the Company’s properties that are managed by an independent hotel management company that qualifies as an “eligible independent contractor.” The Company believes that MHI Holding will continue to qualify to be treated as a TRS for federal income tax purposes, but there can be no assurance that the IRS will not challenge this status or that a court would not sustain such a challenge. If the IRS were successful in such challenge, it is possible that the Company would fail to meet the asset tests applicable to REITs and substantially all of its income would fail to be qualifying income for purposes of the two gross income tests. If the Company failed to meet any of the asset or gross income tests, it would likely lose its REIT qualification for federal income tax purposes.
Additionally, if the Company’s hotel manager does not qualify as an “eligible independent contractor,” the Company would fail to qualify as a REIT. Each hotel manager that enters into a management contract with the TRS Lessees must qualify as an “eligible independent contractor” under the REIT rules in order for the rent paid by the TRS Lessees to be qualifying income for purposes of the REIT gross income tests. Among other requirements, in order to qualify as an eligible independent contractor, a hotel manager must not own, directly or through its stockholders, more than 35.0% of the Company’s outstanding shares, taking into account certain ownership attribution rules. The ownership attribution rules that apply for purposes of these 35.0% thresholds are complex. Although the Company intends to monitor ownership of its shares by its hotel manager and its owners, there can be no assurance that these ownership levels will not be exceeded.
In addition, for the Company’s hotel management company to qualify as an “eligible independent contractor,” such company or a related person must be actively engaged in the trade or business of operating “qualified lodging facilities” (as defined below) for one or more persons not related to the REIT or its TRSs at each time that such company enters into a hotel management contract with a
TRS. The Company believes the hotel manager operates qualified lodging facilities for certain persons who are not related to the REIT or its TRSs. However, no assurances can be provided that this will continue to be the case or that any other hotel management companies that the Company may engage in the future will in fact comply with this requirement in the future. Failure to comply with this requirement would require the Company to find other managers for future contracts, and, if the Company hired a management company without knowledge of the failure, it could jeopardize the Company’s status as a REIT.
As noted above, each hotel with respect to which a TRS Lessee pays rent must be a “qualified lodging facility”. A “qualified lodging facility” is a hotel, motel, or other establishment more than one-half of the dwelling units in which are used on a transient basis, including customary amenities and facilities, provided that no wagering activities are conducted at or in connection with such facility by any person who is engaged in the business of accepting wagers and who is legally authorized to engage in such business at or in connection with such facility. The Company believes that all of the hotels leased to the TRS Lessees are qualified lodging facilities. Although the Company intends to monitor future acquisitions and improvements of hotels, the REIT provisions of the Code provide only limited guidance for making determinations under the requirements for qualified lodging facilities, and there can be no assurance that these requirements will be satisfied in all cases.
Foreign investors may be subject to U.S. tax on the disposition of the Company’s stock if the Company does not qualify as a “domestically controlled” REIT.
A foreign person disposing of a “U.S. real property interest,” which includes stock of a U.S. corporation whose assets consist principally of U.S. real property interests, is generally subject to U.S. federal income tax under the Foreign Investment in Real Property Tax Act of 1980 (“FIRPTA”) on the gain recognized on the disposition, unless such foreign person is a “qualified foreign pension fund” or one of the certain publicly traded non-U.S. “qualified collective investment vehicles”. Additionally, the transferee will be required to withhold 15.0% on the amount realized on the disposition if the foreign transferor is subject to U.S. federal income tax under FIRPTA. This 15.0% is creditable against the U.S. federal income tax liability of the foreign transferor in connection with such transferor’s disposition of the Company’s stock. FIRPTA does not apply, however, to the disposition of stock in a REIT if the REIT is “domestically controlled” (i.e., less than 50.0% of the REIT’s capital stock, by value, has been owned directly or indirectly by persons who are not qualifying U.S. persons during a continuous five-year period ending on the date of disposition or, if shorter, during the entire period of the REIT’s existence). Effective April 25, 2024, the IRS released final regulations under FIRPTA that require a new REIT to “look-through” any nonpublic domestic corporation if more than 50% of the corporation’s stock (by value) is owned (directly or indirectly) by foreign persons in determining whether such REIT is considered to be “domestically controlled.” The final regulations included a transition rule that exempts existing domestically controlled REITs from the “look-through” rule until April 24, 2034 (i.e., 10 years following the effective date of the final regulations) if the following conditions are met-(a) the aggregate value of U.S. real property interests acquired by the REIT after April 25, 2024 does not exceed 20% of the aggregate value of U.S. real property interest held by the REIT as of April 25, 2024, and (b) the REIT does not undergo what is essentially a more than 50% change in ownership (measured by value) by a “non-look-through person” following April 25, 2024. The final regulations are complex and we cannot be sure that the Company will qualify as a “domestically controlled” REIT. If the Company does not so qualify, gain realized by foreign investors on a sale of the Company’s stock would be subject to U.S. income and withholding tax under FIRPTA, unless the Company’s stock were traded on an established securities market.
If the leases between the Operating Partnership and the TRS Lessees are recharacterized, the Company may fail to qualify as a REIT.
To qualify as a REIT for federal income tax purposes, the Company must satisfy two gross income tests, under which specified percentages of the Company’s gross income must be derived from certain sources, including “rents from real property”. Rents paid by the TRS Lessees to the Operating Partnership and its subsidiaries pursuant to the leases of the Company’s hotel properties will constitute substantially all of the Company’s gross income. In order for such rent to qualify as “rents from real property” for purposes of the gross income tests, the leases must be respected as true leases for federal income tax purposes and not be treated as service contracts, joint ventures, or some other type of arrangement. If the leases between the TRS Lessees to the Operating Partnership and its subsidiaries are not respected as true leases for federal income tax purposes, the Company could fail to qualify as a REIT for federal income tax purposes.
MHI Holding increases our overall tax liability.
Our TRS Lessees are single-member limited liability companies that are wholly-owned, directly or indirectly, by MHI Holding, a TRS that is wholly-owned by the Operating Partnership. Each of our TRS Lessees is disregarded as an entity separate from MHI Holding for U.S. federal income tax purposes, such that the assets, liabilities, income, gains, losses, credits and deductions of our TRS Lessees are treated as the assets, liabilities, income, gains, losses, credits and deductions of MHI Holding for U.S. federal income tax purposes. MHI Holding is subject to federal and state income tax on its taxable income, which will consist of the revenues from the hotels leased by the Company’s TRS Lessees, net of the operating expenses for such hotels and rent payments. Accordingly, although the Company’s ownership of MHI Holding and the TRS Lessees will allow it to participate in the operating income from its hotels in
addition to receiving rent, that operating income will be fully subject to federal and state corporate income tax. The after-tax net income of MHI Holding, if any, will be available for distribution to the Company via the Operating Partnership.
The Company will incur a 100.0% excise tax on its transactions with MHI Holding and the TRS Lessees that are not conducted on an arm’s-length basis. For example, to the extent that the rent paid by the TRS Lessees exceeds an arm’s-length rental amount, such amount potentially will be subject to this excise tax. The Company intends that all transactions among itself, MHI Holding and the TRS Lessees will be conducted on an arm’s-length basis and, therefore, that the rent paid by the TRS Lessees will not be subject to this excise tax. While the Company believes its leases have customary terms and reflect normal business practices and that the rents paid thereto reflect market terms, there can be no assurance that the IRS will agree.
Taxation of dividend income could make the Company’s stock less attractive to certain investors and reduce the market price of its stock.
The federal income tax laws governing REITs, or the administrative interpretations of those laws, may be amended at any time. Any new laws or interpretations may take effect retroactively and could adversely affect the Company or could adversely affect its stockholders. Currently, “qualified dividends,” which include dividends from domestic C corporations that are paid to non-corporate stockholders, are subject to a reduced maximum U.S. federal income tax rate of 20.0%, plus a 3.8% “Medicare surtax” discussed below. Because REITs generally do not pay corporate-level taxes as a result of the dividends-paid deduction to which they are entitled, dividends from REITs generally are not treated as qualified dividends and thus do not qualify for a reduced tax rate. Under the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (“TCJA”), for taxable years prior to January 1, 2026, a non-corporate taxpayer may deduct 20% of ordinary REIT dividends that are not “capital gain dividends” or “qualified dividend income” resulting in an effective maximum U.S. federal income tax rate of 29.6% (based on the current maximum U.S. federal income tax rate for individuals of 37%). Individuals, trusts and estates whose income exceeds certain thresholds are also subject to a 3.8% Medicare surtax on dividends received from the Company. The more favorable rates applicable to regular corporate qualified dividends could cause investors who are taxed at individual rates to perceive investments in REITs to be relatively less attractive than investments in the stocks of non-REIT corporations that pay dividends, which could adversely affect the value of the Company’s stock. Moreover, there is no assurance that we will always distribute ordinary income dividends, or that Congress will not repeal such legislation.
Investors may be subject to a 3.8% Medicare surtax in connection with an investment in the Company’s stock.
The U.S. tax laws impose a 3.8% Medicare surtax on the “net investment income” (i.e., interest, dividends, capital gains, annuities, and rents that are not derived in the ordinary course of a trade or business) of individuals with income exceeding $200,000 ($250,000 if married filing jointly or $125,000 if married filing separately), and of estates and trusts. Dividends on the Company’s stock as well as gains from the disposition of the Company’s stock may be subject to the Medicare surtax. Prospective investors should consult with their independent advisors as to the applicability of the Medicare surtax to an investment in the Company’s stock in light of such investors’ particular circumstances.
Investors may be subject to U.S. withholding tax under the “Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act.”
On March 18, 2010, the Hiring Incentives to Restore Employment Act (the “HIRE Act”) was enacted in the United States. The HIRE Act includes provisions known as the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (“FATCA”), that generally impose a 30.0% U.S. withholding tax on “withholdable payments,” which consist of (i) U.S.-source dividends, interest, rents and other “fixed or determinable annual or periodical income” paid after June 30, 2014 and (ii) certain U.S.-source gross proceeds paid after December 31, 2018 to (a) “foreign financial institutions” unless (x) they enter into an agreement with the IRS to collect and disclose to the IRS information regarding their direct and indirect U.S. owners or (y) they comply with the terms of any FATCA intergovernmental agreement executed between the authorities in their jurisdiction and the U.S., and (b) “non-financial foreign entities” (i.e., foreign entities that are not foreign financial institutions) unless they certify certain information regarding their direct and indirect U.S. owners. Final regulations under FATCA were issued by the IRS on January 17, 2013 and have been subsequently supplemented by additional regulations and guidance. FATCA does not replace the existing U.S. withholding tax regime. However, the FATCA regulations contain coordination provisions to avoid double withholding on U.S.-source income.
A foreign investor that receives dividends on the Company’s stock or gross proceeds from a disposition of shares of the Company’s stock may be subject to FATCA withholding tax with respect to such dividends or gross proceeds.
Foreign investors will be subject to U.S. withholding tax on the receipt of ordinary dividends on the Company’s stock.
The portion of dividends received by a foreign investor payable out of the Company’s current and accumulated earnings and profits which are not attributable to capital gains and which are not effectively connected with a U.S. trade or business of the foreign investor will generally be subject to U.S. withholding tax at a statutory rate of 30.0%. This 30.0% withholding tax may be reduced by an applicable income tax treaty. The FATCA and nonresident withholding regulations are complex. Even if the 30.0% withholding is
reduced or eliminated by treaty for payments made to a foreign investor, FATCA withholding of 30.0% could apply depending upon the foreign investor’s FATCA status. Foreign investors should consult with their independent advisors as to the U.S. withholding tax consequences to such investors with respect to their investment in the Company’s stock in light of their particular circumstances, as well as determining the appropriate documentation required to reduce or eliminate U.S. withholding tax.
Foreign investors will be subject to U.S. income tax on the receipt of capital gain dividends on the Company’s stock.
Under FIRPTA, distributions that we make to a foreign investor that are attributable to gains from our dispositions of U.S. real property interests (“capital gain dividends”) will be treated as income that is effectively connected with a U.S. trade or business, and therefore subject to U.S. federal income tax, in the hands of the foreign investor, unless such foreign person is a “qualified foreign pension fund” or one of certain publicly traded non-U.S. “qualified collective investment vehicles”. A foreign investor who is subject to tax under FIRPTA will be subject to U.S. federal income tax (at the rates applicable to U.S. investors) on any capital gain dividends and will also be required to file U.S. federal income tax returns to report such capital gain dividends. Furthermore, capital gain dividends are subject to an additional 30.0% “branch profits tax” (which may be reduced by an applicable income tax treaty) in the hands of a foreign investor who is subject to tax under FIRPTA if such foreign investor is treated as a corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes.
U.S. tax reform and related regulatory action could adversely affect you and the Company.
Because our operations are governed to a significant extent by the federal tax laws, new legislative or regulatory action could adversely affect investors in Company stock. The TCJA made significant changes to the U.S. federal tax system. Specifically, and as relevant to the Company and its subsidiaries, the TCJA reduced the maximum corporate tax rate from 35% to 21%, allows for full expensing of certain property, revised the NOL provisions, set limitations on certain types of interest deductions, and expanded limitations on deductions for executive compensation. The TCJA also temporarily reduced individual federal income tax rates on ordinary income (the highest individual federal income tax rate has been reduced from 39.6% to 37% for taxable years beginning after December 31, 2017 and before January 1, 2026).
The IRS, the U.S. Treasury Department and Congress frequently review U.S. federal income tax legislation, regulations and other guidance. At any time, the U.S. federal income tax laws governing REITs or the administrative interpretations of those laws may be amended or modified. Changes to the tax laws, possibly with retroactive application, may adversely affect taxation of the Company or the Company's stockholders. The Company urges stockholders and prospective stockholders to consult with their tax advisors with respect to the status of legislative, regulatory or administrative developments and proposals and their potential effect on an investment in the Company's shares. We cannot predict whether any of these proposed changes will become law, or the long-term effect of any future law changes on the Company and its stockholders. We and our stockholders could be adversely affected by any such change in, or any new, U.S. federal income tax law, regulation or administrative interpretation.

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ITEM 1B. UNRESOLVED STAFF COMMENTS
Item 1B. Unresolved Staff Comments
Not applicable.

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ITEM 2. PROPERTIES
Item 2. Properties
As of December 31, 2024, our portfolio consisted of the following properties (see Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations-Key Operating Metrics, for definitions of Occupancy, ADR, and RevPAR in Part II of this Annual Report on Form 10-K):
Number of
Occupancy
ADR
RevPAR
Occupancy
ADR
RevPAR
Occupancy
ADR
RevPAR
Wholly-Owned Properties
Rooms
The DeSoto, Savannah, Georgia
72.4%
$
209.24
$
151.51
69.2%
$
211.26
$
146.23
65.7%
$
211.49
$
139.00
DoubleTree by Hilton Jacksonville Riverfront, Jacksonville, Florida
67.7%
$
140.85
$
95.29
70.0%
$
148.42
$
103.90
68.8%
$
146.53
$
100.79
DoubleTree by Hilton Laurel, Laurel, Maryland
57.1%
$
128.94
$
73.67
57.8%
$
127.29
$
73.55
59.7%
$
117.20
$
69.98
DoubleTree by Hilton Philadelphia Airport, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
64.7%
$
139.27
$
90.15
61.7%
$
141.15
$
87.13
64.6%
$
140.94
$
91.01
DoubleTree Resort by Hilton Hollywood Beach, Hollywood, Florida
67.9%
$
187.58
$
127.35
59.9%
$
201.48
$
120.70
60.6%
$
206.18
$
124.93
Georgian Terrace, Atlanta, Georgia
57.8%
$
177.93
$
102.85
52.2%
$
194.12
$
101.33
51.8%
$
198.90
$
103.09
Hotel Alba Tampa, Tapestry Collection by Hilton, Tampa, Florida
78.1%
$
175.16
$
136.76
77.8%
$
177.00
$
137.75
76.3%
$
165.11
$
125.92
Hotel Ballast Wilmington, Tapestry Collection by Hilton, Wilmington, North Carolina
72.3%
$
185.96
$
134.46
69.2%
$
186.91
$
129.39
62.2%
$
183.90
$
114.45
Hyatt Centric Arlington, Arlington, Virginia
77.0%
$
209.44
$
161.35
74.5%
$
207.98
$
154.99
64.3%
$
187.12
$
120.33
The Whitehall, Houston, Texas
59.4%
$
153.50
$
91.21
44.1%
$
159.13
$
70.25
40.0%
$
150.17
$
60.11
Wholly-Owned Properties Total
2,786
Condominium Hotels
Hyde Resort & Residences
(1)
60.7%
$
297.70
$
180.77
51.9%
$
345.39
$
179.23
52.8%
$
420.53
$
222.08
Hyde Beach House Resort & Residences
(1)
62.6%
$
271.51
$
169.89
46.4%
$
305.56
$
141.93
42.4%
$
381.07
$
161.42
Total Hotel & Participating Condominium Hotel Rooms
2,924
(1)We own the hotel commercial unit and operate a rental program. Reflects only those condominium units that were participating in the rental program as of December 31, 2024. At any given time, some portion of the units participating in our rental program may be occupied by the unit owners and unavailable for rent to hotel guests. We sometimes refer to each participating condominium unit as a “room.”

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ITEM 3. LEGAL PROCEEDINGS
Item 3. Legal Proceedings
We are not involved in any material legal proceedings, nor to our knowledge, are any material legal proceedings threatened against us. We are involved in routine litigation arising out of the ordinary course of business, most of which is expected to be covered by insurance, and none of which is expected to have a material impact on our financial condition or results of operations.

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ITEM 4. MINE SAFETY DISCLOSURE
Item 4. Mine Safety Disclosure
Not applicable.
PART II

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ITEM 5. MARKET FOR REGISTRANT'S COMMON EQUITY
Item 5. Market for Registrant’s Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities
Sotherly Hotels Inc.
Market Information
The Company’s common stock trades on the NASDAQ ® Global Market under the symbol “SOHO”. The closing price of the Company’s common stock on the NASDAQ ® Global Market on March 3, 2025 was $0.8101 per share.
Stockholder Information
As of March 3, 2025, there were approximately 51 holders of record of the Company’s common stock. Because many of the Company's common shares are held by brokers and other institutions on behalf of shareholders, the Company believe there are substantially more beneficial holders of its common shares than record holders.
In order to comply with certain requirements related to the Company’s qualification as a REIT, the Company’s charter, subject to certain exceptions, limits the number of common shares that may be owned by any single person or affiliated group to 9.9% of the outstanding common shares.
Recent Sales of Unregistered Securities
There were no sales of unregistered securities in the Company during 2024.
Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities
There were no issuer purchases of equity securities during 2024.
Sotherly Hotels LP
Market Information
There is no established trading market for partnership units of the Operating Partnership. The Operating Partnership does not currently propose to offer partnership units to the public and does not currently expect that a public market for those units will develop.
Partnership Unitholder Information
As of March 1, 2025, there were 5 holders of the Operating Partnership’s partnership units, including Sotherly Hotels Inc., which owned approximately 98.2% of the outstanding general and limited partnership units as well as 100.0% of the preferred partnership units.
Recent Sales of Unregistered Securities
From time to time, the Operating Partnership may issue and/or repurchase limited partnership units (common and/or preferred) to the Company, as required by the Amended and Restated Agreement of Limited Partnership of the Operating Partnership, to mirror the capital structure of the Company to reflect additional issuances by the Company and to preserve equitable ownership ratios.
There were no sales of unregistered securities in the Operating Partnership during 2024.
Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities
There were no issuer purchases of equity securities during 2024.
Sotherly Hotels Inc. and Sotherly Hotels LP
Dividend and Distribution Information
The Company elected to be taxed as a REIT commencing with our taxable year ending December 31, 2004. To maintain qualification as a REIT, we are required to make annual distributions to the Company’s stockholders of at least 90.0% of our REIT taxable income, excluding net capital gain, which does not necessarily equal net income as calculated in accordance with generally
accepted accounting principles. Our ability to pay distributions to the Company’s stockholders will depend, in part, upon our receipt of distributions from our Operating Partnership which may depend upon receipt of lease payments with respect to our properties from our TRS Lessees, and in turn, upon the management of our properties by our hotel manager. Distributions to the Company’s stockholders will generally be taxable to the Company’s stockholders as ordinary income; however, because a portion of our investments are equity ownership interests in hotels, which will result in depreciation and noncash charges against our income, a portion of our distributions may constitute a tax-free return of capital. To the extent not inconsistent with maintaining our REIT status, our TRS Lessees may retain any after-tax earnings.
As a result of the impact of COVID-19 on our business, our board of directors has suspended our common stock dividend. We anticipate that our board of directors will re-evaluate our current dividend policy on an ongoing basis. Distributions on our preferred stock are in arrears for the last eleven quarterly payments. On January 24, 2023, the Company resumed quarterly distributions to holders of its preferred stock. No dividends may be paid on our common stock until such time as the preferred stock distributions are made current. We did not pay any common dividends in 2023 or 2024.
In order to maintain our qualification as a REIT, we must make distributions to our stockholders each year in an amount equal to at least:
•90% of our REIT taxable income determined without regard to the dividends paid deduction and excluding net capital gains; plus
•90% of the excess of our net income from foreclosure property over the tax imposed on such income by the Code; minus
•Any excess noncash income (as defined in the Code).
The Company did not pay any common stock dividends in 2024 or 2023. As of December 31, 2024, there were unpaid common dividends and distributions to holders of record as of March 13, 2020 in the amount of $2,088,160.
The following tables set forth information regarding the declaration, payment and income tax characterization of distributions by the Company on its preferred shares to the Company’s preferred stockholders for fiscal years 2023 and 2024. The same table sets forth the Operating Partnership’s distributions per preferred partnership units for fiscal years 2023 and 2024:
Dividend (Distribution) Payments - Series B Preferred Stock
Date Declared
For the Quarter Ended
Date Paid
Amount per Share and Unit
Ordinary Income
Return of Capital
January 2023
March 31, 2020
March 15, 2023
$
0.50
100.00%
0.00%
April 2023
June 30, 2020
June 15, 2023
$
0.50
100.00%
0.00%
May 2023
September 30, 2020
July 14, 2023
$
0.50
100.00%
0.00%
July 2023
December 31, 2020
September 15, 2023
$
0.50
100.00%
0.00%
October 2023
March 31, 2021
December 15, 2023
$
0.50
100.00%
0.00%
March 2024
June 30, 2021
March 13, 2024
$
0.50
100.00%
0.00%
June 2024
September 30, 2021
June 13, 2024
$
0.50
100.00%
0.00%
September 2024
December 31, 2021
September 12, 2024
$
0.50
100.00%
0.00%
December 2024
March 31, 2022
December 13, 2024
$
0.50
100.00%
0.00%
Dividend (Distribution) Payments - Series C Preferred Stock
Date Declared
For the Quarter Ended
Date Paid
Amount per Share and Unit
Ordinary Income
Return of Capital
January 2023
March 31, 2020
March 15, 2023
$
0.492188
100.00%
0.00%
April 2023
June 30, 2020
June 15, 2023
$
0.492188
100.00%
0.00%
May 2023
September 30, 2020
July 14, 2023
$
0.492188
100.00%
0.00%
July 2023
December 31, 2020
September 15, 2023
$
0.492188
100.00%
0.00%
October 2023
March 31, 2021
December 15, 2023
$
0.492188
100.00%
0.00%
March 2024
June 30, 2021
March 13, 2024
$
0.492188
100.00%
0.00%
June 2024
September 30, 2021
June 13, 2024
$
0.492188
100.00%
0.00%
September 2024
December 31, 2021
September 12, 2024
$
0.492188
100.00%
0.00%
December 2024
March 31, 2022
December 13, 2024
$
0.492188
100.00%
0.00%
Dividend (Distribution) Payments - Series D Preferred Stock
Date Declared
For the Quarter Ended
Date Paid
Amount per Share and Unit
Ordinary Income
Return of Capital
January 2023
March 31, 2020
March 15, 2023
$
0.515625
100.00%
0.00%
April 2023
June 30, 2020
June 15, 2023
$
0.515625
100.00%
0.00%
May 2023
September 30, 2020
July 14, 2023
$
0.515625
100.00%
0.00%
July 2023
December 31, 2020
September 15, 2023
$
0.515625
100.00%
0.00%
October 2023
March 31, 2021
December 15, 2023
$
0.515625
100.00%
0.00%
March 2024
June 30, 2021
March 13, 2024
$
0.515625
100.00%
0.00%
June 2024
September 30, 2021
June 13, 2024
$
0.515625
100.00%
0.00%
September 2024
December 31, 2021
September 12, 2024
$
0.515625
100.00%
0.00%
December 2024
March 31, 2022
December 13, 2024
$
0.515625
100.00%
0.00%
The amount of future common stock distributions will be based upon quarterly operating results, general economic conditions, requirements for capital improvements, the availability of debt and equity capital, the Code’s annual distribution requirements, and other factors, which the Company’s board of directors deems relevant. The amount, timing and frequency of distributions will be authorized by the Company’s board of directors and declared by us based upon a variety of factors deemed relevant by our directors, and no assurance can be given that our distribution policy will not change in the future.

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ITEM 6. SELECTED FINANCIAL DATA
Item 6. [Reserved]

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ITEM 7. MANAGEMENT'S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS
Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations
Overview
The Company is a self-managed and self-administered lodging REIT incorporated in Maryland in August 2004 to pursue opportunities in the full-service, primarily upscale and upper-upscale segments of the hotel industry located in primary and secondary markets in the mid-Atlantic and southern United States. The Company may also opportunistically acquire hotels throughout the United States. Since January 1, 2022, we have completed the following acquisitions and dispositions:
•On February 10, 2022, we sold the Sheraton Louisville Riverside hotel located in Jeffersonville, Indiana.
•On June 10, 2022, we sold the DoubleTree by Hilton Raleigh-Brownstone University hotel located in Raleigh, North Carolina
As of December 31, 2024, our hotel portfolio consisted of ten full-service, primarily upscale and upper-upscale hotels with an aggregate total of 2,786 rooms, as well as interests in two condominium hotels and their associated rental programs. Seven of our hotels operate under well-known brands such as DoubleTree by Hilton, Tapestry Collection by Hilton, and Hyatt Centric, and three are independent hotels. As of December 31, 2024, our portfolio consisted of the following hotel properties:
Number
Property
of Rooms
Location
Date of Acquisition
Chain/Class Designation
Wholly-owned Hotels
The DeSoto
Savannah, GA
December 21, 2004
Upper Upscale(1)
DoubleTree by Hilton Jacksonville Riverfront
Jacksonville, FL
July 22, 2005
Upscale
DoubleTree by Hilton Laurel
Laurel, MD
December 21, 2004
Upscale
DoubleTree by Hilton Philadelphia Airport
Philadelphia, PA
December 21, 2004
Upscale
DoubleTree Resort by Hilton Hollywood Beach
Hollywood, FL
August 9, 2007
Upscale
Georgian Terrace
Atlanta, GA
March 27, 2014
Upper Upscale(1)
Hotel Alba Tampa, Tapestry Collection by Hilton
Tampa, FL
October 29, 2007
Upscale
Hotel Ballast Wilmington, Tapestry Collection by Hilton
Wilmington, NC
December 21, 2004
Upscale
Hyatt Centric Arlington
Arlington, VA
March 1, 2018
Upper Upscale
The Whitehall
Houston, TX
November 13, 2013
Upper Upscale(1)
Hotel Rooms Subtotal
2,786
Condominium Hotels
Lyfe Resort & Residences
(2)
Hollywood, FL
January 30, 2017
Luxury(1)
Hyde Beach House Resort & Residences
(2)
Hollywood, FL
September 27, 2019
Luxury(1)
Total Hotel & Participating Condominium Hotel Rooms
2,924
(1)Operated as an independent hotel.
(2)We own the hotel commercial unit and operate a rental program. Reflects only those condominium units that were participating in the rental program as of December 31, 2024. At any given time, some portion of the units participating in our rental program may be occupied by the unit owner(s) and unavailable for rental to hotel guests. We sometimes refer to each participating condominium unit as a “room.”
We conduct substantially all our business through the Operating Partnership, Sotherly Hotels LP. The Company is the sole general partner of the Operating Partnership and currently owns an approximate 98.2% interest in the Operating Partnership, with the remaining interest being held by limited partners who were contributors of our initial hotel properties and related assets.
To qualify as a REIT, neither the Company nor the Operating Partnership can operate our hotels. Therefore, our wholly-owned hotel properties are leased to our TRS Lessees that are wholly-owned subsidiaries of the Operating Partnership, which then engage an eligible independent contractor to operate the hotels under a management agreement. Our TRS Lessees have engaged Our Town to manage our hotels. Our TRS Lessees, and their parent, MHI Holding (MHI Hospitality TRS Holding, Inc.), are consolidated into each of our financial statements for accounting purposes. The earnings of MHI Holding are taxable as regular C corporations and are subject to federal, state, local, and, if applicable, foreign taxation on its taxable income.
Key Operating Metrics
In the hotel industry, room revenue is considered the most important category of revenue and drives other revenue categories such as food, beverage, catering, parking and telephone. There are three key performance indicators used in the hotel industry to measure room revenues:
•Occupancy, or the number of rooms sold, usually expressed as a percentage of total rooms available;
•Average daily rate, or ADR, which is total room revenue divided by the number of rooms sold; and
•Revenue per available room, or RevPAR, which is total room revenue divided by the total number of available rooms.
RevPAR changes that are primarily driven by changes in occupancy have different implications for overall revenues and profitability than changes that are driven primarily by changes in ADR. For example, an increase in occupancy at a hotel would lead to additional variable operating costs (such as housekeeping services, laundry, utilities, room supplies, franchise fees, management fees, credit card commissions and reservations expense), but could also result in increased non-room revenue from the hotel’s restaurant, banquet or parking facilities. Changes in RevPAR that are primarily driven by changes in ADR typically have a greater impact on operating margins and profitability as they do not generate all the additional variable operating costs associated with higher occupancy. When calculating composite portfolio metrics, we include available rooms at the Lyfe Resort & Residences and the Hyde Beach House Resort & Residences that participate in our rental programs and are not reserved for owner-occupancy.
We also use Funds from Operations ("FFO"), Adjusted FFO and Hotel EBITDA as measures of our operating performance. See “Non-GAAP Financial Measures”.
Results of Operations
Comparison of Year Ended December 31, 2024 to Year Ended December 31, 2023
The following table illustrates the key operating metrics for the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023 for our wholly-owned hotels and the condominium hotel units, during each respective reporting period (“composite portfolio” properties), as well as the key operating metrics for the ten wholly-owned hotel properties that were under our control during all of 2024 (“actual” properties).
Year Ended December 31, 2024
Year Ended December 31, 2023
Composite
Actual
Composite
Actual
Occupancy %
67.2
%
67.4
%
62.8
%
63.5
%
ADR
$
177.56
$
173.25
$
182.97
$
177.74
RevPAR
$
119.26
$
116.78
$
114.96
$
112.84
Revenue. Total revenue for the year ended December 31, 2024 was approximately $181.9 million, an increase of approximately $8.1 million, or 4.6%, from total revenue for the year ended December 31, 2023 of approximately $173.8 million. There was an aggregate increase in total revenue of approximately $8.9 million from nine of our properties, offset by a decrease of approximately $0.8 million, at three of our properties. The overall increases in revenue are reflected individually in room revenues, food and beverage revenues and other operating revenues, as noted below:
Room revenues at our properties for the year ended December 31, 2024 increased approximately $4.4 million, or 3.8%, to approximately $119.1 million compared to room revenues for the year ended December 31, 2023 of approximately $114.7 million Eight of our properties experienced increased room revenue by approximately $5.3 million, offset by a decrease of approximately $0.9 million at our other properties. Occupancy increased by 4.4% for the year ended December 31, 2024, compared to the same period in 2023, as a result of increases in transient consumers, group business, and other business travel. Although ADR decreased by 3.0% in 2024 compared to 2023, the RevPAR increased by 3.7% for year ended December 31, 2024, compared to the same period in 2023.
Food and beverage revenues at our properties for the year ended December 31, 2024 increased approximately $1.4 million, or 4.0%, to approximately $36.6 million compared to food and beverage revenues of approximately $35.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2023, with a majority of our properties experiencing increased demand for food and beverage services as a result of increased occupancy as well as an increase in meetings, banqueting and catering from the group business segment. The increase in food and beverage revenues for the year ended December 31, 2024, resulted from an aggregate increase of approximately $2.5 million from six of our properties, offset by a decrease in food and beverage revenue of approximately $1.1 million at the other four properties.
Other operating revenues for the year ended December 31, 2024 increased approximately $2.3 million, or 9.8%, to approximately $26.2 million compared to other operating revenues for the year ended December 31, 2023 of approximately $23.9
million. The increase in other operating revenues was realized at eight of our properties with an increase of approximately $3.2 million, with the remaining offsetting properties decreases of approximately $0.9 million.
Hotel Operating Expenses. Hotel operating expenses, which consist of room expenses, food and beverage expenses, other direct expenses, indirect expenses, and management fees, increased approximately $6.0 million, or 4.7%, for the year ended December 31, 2024 to approximately $135.1 million compared to hotel operating expenses for the year ended December 31, 2023 of approximately $129.0 million. The aggregate increase of approximately $6.9 million in hotel operating expenses for the twelve months ended December 31, 2024, is directly related to the increase in hotel occupancy and gross revenue at ten of our properties, and reductions in hotel operating expenses at two properties of approximately $0.9 million.
Rooms expense at our properties for the year ended December 31, 2024 increased approximately $1.2 million, or 4.6%, to approximately $27.4 million compared to rooms expense of approximately $26.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2023. The increase in rooms expense for the year ended December 31, 2024, resulted from an aggregate increase of approximately $1.5 million from seven of our hotel properties, offset by a decrease of approximately $0.3 million from the remaining hotel properties.
Food and beverage expenses at our properties for the year ended December 31, 2024 increased approximately $1.2 million, or 5.0%, to approximately $25.4 million compared to food and beverage expense of approximately $24.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2023. The net increase in food and beverage expenses for the twelve months ended December 31, 2024, resulted from an aggregate increase of approximately $1.4 million, offset by a decrease of approximately $0.2 million from the remaining hotel properties.
Expenses from other operating departments increased approximately $0.4 million, or 4.4%, to approximately $9.4 million for the year ended December 31, 2024, compared to expenses from other operating departments of approximately $9.0 million for the year ended December 31, 2023. The increase in expenses from other operating departments for the twelve months ended December 31, 2024, resulted from aggregate increases at eight of our properties by approximately $0.6 million, which were offset by decreases in other operating expenses of approximately $0.2 million from four of our properties. These increases were seen mainly from bringing back parking servicing contractors.
Indirect expenses at our properties for the year ended December 31, 2024 increased approximately $3.2 million, or 4.6%, to approximately $72.8 million compared to indirect expenses of approximately $69.6 million for the year ended December 31, 2023. The increase in indirect expenses for the twelve months ended December 31, 2024, resulted from an aggregate increase in total indirect expenses of approximately $3.9 million from ten of our properties, offset by decreases of approximately $0.7 million.
Depreciation and Amortization. Depreciation and amortization for the year ended December 31, 2024 increased by approximately $0.6 million or 3.2%, to approximately $19.4 million, compared to depreciation and amortization expense of approximately $18.8 million for the year ended December 31, 2023.
Corporate General and Administrative. Corporate general and administrative expenses for the year ended December 31, 2024 decreased approximately $0.3 million, or 4.1%, to approximately $6.8 million compared to corporate general and administrative expenses of approximately $7.1 million for the year ended December 31, 2023. The decrease in corporate general and administrative expenses was mainly due to decreases in professional fees and legal fees offset by an increase audit fees.
Interest Expense. Interest expense for the year ended December 31, 2024 increased approximately $3.3 million, or 18.7%, to approximately $20.9 million, compared to approximately $17.6 million of interest expense for the year ended December 31, 2023. The increase in interest expense for the twelve months ended December 31, 2024, was substantially related to the new mortgage obtained in early 2024 on the Hotel Alba, higher interest cost on the mortgage on the DoubleTree by Hilton Philadelphia as well as imputed interest on the finance lease obligation on the Hyatt Centric Arlington. An increase in interest expense was also realized on the new indebtedness in mid-2024, on the DoubleTree by Hilton Jacksonville Riverfront and The DeSoto.
Interest Income. Interest income for the year ended December 31, 2024, decreased approximately $0.1 million, or 13.6%, to approximately $0.7 million compared to approximately $0.8 million of interest income for the year ended December 31, 2023. The decrease in interest income for the twelve months ended December 31, 2024, was substantially related to decreases in cash balances receiving interest.
Loss on Early Extinguishment of Debt. The fiscal year 2024 loss relates to the refinancing of the Hotel Alba mortgage, resulting in a loss on early extinguishment of debt consisting of the unamortized origination costs, which totaled approximately $0.2 million for the twelve months ended December 31, 2024. No losses were recorded for the twelve months ended December 31, 2023.
Realized Gain on Hedging Activities. The realized gain on hedging activities during the twelve months ended December 31, 2024, was approximately $1.0 million, due to termination of the Hotel Alba Tampa, Tapestry Collection by Hilton interest rate swap.
Unrealized Loss on Hedging Activities. As of December 31, 2024, there was a new interest rate cap related to the mortgage loan on the DoubleTree by Hilton Philadelphia Airport with a fair value of approximately $0.4 million, which capped the interest rate down by 3.0%, with an unrealized loss on hedging activities of approximately $0.2 million. There was also an unrealized loss on the fair value of the Hotel Alba Tampa, Tapestry Collection by Hilton interest rate swap of approximately $0.7 million. These two aggregated losses of approximately $0.9 million for the twelve months ended December 31, 2024, compared to a loss of approximately $0.7 million during the twelve months ended December 31, 2023.
PPP Loan Forgiveness. During the year ended December 31, 2024, there were no other notifications of PPP Loan Forgiveness. During the year ended December 31, 2023, we received notification from our banks and the Small Business Administration that we received partial forgiveness on one of our unsecured notes, relating to the original PPP Loans we received in 2020. We received approximately $0.3 million PPP loan forgiveness, which includes principal forgiveness and the accrued interest on that portion of the loans.
Gain on Involuntary Conversion of Assets. Gain on involuntary conversion of assets decreased approximately $0.9 million, to approximately $0.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2024 from approximately $1.4 million, for the year ended December 31, 2023. The gains were related to casualties at our properties in Savannah, Georgia, Arlington, Virginia, Jacksonville and Hollywood, Florida.
Income Tax Benefit (Provision). We had an income tax provision of approximately $0.1 million for the year ended December 31, 2024, compared to an income tax benefit of approximately $0.3 million, for the year ended 2023. MHI TRS realized an operating loss for each of the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively.
Net Income. Net income for the year ended December 31, 2024 decreased approximately $2.6 million, or 69.0%, to approximately $1.2 million, compared to a net income of approximately $3.8 million for the year ended December 31, 2023, as a result of the operating results discussed above.
Distributions to Preferred Stockholders. During the year ended December 31, 2024, we accounted for undeclared distributions to preferred stockholders of approximately $8.0 million, compared to undeclared distributions to preferred stockholders of approximately $8.0 million for the year ended December 31, 2023.
Comparison of Year Ended December 31, 2023 to Year Ended December 31, 2022
The following table illustrates the key operating metrics for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022 for our wholly-owned hotels and the condominium hotel units, during each respective reporting period (“composite portfolio” properties), as well as the key operating metrics for the ten wholly-owned hotel properties that were under our control during all of 2023 (“actual” properties).
Year Ended December 31, 2023
Year Ended December 31, 2022
Composite
Actual
Composite
Actual
Occupancy %
62.8
%
63.5
%
60.0
%
60.8
%
ADR
$
182.97
$
177.74
$
181.34
$
171.34
RevPAR
$
114.96
$
112.84
$
108.87
$
104.17
Revenue. Total revenue for the year ended December 31, 2023 was approximately $173.8 million, an increase of approximately $7.8 million, or 4.7%, from total revenue for the year ended December 31, 2022 of approximately $166.0 million. There was an aggregate increase in total revenue of approximately $13.5 million from eight of our properties, offset by a decrease of approximately $2.5 million, at four of our properties and a decrease of approximately $3.2 million as a result of the sales of the Sheraton Louisville Riverside in Jeffersonville, Indiana, in February 2022 and the DoubleTree by Hilton Raleigh Brownstone University in Raleigh, North Carolina, in June 2022.
Room revenues at our properties for the year ended December 31, 2023 increased approximately $5.1 million, or 4.7%, to approximately $114.7 million compared to room revenues for the year ended December 31, 2022 of approximately $109.6 million. Eight of our properties experiencing increased room revenue offset by a decrease of approximately $2.3 million as a result of the sales of the Sheraton Louisville Riverside in Jeffersonville, Indiana, in February 2022 and the DoubleTree by Hilton Raleigh Brownstone University in Raleigh, North Carolina, in June 2022.
Food and beverage revenues at our properties for the year ended December 31, 2023 increased approximately $5.7 million, or 19.2%, to approximately $35.2 million compared to food and beverage revenues of approximately $29.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2022, with most of our properties experiencing increased demand for food and beverage services as a result of increased occupancy as well as an increase in meetings, banqueting and catering. The increase in food and beverage revenues for the year ended December 31, 2023, resulted from an aggregate increase of approximately $6.0 million from nine of our properties, offset by a
decrease in food and beverage revenue of approximately $0.2 million related to the sale of the Sheraton Louisville Riverside, in February 2022 and the DoubleTree by Hilton Raleigh Brownstone University in June 2022.
Other operating revenues for the year ended December 31, 2023 decreased approximately $3.1 million, or 11.5%, to approximately $23.9 million compared to other operating revenues for the year ended December 31, 2022 of approximately $27.0 million. The decrease was mostly related to a decrease of approximately $1.6 million in fees earned at our condominium unit rental programs at the Hyde Resort & Residences and the Hyde Beach House. In addition, we received non-recurring proceeds of $1.0 million received under the North Carolina Business Recovery Grant as well as approximately $1.0 million in other reimbursed expenses at the Georgian Terrace in Atlanta, Georgia in 2022. A further decrease in other operating revenues of approximately $0.2 million related to the sale of the Sheraton Louisville Riverside, in February 2022 and the DoubleTree by Hilton Raleigh Brownstone University in June 2022.
Hotel Operating Expenses. Hotel operating expenses, which consist of room expenses, food and beverage expenses, other direct expenses, indirect expenses, and management fees, with a net aggregate increase of approximately $9.4 million, or 7.9%, for the year ended December 31, 2023, to approximately $129.0 million compared to hotel operating expenses for the year ended December 31, 2022 of approximately $119.6 million. The increases of approximately $12.9 million in hotel operating expenses for the twelve months ended December 31, 2023, are directly related to the increase in hotel occupancy and gross revenue at ten of our properties, which was partially offset by approximately $2.4 million of decreases, with the sale of the Sheraton Louisville Riverside in February 2022 and the DoubleTree by Hilton Raleigh Brownstone University, in June 2022; and reductions in hotel operating expenses at two properties of approximately $1.1 million.
Rooms expense at our properties for the year ended December 31, 2023 increased approximately $0.4 million, or 1.5%, to approximately $26.2 million compared to rooms expense of approximately $25.8 million for the year ended December 31, 2022. The net aggregate increase in rooms expense for the year ended December 31, 2023, resulted from increases of approximately $1.6 million from eight of our properties, offset by decreases of approximately $0.6 million as a result of the sale of our properties in Jeffersonville, Indiana and Raleigh, North Carolina and decreases at the other two properties by approximately $0.6 million.
Food and beverage expenses at our properties for the year ended December 31, 2023 increased approximately $4.5 million, or 22.7%, to approximately $24.2 million compared to food and beverage expense of approximately $19.7 million for the year ended December 31, 2022. The net aggregate increase in food and beverage expenses for the twelve months ended December 31, 2023, resulted from increases of approximately $4.7 million, offset by a decrease of approximately $0.2 million as a result of the sale of our properties in Jeffersonville, Indiana and Raleigh, North Carolina.
Expenses from other operating departments decreased approximately $0.3 million, or 2.8%, to approximately $9.0 million for the year ended December 31, 2023, compared to expenses from other operating departments of approximately $9.3 million for the year ended December 31, 2022. The decrease in expenses from other operating departments for the twelve months ended December 31, 2023, resulted from aggregate decreases at five of our properties and the properties in Jeffersonville, Indiana and Raleigh, North Carolina, had decreases in other operating expenses aggregating to approximately $0.6 million, which were offset by increases in other operating expenses of approximately $0.3 million from seven of our properties. These increases were seen mainly from bringing back parking servicing contractors.
Indirect expenses at our properties for the year ended December 31, 2023 increased approximately $4.8 million, or 7.4%, to approximately $69.6 million compared to indirect expenses of approximately $64.8 million for the year ended December 31, 2022. The increase in indirect expenses for the twelve months ended December 31, 2023, resulted from an aggregate increase in total indirect expenses of approximately $6.9 million from ten of our properties, offset by decreases of approximately $1.5 million as a result of the sale of our properties in Jeffersonville, Indiana and Raleigh, North Carolina and two properties with a decrease of approximately $0.6 million.
Depreciation and Amortization. Depreciation and amortization for the year ended December 31, 2023 increased by approximately $0.1 million or 0.7%, to approximately $18.8 million, compared to depreciation and amortization expense of approximately $18.7 million for the year ended December 31, 2022.
Corporate General and Administrative. Corporate general and administrative expenses for the year ended December 31, 2023 increased approximately $0.5 million, or 6.9%, to approximately $7.1 million compared to corporate general and administrative expenses of approximately $6.6 million for the year ended December 31, 2022. The increase in corporate general and administrative expenses was mainly due to an increase in professional fees and compensation expenses offset by reductions in legal and other expenses.
Interest Expense. Interest expense for the year ended December 31, 2023 decreased approximately $2.2 million, or 11.0%, to approximately $17.6 million, compared to approximately $19.8 million of interest expense for the year ended December 31, 2022. The
decrease in interest expense for the twelve months ended December 31, 2023, was substantially related to decreases in the amount of debt attributable to the mortgages on the hotel properties in Jeffersonville, Indiana and Raleigh, North Carolina, sold in 2022, as well as the extinguishment of the secured notes with KWHP SOHO, LLC ("KW") and MIG SOHO, LLC (the "Secured Notes") in June 2022.
Interest Income. Interest income for the year ended December 31, 2023, increased approximately $0.6 million, or 323.8%, to approximately $0.8 million compared to approximately $0.2 million of interest income for the year ended December 31, 2022. The increase in interest income for the twelve months ended December 31, 2023, was substantially related to increases in the rates received on available cash balances we maintained during the year.
Loss on Early Extinguishment of Debt. The fiscal year 2022 loss relates to the repayment and cancellation of the Secured Notes in June 2022 resulting in a loss on early extinguishment consisting of the unamortized exit fee as well as the unamortized origination costs, which totaled approximately $5.9 million for the twelve months ended December 31, 2022. No losses were recorded for the twelve months ended December 31, 2023.
Unrealized Gain (Loss) on Hedging Activities. Unrealized gain (loss) on hedging activities primarily relates to the change in variance between the unamortized cost of the interest-rate swaps related to our mortgages on the DoubleTree by Hilton Philadelphia Airport, which matured at the end of July 2023, and the Hotel Alba Tampa, Tapestry Collection by Hilton and the fair value of interest-rate swaps which are affected by both the decreasing number of payment periods in the swap periods and the changes in anticipated SOFR rates over the remaining period. Those factors and the maturing of the DoubleTree by Hilton Philadelphia Airport's interest-rate swap, contributed to an unrealized loss of approximately $0.7 million for the year ended December 31, 2023, compared to an unrealized gain of approximately $2.9 million for the year ended December 31, 2022.
PPP Loan Forgiveness. During the year ended December 31, 2023, we received notification from our banks and the Small Business Administration that we received partial forgiveness on one of our unsecured notes, relating to the original PPP Loans we received in 2020. We received approximately $0.3 million PPP loan forgiveness, which includes principal forgiveness and the accrued interest on that portion of the loans. During the year ended December 31, 2022, we received notification from our banks and the Small Business Administration that we received partial forgiveness on another of our unsecured notes in the amount of approximately $4.7 million PPP loan forgiveness, which included principal forgiveness and the accrued interest on that portion of the loans.
Gain on Sale of Assets. During the twelve months ended December 31, 2022, we sold the property in Raleigh, North Carolina for a gain of approximately $30.1 million. We had no sales of property during the year ended December 31, 2023.
Gain on Involuntary Conversion of Assets. Gain on involuntary conversion of assets decreased approximately $0.4 million, to approximately $1.4 million for the year ended December 31, 2023 from approximately $1.8 million, for the year ended December 31, 2022. The gains were related to casualties at our properties in Savannah, Georgia, Houston, Texas and Atlanta, Georgia.
Income Tax Benefit (Provision). We had an income tax benefit of approximately $0.3 million for the year ended December 31, 2023, compared to an income tax provision of approximately $0.5 million, for the year ended 2022. MHI TRS realized an operating loss for the year ended December 31, 2023 and an operating gain for the year ended December 31, 2022.
Net Income. Net income for the year ended December 31, 2023 decreased approximately $30.2 million, or 88.8%, to approximately $3.8 million, compared to a net income of approximately $34.0 million for the year ended December 31, 2022, as a result of the operating results discussed above.
Distributions to Preferred Stockholders. During the year ended December 31, 2023, we accounted for undeclared distributions to preferred stockholders of approximately $8.0 million, compared to undeclared distributions to preferred stockholders of approximately $7.6 million for the year ended December 31, 2022.
Sources and Uses of Cash
Our principal sources of cash are cash from hotel operations, proceeds from the sale of common and preferred stock, proceeds from the sale of secured and unsecured notes, proceeds of mortgage or other debt and hotel property sales. Our principal uses of cash are acquisitions of hotel properties, capital expenditures, debt service and balloon maturities, operating costs, corporate expenses and dividends. As of December 31, 2024, we had unrestricted cash of approximately $7.3 million and restricted cash of approximately $21.4 million. Our net increase in cash for the year ended December 31, 2024 was approximately $2.5 million, generally consisting of net cash flow used in hotel operations. The positive cash flow from operations during the year was due to the increase in occupancy at our hotels as a result of increases in transient consumers, group business, and other business travel.
Operating Activities. Our cash provided by operating activities for the year ended December 31, 2024, was approximately $25.9 million. Our cash provided by operating activities for the year ended December 31, 2023 was approximately $21.4 million. Our cash provided by operating activities for the year ended December 31, 2022 was approximately $6.7 million. Cash used in or provided by operating activities generally consists of the cash flow from hotel operations, offset by the interest portion of our debt service, corporate expenses and positive or negative changes in working capital.
Investing Activities. Our cash used in investing activities for the year ended December 31, 2024 was approximately $14.1 million. Of this amount approximately $14.6 million was used for capital expenditures, including the replacement and refurbishment of furniture, fixtures and equipment offset by insurance proceeds of approximately $0.5 million. Our cash used in investing activities for the year ended December 31, 2023 was approximately $6.7 million. Of this amount approximately $8.2 million was used for capital expenditures, including the replacement and refurbishment of furniture, fixtures and equipment offset by insurance proceeds of approximately $1.3 million. Cash provided by investing activities for the year ended December 31, 2022, was approximately $46.7 million. Of this amount approximately $10.9 million came from the sale of Sheraton Louisville Riverside property and approximately $41.5 million came from the sale of the DoubleTree by Hilton Raleigh Brownstone University property and we used approximately $8.0 million on capital expenditures, which was offset by insurance proceeds of approximately $2.2 million.
Financing Activities. Our cash used in financing activities for the year ended December 31, 2024, was approximately $9.3 million. During the year ended December 31, 2024, the Company and Operating Partnership received proceeds of $66.3 million from the refinance of the DoubleTree by Hilton Philadelphia and the Hotel Alba mortgage loans, made scheduled principal payments on its mortgages of approximately $65.0 million, paid approximately $1.7 million in deferred financing costs, and made scheduled principal payments of approximately $0.9 million on its unsecured notes. We received a redemption payment from the interest rate swap on the refinance of the Hotel Alba mortgage loan for approximately $1.0 million. We also paid distributions to preferred stockholders in the amount of approximately $8.0 million. Our cash used in financing activities for the year ended December 31, 2023, was approximately $15.8 million. During the year ended December 31, 2023, the Company and Operating Partnership received proceeds of $2.7 million from the refinance of the DoubleTree by Hilton Laurel mortgage loan, made scheduled principal payments on its mortgages of approximately $7.3 million, paid approximately $0.5 million in deferred financing costs, and made scheduled principal payments of approximately $0.7 million on its unsecured notes. We also paid distributions to preferred stockholders in the amount of approximately $10.0 million. Our cash used in financing activities for the year ended December 31, 2022, was approximately $51.6 million. During the year ended December 31, 2022, the Company and Operating Partnership received proceeds of $7.8 million from the refinance of the mortgage loan on the Hotel Alba, made scheduled principal payments on its mortgages of approximately $9.3 million including the repayment of principal payments deferred during the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as approximately $29.2 million in principal payments related to the sale of the Sheraton Louisville Riverside and the DoubleTree by Hilton Raleigh Brownstone University. In addition, the Company extinguished debt on its Secured Notes of $20.0 million and paid approximately $0.4 million in deferred financing costs. We also paid approximately $0.5 million to reduce the principal balance outstanding of unsecured notes.
Capital Expenditures
We intend to maintain all our hotels, including any hotel we acquire in the future, in good repair and condition, in conformity with applicable laws and regulations and, when applicable, with franchisor’s standards. Routine capital improvements are determined through the annual budget process over which we maintain approval rights, and which are implemented or administered by our management company.
Historically, we have aimed to maintain overall capital expenditures, except for those required by our franchisors as a condition to a franchise license or license renewal, at 4.0% of gross revenue. We expect total capital expenditures for 2025 to be approximately $7.2 million.
We expect a substantial portion of our capital expenditures for the routine replacement or refurbishment of furniture, fixtures and equipment at our properties will be funded by our replacement reserve accounts, other than costs that we incur to make capital improvements required by our franchisors. Reserve accounts are escrowed accounts with funds deposited monthly and reserved for capital improvements or expenditures with respect to most of our hotels. We deposit an amount equal to 4.0% of gross revenue for The DeSoto, the Hotel Ballast Wilmington, the DoubleTree by Hilton Laurel, the DoubleTree Resort by Hilton Hollywood Beach, The Whitehall, Hotel Alba, and the Georgian Terrace, as well as 4.0% of room revenues for the DoubleTree by Hilton Philadelphia Airport and the Hyatt Centric Arlington on a monthly basis.
From time to time, certain of our hotel properties may undergo renovations as a result of our decision to upgrade portions of the hotel, such as guestrooms, meeting space and restaurants, in order to better compete with other hotels in our markets. In addition, we may be required by one or more of our franchisors to complete a property improvement program (“PIP”) in order to bring the hotel up to the franchisor’s standards. Generally, we expect to fund such renovations and improvements out of working capital, including reserve accounts established by our lenders, and proceeds of mortgage debt or equity offerings.
In October 2024, we renewed the franchise license for the DoubleTree by Hilton Philadelphia Airport, subject to a product improvement plan. We expect total capital expenditures related to the renovation of that property of approximately $11.5 million as a condition to the renewal of our franchise license. On April 29, 2024, coincident with the extension of the mortgage loan, we placed $5.0 million into a reserve account to partially fund the renovation. In addition, provided we meet certain financial covenants, we expect the release of $1.2 million of other reserves in additional funding on or after June 30, 2025. The remainder of the capital expenditures will be funded out of working capital. As of December 31, 2024, we had incurred costs totaling approximately $2.7 million.
We expect total capital expenditures related to the renovation of our property in Jacksonville, Florida of approximately $14.6 million, as a condition to the renewal of our franchise license. On July 8, 2024, in conjunction with the refinance of the mortgage with Fifth Third Bank, N.A., we secured additional funding of $9.49 million to partially fund the product improvement plan. The remainder of the capital expenditures will be funded out of working capital. As of December 31, 2024, we had incurred costs totaling approximately $0.4 million.
Liquidity and Capital Resources
As of December 31, 2024, we had cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash of approximately $28.7 million, of which approximately $21.4 million was in restricted reserve accounts for cash collateral, capital improvements, real estate tax and insurance escrows. We expect that our cash on hand combined with our cash flow from our hotels should be adequate to fund continuing operations, recurring capital expenditures for the refurbishment and replacement of furniture, fixtures and equipment, and monthly scheduled payments of principal and interest (excluding any balloon payments due upon maturity of our mortgage debt or secured notes).
On February 26, 2023, we amended the mortgage loan agreement on The Whitehall hotel located in Houston, Texas with the existing lender, International Bank of Commerce. The amendment (i) extends the loan's maturity date to February 26, 2028; (ii) maintains a floating rate of interest of New York Prime Rate plus 1.25%; and (iii) subjects the interest rate to a floor rate of 7.50%. The mortgage loan continues to be guaranteed by the Operating Partnership. The amendment also requires us to establish a real estate tax reserve as well as a debt service reserve that approximates the aggregate amount of one year's debt service, which was initially established at approximately $1.5 million.
On May 4, 2023, we secured a $10.0 million mortgage loan on the DoubleTree by Hilton Laurel located in Laurel, Maryland with Citi Real Estate Funding Inc. Pursuant to the loan documents, the loan has a maturity date of May 6, 2028; carries a fixed rate of interest of 7.35%; requires monthly payments of interest only; and cannot be prepaid until the last four months of the loan term. We used a portion of the proceeds to repay the existing first mortgage on the hotel and will use the balance of the proceeds for general corporate purposes.
On February 7, 2024, we secured a $35.0 million mortgage loan on the Hotel Alba located in Tampa, Florida with Citi Real Estate Funding Inc. Pursuant to the loan documents, the loan has a maturity date of March 6, 2029; carries a fixed rate of interest of 8.49%; requires monthly payments of interest only; and cannot be prepaid until the last four months of the loan term. We used a portion of the proceeds to repay the existing first mortgage on the hotel and will use the balance of the proceeds for general corporate purposes.
On April 29, 2024, we entered into a loan amendment to amend the existing mortgage on the DoubleTree by Hilton Philadelphia Airport hotel with the existing lender, TD Bank, N.A. Pursuant to the amended loan documents, the mortgage loan extended the maturity to April 29, 2026, continues to carry a floating interest rate of SOFR plus 3.50% and requires payments of interest only. Concurrent with the execution of the loan amendment, we made a principal payment of $3.0 million; funded $0.3 million to the interest reserve escrow, bringing the balance in the interest reserve escrow account to $1.3 million; funded $5.0 million into a product improvement plan ("PIP") reserve account; and provided $1.7 million in additional cash collateral. Assuming we maintain compliance with certain financial covenants, $1.2 million of cash collateral can be released into the PIP reserve account as early as June 30, 2025. On May 3, 2024, we entered into an interest rate cap with a notional amount of $26.0 million with Webster Bank, N.A. The cap has a strike rate of 3.0%, is indexed to SOFR, and expires on May 1, 2026.
On July 8, 2024, we secured a $26.25 million mortgage loan on the DoubleTree by Hilton Jacksonville Riverfront hotel located in Jacksonville, Florida with Fifth Third Bank, N.A. The loan provides for an additional $9.49 million available to fund a product improvement plan at the hotel; matures on July 8, 2029; and requires monthly payments of interest at a floating interest rate of SOFR plus 3.00% plus principal of $38,700.
On August 14, 2024, we secured a $5.0 million second mortgage loan on The DeSoto hotel located in Savannah, Georgia with MONY Life Insurance Company. The loan has a maturity date of July 1, 2026, and requires level payments of principal and interest at a fixed interest rate of 7.50% and amortizing on a 25-year schedule. The proceeds of the loan were used for working capital.
As of the date of this report, we were current on all loan payments on all other mortgages per the terms of our mortgage agreements, as amended. We were in compliance with all loan covenants except the Debt Service Coverage Requirement (“DSCR”) and guarantor’s liquidity covenant under the mortgage secured by the DoubleTree by Hilton Jacksonville Riverfront, for which we have received waivers.
In June 2025, the mortgage on The Georgian Terrace in Atlanta, Georgia matures. We intend to refinance the mortgage but may be required to reduce the level of indebtedness by an amount of up to $4.1 million based upon anticipated financial performance of the property and anticipated market conditions.
In October 2025, the mortgage on the DoubleTree Resort by Hilton Hollywood Beach matures. We intend to refinance the mortgage but may be required to reduce the level of indebtedness by an amount of up to $11.4 million based upon anticipated financial performance of the property and anticipated market conditions. We intend to fund these reductions of indebtedness out of working capital.
In April and July 2026, the mortgages on the DoubleTree by Hilton Philadelphia Airport and The DeSoto, respectively, mature. We intend to optimize the proceeds of the refinance of these mortgages to fund working capital and may choose to refinance the mortgages significantly in advance of their maturity.
Mortgage Debt
As of December 31, 2024, we had a principal mortgage debt balance of approximately $316.5 million. The following table sets forth our mortgage debt obligations on our hotels:
December 31,
Prepayment
Maturity
Amortization
Property
Penalties
Date
Provisions
Interest Rate
The DeSoto (1)
$
29,236,795
Yes
7/1/2026
25 years
4.25%
The DeSoto (2)
4,982,794
Yes
7/1/2026
25 years
7.50%
DoubleTree by Hilton Jacksonville
Riverfront (3)
26,056,500
None
7/8/2029
25 years
SOFR plus 3.00%
DoubleTree by Hilton Laurel (4)
10,000,000
(4)
5/6/2028
(4)
7.35%
DoubleTree by Hilton Philadelphia Airport (5)
35,915,488
None
4/29/2026
(5)
SOFR plus 3.50%
DoubleTree Resort by Hilton Hollywood
Beach (6)
50,211,533
(6)
10/1/2025
30 years
4.91%
Georgian Terrace (7)
38,375,095
(7)
6/1/2025
30 years
4.42%
Hotel Alba Tampa, Tapestry Collection by Hilton (8)
35,000,000
(8)
3/6/2029
(8)
8.49%
Hotel Ballast Wilmington, Tapestry Collection by Hilton (9)
29,770,045
Yes
1/1/2027
25 years
4.25%
Hyatt Centric Arlington (10)
45,317,273
Yes
10/1/2028
30 years
5.25%
The Whitehall (11)
13,777,078
None
2/26/2028
25 years
PRIME plus 1.25%
Total Mortgage Principal Balance
318,642,601
Deferred financing costs, net
(2,144,656
)
Unamortized premium on loan
18,203
Total Mortgage Loans, Net
$
316,516,148
(1)
The note amortizes on a 25-year schedule after an initial interest-only period of one year and is subject to a pre-payment penalty except for any pre-payments made within 120 days of the maturity date.
(2)
The note is a second mortgage that amortizes on a 25-year schedule. The note can be prepaid with penalty.
(3)
The note provides for an initial tranche in the amount of $26.25 million and a renovation tranche in the amount of $9.49 million.
(4)
The note requires payments of interest only and cannot be prepaid until the last 4 months of the loan term.
(5)
The note requires payments of interest only. On May 3, 2024, we entered into an interest rate cap with a notional amount of $26.0 million with Webster Bank, N.A. The cap has a strike rate of 3.0%, is indexed to SOFR, and expires on May 1, 2026.
(6)
With limited exception, the note may not be prepaid prior to June 2025.
(7)
With limited exception, the note may not be prepaid prior to February 2025.
(8)
The note requires payments of interest only and cannot be prepaid until the last four months of the term.
(9)
The note amortizes on a 25-year schedule after an initial interest-only period of one year and is subject to a pre-payment penalty except for any pre-payments made within 120 days of the maturity date.
(10)
Following a 5-year lockout, the note can be prepaid with penalty in years 6-10 and without penalty during the final 4 months of the term.
(11)
The note bears a floating interest rate of New York Prime Rate plus 1.25%, with a floor of 7.50%.
Financial Covenants
Mortgage Loans
Our mortgage loan agreements contain various financial covenants directly related to the financial performance of the collateralized properties. Failure to comply with these financial covenants could result from, among other things, changes in the local competitive environment, disruption caused by renovation activity, major weather disturbances, as well as general economic conditions.
As described in “Liquidity and Capital Resources,” as of December 31, 2024, we were in compliance with all debt covenants, current on all loan payments and not otherwise in default under any of our mortgage loans, with the exception of a covenant default under the mortgage on the DoubleTree by Hilton Jacksonville Riverfront for which we have received a waiver.
Certain of our loan agreements contain “cash trap” provisions that may be triggered if the performance of our hotels declines below a certain threshold. At December 31, 2024, we continued to meet the provisions under the mortgage secured by the DoubleTree Resort by Hilton Hollywood Beach, which require substantially all the revenue generated by the hotel to be deposited directly into a lockbox account and swept into a cash management account for the benefit of the lender until the property meets the criteria in the loan agreement for exiting the “cash trap”.
Contractual Obligations
The following table outlines our contractual obligations as of December 31, 2024, and the effect such obligations are expected to have on our liquidity and cash flow in future periods (in thousands).
Payments due by period (in thousands)
Less than
More than
Contractual Obligations
Total
1 year
1-3 years
3-5 years
5 years
Mortgage loans, including interest
$
364,947
$
109,865
$
122,359
$
132,723
$
-
Unsecured notes
-
-
-
Ground, building, parking garage, office and equipment leases
13,187
1,185
1,139
10,232
Totals
$
378,793
$
111,155
$
123,544
$
133,862
$
10,232
Dividend Policy
The Company has elected to be taxed as a REIT commencing with our taxable year ending December 31, 2004. To maintain qualification as a REIT, the Company is required to make annual distributions to its stockholders of at least 90.0% of our REIT taxable income, (excluding net capital gain, which does not necessarily equal net income as calculated in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles). The Company’s ability to pay distributions to its stockholders will depend, in part, upon its receipt of distributions from the Operating Partnership which may depend upon receipt of lease payments with respect to our properties from our TRS Lessees, and in turn, upon the management of our properties by our hotel manager. Distributions to the Company’s stockholders will generally be taxable to the Company’s stockholders as ordinary income; however, because a portion of our investments are equity ownership interests in hotels, which will result in depreciation and noncash charges against our income, a portion of our distributions may constitute a non-taxable return of capital. To the extent not inconsistent with maintaining the Company’s REIT status, our TRS Lessees may retain any after-tax earnings.
Distributions to Stockholders and Holders of Units in the Operating Partnership The Company may not make distributions with respect to any shares of its common stock, unless and until full cumulative distributions on the outstanding preferred stock for all past unpaid periods are paid or declared and a sum sufficient for the payment thereof in cash is set aside.
Distributions to Preferred Stockholders and Holder of Preferred Partnership Units in the Operating Partnership. On January 24, 2023, the Company announced that it will resume quarterly distribution to holders of our preferred stock and set a record date of February 28, 2023 with a payment date of March 15, 2023.
On April 24, 2023, the Company announced the declaration of a quarterly distribution to holders of our preferred stock and with a record date of May 31, 2023 with a payment date of June 15, 2023.
On May 30, 2023, the Company announced the declaration of a quarterly distribution to holders of our preferred stock and with a record date of June 30, 2023 with a payment date of July 14, 2023.
On August 1, 2023, the Company announced the declaration of a quarterly distribution to holders of our preferred stock and with a record date of August 31, 2023 with a payment date of September 15, 2023.
On October 31, 2023, the Company announced the declaration of a quarterly distribution to holders of our preferred stock and with a record date of November 30, 2023 with a payment date of December 15, 2023.
On January 30, 2024, the Company announced the declaration of a quarterly distribution to holders of our preferred stock and with a record date of February 29, 2024 with a payment date of March 15, 2024.
On April 30, 2024, we announced the declaration of a quarterly distribution to holders of our preferred stock with a record date of May 31, 2024 and a payment date of June 17, 2024.
On July 30, 2024, we announced the declaration of a quarterly distribution to holders of our preferred stock with a record date of August 30, 2024 and a payment date of September 16, 2024.
On October 29, 2024, we announced the declaration of a quarterly distribution to holders of our preferred stock with a record date of November 29, 2024 and a payment date of December 16, 2024.
On January 28, 2025, we announced the declaration of a quarterly distribution to holders of our preferred stock with a record date of February 28, 2025 and a payment date of March 14, 2025.
As of December 31, 2024, the amount of cumulative unpaid dividends on our outstanding preferred shares was approximately $21.9 million and the aggregate liquidation preference with respect to our outstanding preferred shares was approximately $121.3 million. The preferred stock is not redeemable by the holders, has no maturity date and is not convertible into any other security of the Company or its affiliates, except in the event of a change of control.
Inflation
We generate revenues primarily from lease payments from our TRS Lessees and net income from the operations of our TRS Lessees. Therefore, we rely primarily on the performance of the individual properties and the ability of the management company to increase revenues and to keep pace with inflation. Operators of hotels, in general, possess the ability to adjust room rates daily to keep pace with inflation. However, competitive pressures at some or all of our hotels may limit the ability of the management company to raise room rates.
Our expenses, including hotel operating expenses, administrative expenses, real estate taxes, and property and casualty insurance are subject to inflation. These expenses are expected to grow with the general rate of inflation, except for energy, liability insurance, property and casualty insurance, property tax rates, employee benefits, and some wages, which may vary at rates that differ from the general rate of inflation.
Geographic Concentration and Seasonality
Our hotels are located in Florida, Georgia, Maryland, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Texas and Virginia. As a result, we are particularly susceptible to adverse market conditions in these geographic areas, including industry downturns, relocation of businesses and any oversupply of hotel rooms or a reduction in lodging demand. Adverse economic developments in the markets in which we have a concentration of hotels, or in any of the other markets in which we operate, or any increase in hotel supply or decrease in lodging demand resulting from the local, regional or national business climate, could materially and adversely affect us.
The operations of our hotel properties have historically been seasonal. The months of April and May are traditionally strong, as is October. The periods from mid-November through mid-February are traditionally slow with the exception of hotels located in certain markets, namely Florida and Texas, which experience significant room demand during this period.
Competition
The hotel industry is highly competitive with various participants competing on the basis of price, level of service and geographic location. Each of our hotels is located in a developed area that includes other hotel properties. The number of competitive hotel properties in a particular area could have a material adverse effect on occupancy, ADR and RevPAR of our hotels or at hotel properties acquired in the future. We believe that brand recognition, location, the quality of the hotel, consistency of services provided, and price, are the principal competitive factors affecting our hotels.
Critical Accounting Policies
Our consolidated financial statements, prepared in conformity with U.S. GAAP, require management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amount of assets and liability at the date of our financial statements, the reported amounts of revenue and expenses during the reporting periods and the related disclosures in the consolidated financial statements and accompanying footnotes. We believe that of our significant accounting policies, which are described in Note 2, Summary of Significant Accounting Policies, in the audited consolidated financial statements included elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K, the following accounting policies are critical because they require difficult, subjective and complex judgments and include estimates about matters that are inherently uncertain, involve various assumptions, require management judgment, and because they are important for understanding and evaluating our financial position, results of operations and related disclosures. We evaluate our estimates, assumptions and judgments on an ongoing basis, based on information that is available to us, our historical experiences and various matters that we believe are reasonable and appropriate for consideration under the circumstances. Actual results may differ significantly from these estimates due to changes in judgments, assumptions and conditions as a result of unforeseen events or otherwise, which could have a material impact on our financial position or results of operations.
Investment in Hotel Properties. Hotel properties are stated at cost, net of any impairment charges, and are depreciated using the straight-line method over an estimated useful life of 7-39 years for buildings and improvements and 3-10 years for furniture and equipment. In accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, the controlling interests in hotels comprising our accounting predecessor, MHI Hotels Services Group, and noncontrolling interests held by the controlling holders of our accounting predecessor in
hotels, which were acquired from third parties contributed to us in connection with the Company’s initial public offering, are recorded at historical cost basis. Noncontrolling interests in those entities that comprise our accounting predecessor and the interests in hotels, other than those held by the controlling members of our accounting predecessor, acquired from third parties are recorded at fair value at the time of acquisition.
We review our hotel properties for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate the carrying value of the hotel properties may not be recoverable. Events or circumstances that may cause us to perform our review include, but are not limited to, adverse permanent changes in the demand for lodging at our properties due to declining national or local economic conditions and/or new hotel construction in markets where our hotels are located. When such conditions exist, management performs a recoverability analysis to determine if the estimated undiscounted future cash flows from operating activities and the estimated proceeds from the ultimate disposition of a hotel property exceed its carrying value. If the estimated undiscounted future cash flows are found to be less than the carrying amount of the hotel property, an adjustment to reduce the carrying value to the related hotel property’s estimated fair market value would be recorded and an impairment loss recognized.
No impairment loss was recognized for the years ended December 31, 2024 and December 31, 2023, respectively.
Income Taxes. The Company has elected to be taxed as a REIT under Sections 856 through 860 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended. As a REIT, the Company generally will not be subject to federal income tax. The MHI TRS Entities which leases our hotels from subsidiaries of the Operating Partnership, are subject to federal and state income taxes.
We account 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. A valuation allowance is required for deferred tax assets if, based on all available evidence, it is “more-likely-than-not” that all or a portion of the deferred tax asset will or will not be realized due to the inability to generate sufficient taxable income in certain financial statement periods. The “more-likely-than-not” analysis means the likelihood of realization is greater than 50%, that we either will or will not be able to fully utilize the deferred tax assets against future taxable income. The net amount of deferred tax assets that are recorded on the financial statements must reflect the tax benefits that are expected to be realized using these criteria. As of December 31, 2024, we have determined that it is more-likely-than-not that we will not be able to fully utilize our deferred tax assets for future tax consequences, therefore a 100% valuation allowance is required. As of December 31, 2024 and 2023, deferred tax assets each totaled $0, respectively.
As of December 31, 2024, we had no uncertain tax positions. Our policy is to recognize interest and penalties related to uncertain tax positions in income tax expense. As of December 31, 2024, the tax years that remain subject to examination by the major tax jurisdictions to which the Company is subject generally include 2014 through 2023. In addition, as of December 31, 2024, the tax years that remain subject to examination by the major tax jurisdictions to which the MHI TRS Entities are subject, because of open NOL carryforwards, generally include 2017 and 2019 through 2023.
The Operating Partnership is generally not subject to federal and state income taxes as the unit holders of the Partnership are subject to tax on their respective shares of the Partnership’s taxable income.
Recent Accounting Pronouncements
For a summary of recently adopted and newly issued accounting pronouncements, please refer to the New Accounting Pronouncements section of Note 2, Summary of Significant Accounting Policies, in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.
Non-GAAP Financial Measures
We consider the non-GAAP financial measures of FFO attributable to common stockholders and unitholders (including FFO per common share and unit), Adjusted FFO attributable to common stockholders and unitholders, EBITDA and Hotel EBITDA to be key supplemental measures of the Company’s performance and could be considered along with, not alternatives to, net income (loss) as a measure of the Company’s performance. These measures do not represent cash generated from operating activities determined by generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”) or amounts available for the Company’s discretionary use and should not be considered alternative measures of net income, cash flows from operations or any other operating performance measure prescribed by GAAP.
FFO and Adjusted FFO. Industry analysts and investors use FFO, as a supplemental operating performance measure of an equity REIT. FFO is calculated in accordance with the definition adopted by the Board of Governors of the National Association of Real Estate Investment Trusts (“NAREIT”). FFO, as defined by NAREIT, represents net income or loss determined in accordance with GAAP, excluding extraordinary items as defined under GAAP and gains or losses from sales of previously depreciated operating real estate assets, gains or losses from involuntary conversion of assets, plus certain non-cash items such as real estate asset
depreciation and amortization or impairment and after adjustment for any noncontrolling interest from unconsolidated partnerships and joint ventures. Historical cost accounting for real estate assets in accordance with GAAP implicitly assumes that the value of real estate assets diminishes predictably over time. Since real estate values instead have historically risen or fallen with market conditions, many investors and analysts have considered the presentation of operating results for real estate companies that use historical cost accounting to be insufficient by itself.
We consider FFO to be a useful measure of adjusted net income (loss) for reviewing comparative operating and financial performance because we believe FFO is most directly comparable to net income (loss), which remains the primary measure of performance, because by excluding gains or losses related to sales of previously depreciated operating real estate assets and excluding real estate asset depreciation and amortization, FFO assists in comparing the operating performance of a company’s real estate between periods or as compared to different companies. Although FFO is intended to be a REIT industry standard, other companies may not calculate FFO in the same manner as we do, and investors should not assume that FFO as reported by us is comparable to FFO as reported by other REITs.
We further adjust FFO attributable to common stockholders and unitholders for certain additional items that are not in NAREIT’s definition of FFO, including changes in deferred income taxes, any unrealized gain (loss) on hedging instruments, losses on early extinguishment of debt, gains on extinguishment of preferred stock, aborted offering costs, loan modification fees, franchise termination costs, costs associated with the departure of executive officers, litigation settlement, management contract termination costs, operating asset depreciation and amortization, gain or loss on a change in control, ESOP and stock compensation expenses and negative lease amortization on our finance ground lease obligation. We exclude these items as we believe it allows for meaningful comparisons between periods and among other REITs and is more indicative than FFO of the on-going performance of our business and assets. Our calculation of adjusted FFO may be different from similar measures calculated by other REITs.
The following is a reconciliation of net income (loss) to FFO and Adjusted FFO for the years ended December 31, 2024, 2023, and 2022.
Year Ended
Year Ended
Year Ended
December 31,
December 31,
December 31,
Net income
$
1,179,854
$
3,809,711
$
33,959,848
Depreciation and amortization - real estate
19,321,684
18,735,804
18,593,359
Loss (gain) on disposal of assets
(4,400
)
(4,700
)
636,198
Gain on sale of hotel properties
-
-
(30,053,977
)
Distributions to preferred stockholders
(7,977,250
)
(7,977,250
)
(7,634,219
)
Gain on involuntary conversion of asset
(502,808
)
(1,371,041
)
(1,763,320
)
FFO attributable to common stockholders and unitholders
$
12,017,080
$
13,192,524
$
13,737,889
Amortization
59,222
52,944
56,977
ESOP and stock - based compensation
497,500
559,220
998,424
Unrealized loss (gain) on hedging activities
937,783
737,682
(2,918,207
)
Negative lease amortization
536,758
-
-
Loss on early debt extinguishment
241,878
-
5,944,881
Adjusted FFO attributable to common stockholders and unitholders
$
14,290,221
$
14,542,370
$
17,819,964
Hotel EBITDA. We define Hotel EBITDA as net income or loss excluding: (1) interest expense, (2) interest income, (3) income tax provision or benefit, (4) depreciation and amortization, (5) impairment of long-lived assets or investments, (6) gains and losses on disposal and/or sale of assets, (7) gains and losses on involuntary conversions of assets, (8) realized and unrealized gains and losses on derivative instruments not included in other comprehensive income, (9) other income at the properties, (10) loss on early debt extinguishment, (11) Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) debt forgiveness, (12) gain on exercise of development right, (13) corporate general and administrative expense, and (14) other income. We believe this provides a more complete understanding of the operating results over which our wholly-owned hotels and its operators have direct control. We believe Hotel EBITDA provides investors with supplemental information on the on-going operational performance of our hotels and the effectiveness of third-party management companies operating our business on a property-level basis.
Our calculation of Hotel EBITDA may be different from similar measures calculated by other REITs.
The following is a reconciliation of net income to Hotel EBITDA for the years ended December 31, 2024, 2023, and 2022.
Year Ended
Year Ended
Year Ended
December 31,
December 31,
December 31,
Net income
$
1,179,854
$
3,809,711
$
33,959,848
Interest expense
20,882,681
17,588,091
19,772,802
Interest income
(692,756
)
(802,183
)
(189,291
)
Income tax provision
132,491
(304,947
)
522,355
Depreciation and amortization
19,380,906
18,788,748
18,650,336
Impairment of investment in hotel properties, net
-
-
-
Realized and unrealized (gain) loss on hedging activities
(104,211
)
737,682
(2,918,207
)
Loss on early debt extinguishment
241,878
-
5,944,881
Gain on sale of hotel properties
-
-
(30,053,977
)
Loss (gain) on disposal of assets
(4,400
)
(4,700
)
636,198
PPP loan forgiveness
-
(275,494
)
(4,720,278
)
Other income
(489,267
)
(456,388
)
-
Gain on involuntary conversion of asset
(502,808
)
(1,371,041
)
(1,763,320
)
Corporate general and administrative expenses
6,788,460
7,078,222
6,621,221
Hotel EBITDA
$
46,812,828
$
44,787,701
$
46,462,568

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ITEM 7A. QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET RISK
Item 7A. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures about Market Risk
The effects of potential changes in interest rates are discussed below. Our market risk discussion includes “forward-looking statements” and represents an estimate of possible changes in fair value or future earnings that could occur assuming hypothetical future movements in interest rates. These disclosures are not precise indicators of expected future losses, but only indicators of reasonably possible losses. As a result, actual future results may differ materially from those presented. The analysis below presents the sensitivity of the market value of our financial instruments to selected changes in market interest rates.
To meet in part our long-term liquidity requirements, we will borrow funds at a combination of fixed and variable rates. Our interest rate risk management objective is to limit the impact of interest rate changes on earnings and cash flows and to lower our overall borrowing costs. From time to time we may enter into interest rate hedge contracts such as collars and treasury lock agreements in order to mitigate our interest rate risk with respect to various debt instruments. We do not intend to hold or issue derivative contracts for trading or speculative purposes.
As of December 31, 2024, we had approximately $243.6 million of fixed-rate debt, including the mortgage on our Hotel Alba Tampa, Tapestry Collection by Hilton, which is fixed by an interest rate swap to 8.49% and the PPP Loans of $0.7 million, with a fixed rate of 1.0% and approximately $75.7 million of variable-rate debt. The weighted-average interest rate on the fixed-rate debt was 5.39%. A change in market interest rates on the fixed portion of our debt would impact the fair value of the debt but have no impact on interest incurred or cash flows. Our variable-rate debt is exposed to changes in interest rates, specifically changes in the 1-month SOFR and in Prime Rate, except for a $26.0 million portion of the mortgage on the DoubleTree by Hilton Philadelphia which is subject to a cap on SOFR of 3.00%. Assuming that the aggregate amount outstanding on the mortgages on our Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Jacksonville, Florida and Houston, Texas hotels remains at approximately $75.7 million, the balance at December 31, 2024, the impact on our annual interest incurred and cash flows of a one percent increase in 1-month SOFR and the Prime Rate, would be approximately $0.5 million.
As of December 31, 2023, we had approximately $266.0 million of fixed-rate debt, including the mortgage on our Hotel Alba Tampa, Tapestry Collection by Hilton, which is fixed by an interest rate swap to 5.576% and the PPP Loans of $1.5 million, with a fixed rate of 1.0% and approximately $52.9 million of variable-rate debt. The weighted-average interest rate on the fixed-rate debt was 4.87%. A change in market interest rates on the fixed portion of our debt would impact the fair value of the debt but have no impact on interest incurred or cash flows. Our variable-rate debt is exposed to changes in interest rates, specifically the changes in 1-month SOFR and in Prime Rate. Assuming that the aggregate amounts outstanding on the mortgage on The Whitehall remains at approximately $14.0 million and the mortgage on the DoubleTree by Hilton Philadelphia Airport remains at approximately $38.9 million, the balance at December 31, 2023, the impact on our annual interest incurred and cash flows of a one percent increase in 1-month SOFR and in Prime Rate, would be approximately $0.4 million.

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ITEM 8. FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND SUPPLEMENTARY DATA
Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data
See Index to Financial Statements and Financial Statement Schedules on page.

---

ITEM 9. CHANGES IN AND DISAGREEMENTS WITH ACCOUNTANTS
Item 9. Changes in and Disagreements with Accountants on Accounting and Financial Disclosure
None.

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ITEM 9A. CONTROLS AND PROCEDURES
Item 9A. Controls and Procedures
Sotherly Hotels Inc.
Disclosure Controls and Procedures
The Company’s management, under the supervision and participation of its Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, has evaluated the effectiveness of its disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), as required by paragraph (b) of Rules 13a-15 and 15d-15 under the Exchange Act), as of December 31, 2024. Based on that evaluation, the Company’s Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer have concluded that, as of December 31, 2024, its disclosure controls and procedures were effective and designed to ensure that (i) information required to be disclosed in its reports filed under the Exchange Act is recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified in the SEC’s rules and instructions, and (ii) information is accumulated and communicated to the Company’s management, including its Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, as appropriate to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosures.
The Company’s management, including its Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, does not expect that the Company’s disclosure controls and procedures or its internal controls will prevent all errors and all fraud. A control system, no matter how well conceived and operated, can provide only reasonable, not absolute, assurance that the objectives of the control system are met. Further, the design of a control system must reflect the fact that there are resource constraints and the benefits of controls must be considered relative to their costs. Because of the inherent limitations in all control systems, no evaluation of the controls can provide absolute assurance that all control issues and instances of fraud, if any, within Sotherly Hotels Inc. have been detected.
Management’s Report on Internal Control over Financial Reporting
The Company’s management is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Rule 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f) under the Exchange Act). The Company’s management assessed the effectiveness over internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2024. In making this assessment, the Company’s management used the criteria set forth by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (“COSO”) 2013 Internal Control-Integrated Framework. The Company’s management has concluded that, as of December 31, 2024, the Company’s internal control over financial reporting is effective based on these criteria.
This annual report does not include an attestation report of the Company’s registered public accounting firm regarding internal control over financial reporting. Management’s report was not subject to attestation by the Company’s independent registered public accounting firm pursuant to the exemption provided to issuers that are not “large accelerated filers” or “accelerated filers” under the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2010.
Changes in Internal Control over Financial Reporting
There was no change in Sotherly Hotels Inc.’s internal control over financial reporting identified in connection with the evaluation required by paragraph (d) of Rules 13a-15 and 15d-15 under the Exchange Act during Sotherly Hotels Inc.’s last fiscal quarter that materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, Sotherly Hotels Inc.’s internal control over financial reporting.
Sotherly Hotels LP
Disclosure Controls and Procedures
The Operating Partnership’s management, under the supervision and participation of the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer of Sotherly Hotels Inc., as general partner, has evaluated the effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e) under the Exchange Act, as required by paragraph (b) of Rules 13a-15 and 15d-15 under the Exchange Act), as of December 31, 2024. Based on that evaluation, the Company’s Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer have concluded that, as of December 31, 2024, the disclosure controls and procedures were effective and designed to ensure that (i) information required to be disclosed in the reports filed under the Exchange Act is recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified in the SEC’s rules and instructions, and (ii) information is accumulated and communicated to management, including the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, as appropriate to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosures.
The Operating Partnership’s management, including the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer of Sotherly Hotels Inc., as general partner, does not expect that the disclosure controls and procedures or the internal controls will prevent all errors and all fraud. A control system, no matter how well conceived and operated, can provide only reasonable, not absolute, assurance that the objectives of the control system are met. Further, the design of a control system must reflect the fact that there are resource constraints and the benefits of controls must be considered relative to their costs. Because of the inherent limitations in all control systems, no evaluation of the controls can provide absolute assurance that all control issues and instances of fraud, if any, within Sotherly Hotels LP have been detected.
Management’s Report on Internal Control over Financial Reporting
The Operating Partnership’s management is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Rule 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f) under the Exchange Act). Management assessed the effectiveness over internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2024. In making this assessment, management used the criteria set forth by COSO in 2013 Internal Control-Integrated Framework. Management has concluded that, as of December 31, 2024, the Operating Partnership’s internal control over financial reporting is effective based on these criteria.
This annual report does not include an attestation report of the Operating Partnership’s registered public accounting firm regarding internal control over financial reporting. Management’s report was not subject to attestation by the Operating Partnership’s independent registered public accounting firm pursuant to the exemption provided to issuers that are not “large accelerated filers” or “accelerated filers” under the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2010.
Changes in Internal Control over Financial Reporting
There was no change in Sotherly Hotels LP’s internal control over financial reporting identified in connection with the evaluation required by paragraph (d) of Rules 13a-15 and 15d-15 under the Exchange Act during Sotherly Hotels LP’s last fiscal quarter that materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, Sotherly Hotels LP’s internal control over financial reporting.

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ITEM 9B. OTHER INFORMATION
Item 9B. Other Information
During the three months ended December 31, 2024, none of our directors or officers adopted, modified or terminated a "Rule 10b5-1 trading arrangement" or a "non-Rule 10b5-1 trading arrangement" as such terms are defined under Item 408 of Regulation S-K.

---

ITEM 10. DIRECTORS, EXECUTIVE OFFICERS AND CORPORATE GOVERNANCE
Item 10. Information about our Directors, Executive Officers and Corporate Governance
The information required by this item is incorporated by reference to the sections captioned “Proposal I - Election of Directors” and “Delinquent Section 16(a) Reports” contained in the Company’s 2025 Proxy Statement, which will be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission not later than 120 days after the end of the fiscal year covered by this annual report (or information will be provided by amendment to this Form 10-K).
The Company has adopted an insider trading policy, filed as Exhibit 19.1 to this Annual Report. The Company's board of directors reviews the insider trading policy annually.
Code of Ethics
The Company has adopted a code of business conduct and ethics, including a conflicts of interest policy that applies to its principal executive officer, principal financial officer, principal accounting officer or controller performing similar functions. We intend to maintain the highest standards of ethical business practices and compliance with all laws and regulations applicable to our business. A copy of the Company’s Code of Business Conduct is posted on the Company’s external website at www.sotherlyhotels.com. The Company and the Operating Partnership intend to post to its website any amendments to or waivers of its code. The Operating Partnership is managed by the Company, its sole general partner and parent company. Consequently, the Operating Partnership does not have its own separate directors or executive officers.

---

ITEM 11. EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION
Item 11. Executive Compensation
The information required by this item is incorporated by reference to the section captioned “Director and Executive Compensation” contained in the Company’s 2025 Proxy Statement, which will be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission not later than 120 days after the end of the fiscal year covered by this annual report (or information will be provided by amendment to this Form 10-K).

---

ITEM 12. SECURITY OWNERSHIP OF CERTAIN BENEFICIAL OWNERS
Item 12. Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management and Related Stockholder Matters
(a) SECURITY OWNERSHIP OF CERTAIN BENEFICIAL OWNERS
The information required by this item is incorporated by reference to the section captioned “Principal Holders” contained in the Company’s 2025 Proxy Statement, which will be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission not later than 120 days after the end of the fiscal year covered by this annual report (or information will be provided by amendment to this Form 10-K).
(b) SECURITY OWNERSHIP OF MANAGEMENT
The information required by this item is incorporated by reference to the section captioned “Principal Holders” contained in the Company’s 2025 Proxy Statement, which will be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission not later than 120 days after the end of the fiscal year covered by this annual report (or information will be provided by amendment to this Form 10-K).
(c) CHANGES IN CONTROL
Management of the Company knows of no arrangements, including any pledge by any person of securities of the Company, the operation of which may at a subsequent date result in a change in control of the Company.
(d) SECURITIES AUTHORIZED FOR ISSUANCE UNDER EQUITY COMPENSATION PLANS
Set forth below is information as of December 31, 2024 with respect to compensation plans under which equity securities of the Company are authorized for issuance.
EQUITY COMPENSATION PLAN INFORMATION
NUMBER OF SECURITIES
TO BE ISSUED UPON
EXERCISE OF
OUTSTANDING OPTIONS,
WARRANTS AND RIGHTS
WEIGHTED-AVERAGE
EXERCISE PRICE OF
OUTSTANDING OPTIONS,
WARRANTS
AND RIGHTS
NUMBER OF SECURITIES
REMAINING AVAILABLE
FOR FUTURE ISSUANCE
Equity compensation plans approved by security holders:
2022 Plan (1)
N/A
N/A
1,395,972
Equity compensation plans not approved by security holders:
None
N/A
N/A
N/A
Total
N/A
N/A
1,395,972
1.The Company’s 2022 Long-Term Incentive Plan (the “2022 Plan”), which the Company’s stockholders approved in April 2022, permits the grant of stock options, restricted stock, unrestricted stock and performance share compensation awards to its employees and directors for up to 2,000,000 shares of common stock.
On January 18, 2024, we granted (i) 139,610 shares of common stock to our officers and employees, and (ii) 12,750 shares of restricted common stock to our independent directors, all of which vested on December 31, 2024 but for a grant of 750 shares to one director, which vested on April 30, 2024.
On January 2, 2025, we granted (i) 260,000 shares of common stock to our officers and employees; (ii) 15,000 shares of restricted common stock to our independent directors, all of which will vest on December 31, 2025; and (iii) 2,250 shares of common stock to one of our directors for their service in 2024. These shares are included in the number of securities remaining available for future issuance as of December 31, 2024.

---

ITEM 13. CERTAIN RELATIONSHIPS AND RELATED TRANSACTIONS
Item 13. Certain Relationships and Related Transactions, and Director Independence
The information required by this item is incorporated by reference to the sections captioned “Certain Relationships and Related Party Transactions” and “Proposal I - Election of Directors” contained in the Company’s 2025 Proxy Statement, which will be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission not later than 120 days after the end of the fiscal year covered by this annual report (or information will be provided by amendment to this Form 10-K).

---

ITEM 14. PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTING FEES AND SERVICES
Item 14. Principal Accountant Fees and Services
The information required by this item is incorporated by reference to the section captioned “Proposal II - Ratification of Appointment of Accountants” contained in the Company’s 2025 Proxy Statement, which will be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission not later than 120 days after the end of the fiscal year covered by this annual report (or information will be provided by amendment to this Form 10-K).
PART IV

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ITEM 15. EXHIBITS, FINANCIAL STATEMENT SCHEDULES
Item 15. Exhibits and Financial Statement Schedules
1. Financial Statements
Index to Financial Statements and Financial Statement Schedules
Sotherly Hotels Inc.
Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm, FORVIS MAZARS, LLP
Consolidated Balance Sheets for Sotherly Hotels Inc. as of December 31, 2024 and 2023
Consolidated Statements of Operations for Sotherly Hotels Inc. for the years ended December 31, 2024, 2023 and 2022
Consolidated Statements of Changes in Equity for Sotherly Hotels Inc. for the years ended December 31, 2024, 2023 and 2022
Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows for Sotherly Hotels Inc. for the years ended December 31, 2024, 2023 and 2022
Sotherly Hotels LP
Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm, FORVIS MAZARS, LLP
Consolidated Balance Sheets for Sotherly Hotels LP as of December 31, 2024 and 2023
Consolidated Statements of Operations for Sotherly Hotels LP for the years ended December 31, 2024, 2023 and 2022
Consolidated Statements of Changes in Partners’ Capital for Sotherly Hotels LP for the years ended December 31, 2024, 2023 and 2022
Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows for Sotherly Hotels LP for the years ended December 31, 2024, 2023 and 2022
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
2. Financial Statement Schedules
Schedule III - Real Estate and Accumulated Depreciation as of December 31, 2024
All other schedules for which provision is made in Regulation S-X are either not required to be included herein under the related instructions or are inapplicable or the related information is included in the footnotes to the applicable financial statement and, therefore, have been omitted.
The following exhibits are filed as part of this Form 10-K:
Exhibits
3.1
Articles of Amendment and Restatement of the Company (incorporated by reference to the document previously filed as Exhibit 3.1 to the Company’s Pre-Effective Amendment No. 1 to its Registration Statement on Form S-11 filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on October 20, 2004 (File No. 333-118873)).
3.1A
Articles of Amendment to the Articles of Amendment and Restatement of the Company, effective as of April 16, 2013 (incorporated by reference to the document previously filed as Exhibit 3.7 to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on April 16, 2013).
3.1B
Articles of Amendment to the Articles of Amendment and Restatement of the Company, effective as of August 12, 2016 (incorporated by reference to the document previously filed as Exhibit 3.1 to our Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on August 15, 2016).
3.1C
Articles of Amendment to the Articles of Amendment and Restatement of the Company, effective as of April 12, 2019 (incorporated by reference to the document previously filed as Exhibit 3.1 to our Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on April 16, 2019).
3.2
Amended and Restated Agreement of Limited Partnership of Sotherly Hotels LP (incorporated by reference to the document previously filed as Exhibit 3.3 to the Company’s Pre-Effective Amendment No. 5 to its Registration Statement on Form S-11 filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on December 13, 2004 (File No. 333-118873)).
3.2A
Amendment No. 1 to the Amended and Restated Agreement of Limited Partnership of Sotherly Hotels LP (incorporated by reference to the document previously filed as Exhibit 3.6 to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on April 18, 2011).
3.2B
Amendment No. 2 to the Amended and Restated Agreement of Limited Partnership of Sotherly Hotels LP (incorporated by reference to the document previously filed as Exhibit 3.3 to the Operating Partnership’s Pre-Effective Amendment No. 1 to its Registration Statement on Form S-11 filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on August 9, 2013 (File No. 333-189821)).
3.2C
Amendment No. 3 to the Amended and Restated Agreement of Limited Partnership of Sotherly Hotels LP (incorporated by reference to the document previously filed as Exhibit 3.1 to our Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on August 23, 2016).
3.2D
Amendment No. 4 to the Amended and Restated Agreement of Limited Partnership of Sotherly Hotels LP (incorporated by reference to the document previously filed as Exhibit 3.1 to our Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on October 11, 2017).
3.2E
Amendment No. 5 to the Amended and Restated Agreement of Limited Partnership of Sotherly Hotels LP (incorporated by reference to the document previously filed as Exhibit 3.2E to our Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on August 31, 2018).
3.2F
Amendment No. 6 to the Amended and Restated Agreement of Limited Partnership of Sotherly Hotels LP (incorporated by reference to the document previously filed as Exhibit 3.1 to our Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on April 18, 2019).
3.3
Articles Supplementary of Sotherly Hotels Inc. (incorporated by reference to the document previously filed as Exhibit 3.4 to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on April 18, 2011).
3.4
Third Amended and Restated Bylaws of the Company, effective as of July 31, 2023 (incorporated by reference to the document previously filed as Exhibit 3.1 to the Company’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on August 14, 2023).
3.5
Articles Supplementary designating the Series B Preferred Stock of the Company, effective as of August 19, 2016 (incorporated by reference to the document previously filed as Exhibit 3.5 to the Company’s Registration Statement on Form 8-A filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on August 22, 2016).
3.6
Articles Supplementary designating the Series C Preferred Stock of the Company, effective as of October 5, 2017 (incorporated by reference to the document previously filed as Exhibit 3.5 to the Company’s Registration Statement on Form 8-A filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on October 10, 2017).
Exhibits
3.7
Articles Supplementary dated August 30, 2018 (incorporated by reference to the document previously filed as Exhibit 3.7 to our current report on Form 8-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on August 31, 2018).
3.8
Articles Supplementary designating the Series D Preferred Stock of the Company, effective as of April 15, 2019 (incorporated by reference to the document previously filed as Exhibit 3.6 to the Company’s Registration Statement on Form 8-A filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on April 16, 2019).
4.0
Form of Common Stock Certificate (incorporated by reference to the document previously filed as Exhibit 4.0 to our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2017, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 22, 2017).
4.1
Form of Specimen Certificate of Series B Preferred Stock of the Company (incorporated by reference to the document previously filed as Exhibit 4.1 to the Company’s Registration Statement on Form 8-A filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on August 22, 2016).
4.2
Form of Specimen Certificate of Series C Preferred Stock of the Company (incorporated by reference to the document previously filed as Exhibit 4.1 to the Company’s Registration Statement on Form 8-A filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on October 10, 2017).
4.3
Form of Specimen Certificate of Series D Preferred Stock of the Company (incorporated by reference to the document previously filed as Exhibit 4.1 to the Company’s Registration Statement on Form 8-A filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on April 16, 2019).
4.4
Description of Registered Securities. **
10.1
Form of Restricted Stock Award Agreement between Sotherly Hotels Inc. and Participant (incorporated by reference to the document previously filed as Exhibit 10.1A to the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2008, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 25, 2009). *
10.2
Executive Employment Agreement between Sotherly Hotels Inc. and Anthony E. Domalski, dated as of January 1, 2018 (incorporated by reference to the document previously filed as Exhibit 10.3 to the Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on January 5, 2018). *
10.3
Master Agreement by and among Sotherly Hotels Inc., Sotherly Hotels LP, MHI Hospitality TRS, LLC, Newport Hospitality Group, Inc. and Our Town Hospitality LLC (incorporated by reference to the document previously filed as Exhibit 10.17 to our Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on September 9, 2019).
10.4
Amendment to Master Agreement by and among Sotherly Hotels Inc., Sotherly Hotels LP, MHI Hospitality TRS, LLC, Newport Hospitality Group, Inc. and Our Town Hospitality LLC (incorporated by reference to the document previously filed as Exhibit 10.21 to our Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on December 16, 2019).
10.5
Sublease Agreement between Our Town Hospitality LLC and Sotherly Hotels Inc. dated December 13, 2019 (incorporated by reference to the document previously filed as Exhibit 10.23 to our Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on December 16, 2019).
10.6
Executive Employment Agreement between Sotherly Hotels Inc. and Andrew M. Sims, dated as of January 1, 2020 (incorporated by reference to the document previously filed as Exhibit 10.24 to our Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on January 6, 2020). *
10.7
Executive Employment Agreement between Sotherly Hotels Inc. and David R. Folsom, dated as of January 1, 2020 (incorporated by reference to the document previously filed as Exhibit 10.25 to our Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on January 6, 2020). *
10.8
Executive Employment Agreement between Sotherly Hotels Inc. and Scott M. Kucinski, dated as of January 1, 2020 (incorporated by reference to the document previously filed as Exhibit 10.26 to our Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on January 6, 2020). *
10.9
Executive Employment Agreement between Sotherly Hotels Inc. and Robert E. Kirkland IV, dated as of January 1, 2020 (incorporated by reference to the document previously filed as Exhibit 10.27 to our Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on January 6, 2020). *
10.10
Promissory Note between Sotherly Hotels LP and Village Bank dated as of April 16, 2020 (incorporated by reference to the document previously filed as Exhibit 10.16 to our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on June 24, 2020).
Exhibits
10.11
Promissory Note between MHI Hospitality TRS, LLC and Fifth Third Bank, National Association, dated as of April 28, 2020 (incorporated by reference to the document previously filed as Exhibit 10.17 to our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on June 24, 2020).
10.12
Promissory Note between SOHO Arlington TRS LLC and Fifth Third Bank, National Association, dated as of May 6, 2020 (incorporated by reference to the document previously filed as Exhibit 10.18 to our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on June 24, 2020).
10.13
Second Amendment to Master Agreement by and among Sotherly Hotels Inc., Sotherly Hotels LP, MHI Hospitality TRS, LLC, Newport Hospitality Group, Inc. and Our Town Hospitality (incorporated by reference to the document previously filed as Exhibit 10.20 to our Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on June 9, 2021).
10.14
First Amendment to Employment Agreement between Sotherly Hotels Inc. and Robert E. Kirkland IV, dated February 8, 2022 (incorporated by reference to the document previously filed as Exhibit 10.25 to our Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on February 11, 2022). *
10.15
Third Amendment to Master Agreement by and among Sotherly Hotels Inc., Sotherly Hotels LP, MHI Hospitality TRS, LLC, and Our Town Hospitality LLC (incorporated by reference to the document previously filed as Exhibit 10.27 to our Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on April 27, 2022).
10.16
Sotherly Hotels Inc. 2022 Long-Term Incentive Plan (incorporated by reference to the document previously filed as Exhibit 99.1 to the Company’s Registration Statement on Form S-8 filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on July 20, 2022). *
10.17
Amendment to Employment Agreement between Sotherly Hotels Inc. and Andrew M. Sims, dated January 23, 2023 (incorporated by reference to the document previously filed as Exhibit 10.1 to our Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on January 24, 2023). *
10.18
Amendment to Employment Agreement between Sotherly Hotels Inc. and David R. Folsom, dated January 23, 2023 (incorporated by reference to the document previously filed as Exhibit 10.2 to our Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on January 24, 2023). *
10.19
Amendment to Employment Agreement between Sotherly Hotels Inc. and Scott M. Kucinski, dated January 23, 2023 (incorporated by reference to the document previously filed as Exhibit 10.3 to our Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on January 24, 2023). *
10.20
Amendment to Employment Agreement between Sotherly Hotels Inc. and Anthony E. Domalski, dated January 23, 2023 (incorporated by reference to the document previously filed as Exhibit 10.4 to our Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on January 24, 2023). *
10.21
Second Amendment to Employment Agreement between Sotherly Hotels Inc. and Robert E. Kirkland IV, dated January 23, 2023 (incorporated by reference to the document previously filed as Exhibit 10.5 to our Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on January 24, 2023). *
10.22
Amended and Restated Master Agreement by and among Sotherly Hotels Inc., Sotherly Hotels LP, MHI Hospitality TRS, LLC, and Our Town Hospitality LLC, dated November 6, 2024 (incorporated by reference to the document previously filed as Exhibit 10.22 to our Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on November 7, 2024).
10.23
Form of Indemnification Agreement between Sotherly Hotels Inc. and its directors, officers, and certain employees. * **
19.1
Sotherly Hotels Inc. Insider Trading Policy. **
21.1
List of Subsidiaries of Sotherly Hotels Inc. **
21.2
List of Subsidiaries of Sotherly Hotels LP. **
23.1
Consent of Forvis Mazars, LLP. **
23.2
Consent of Forvis Mazars, LLP. **
31.1
Certification of Chief Executive Officer pursuant to Exchange Act Rule 13(a)-14 and 15(d)-14, as adopted pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002. **
Exhibits
31.2
Certification of Chief Financial Officer pursuant to Exchange Act Rule 13(a)-14 and 15(d)-14, as adopted, pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002. **
31.3
Certification of Chief Executive Officer pursuant to Exchange Act Rule 13(a)-14 and 15(d)-14, as adopted pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002. **
31.4
Certification of Chief Financial Officer pursuant to Exchange Act Rule 13(a)-14 and 15(d)-14, as adopted, pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002. **
32.1
Certification of Chief Executive Officer pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002. (+)
32.2
Certification of Chief Financial Officer pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002. (+)
32.3
Certification of Chief Executive Officer pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002. (+)
32.4
Certification of Chief Financial Officer pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002. (+)
97.1
Executive Officer Incentive Compensation Recovery Policy (incorporated by reference to the document previously filed as Exhibit 10.1 to our Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on August 4, 2023).
101.INS
Inline XBRL Instance Document - the instance document does not appear in the Interactive Data File because its XBRL tags are embedded within the Inline XBRL document.
101.SCH
Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Schema With Embedded Linkbase Documents.
104.0
Cover Page Interactive Data File (embedded within the Inline XBRL document).
* Denotes management contract and/or compensatory plan/arrangement.
**	Filed herewith.
(+)	This certification shall not be deemed "filed" for purposes of Section 18 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, or otherwise subject to the liability of that section, nor shall it be deemed to be incorporated by reference into any filing under the Securities Act of 1933 or the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.