Exhibit 8.1
| |
|
|
|
|
HUNTON & WILLIAMS LLP |
|
|
RIVERFRONT PLAZA, EAST TOWER |
|
|
951 EAST BYRD STREET |
|
|
RICHMOND, VIRGINIA 23219-4074 |
|
|
|
|
|
TEL 804 788 8200 |
|
|
FAX 804 788 8218 |
December 3, 2009
Pebblebrook Hotel Trust
10319 Westlake Drive, Suite 112
Bethesda, Maryland 20817
Pebblebrook Hotel Trust
Qualification as
Real Estate Investment Trust
Ladies and Gentlemen:
We have acted as counsel to Pebblebrook Hotel Trust, a Maryland real estate investment trust
(the Company), in connection with the preparation of a Form S-11 registration statement (File No.
333-162412) filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on October 9, 2009, as amended
through the date hereof (the Registration Statement), with respect to the offer and sale (the
Offering) of up to 20,125,000 common shares of beneficial interest, par value $0.01 per share, of
the Company. You have requested our opinion regarding certain U.S. federal income tax matters in
connection with the Offering.
In giving this opinion letter, we have examined the following:
| 1. |
|
the Registration Statement and the prospectus (the Prospectus) filed as part of the
Registration Statement; |
| |
| 2. |
|
the Companys Declaration of Trust filed on October 2, 2009 with the Department of
Assessments and Taxation of the State of Maryland, and the Articles of Amendment and
Restatement (the Amended Articles), in the form attached as an exhibit to the Registration
Statement; |
| |
| 3. |
|
the Companys Bylaws (the Bylaws), in the form attached as an exhibit to the Registration
Statement; |
Pebblebrook Hotel Trust
December 3, 2009
Page 2
| 4. |
|
the Agreement of Limited Partnership of Pebblebrook Hotel, L.P., a Delaware limited
partnership (the Operating Partnership Agreement), in the form attached as an exhibit to the
Registration Statement; and |
| |
| 5. |
|
such other documents as we have deemed necessary or appropriate for purposes of this opinion. |
In connection with the opinions rendered below, we have assumed, with your consent, that:
1. each of the documents referred to above is authentic, if an original, or is accurate, if a copy;
and has not been amended;
2. the Amended Articles, the Bylaws and the Operating Partnership Agreement will be executed,
delivered, adopted, and filed, as applicable, in a form substantially similar to the forms filed as
exhibits to the Registration Statement;
3. during its taxable year ending December 31, 2009, and future taxable years, the Company will
operate in a manner that will make the factual representations contained in a certificate, dated
the date hereof and executed by a duly appointed officer of the Company (the Officers
Certificate), true for such years;
4. the Company will not make any amendments to its organizational documents after the date of this
opinion that would affect its qualification as a real estate investment trust (a REIT) for any
taxable year; and
5. no action will be taken by the Company after the date hereof that would have the effect of
altering the facts upon which the opinions set forth below are based.
In connection with the opinions rendered below, we also have relied upon the correctness of
the factual representations contained in the Officers Certificate. No facts have come to our
attention that would cause us to question the accuracy and completeness of such factual
representations. Furthermore, where such factual representations involve terms defined in the
Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the Code), the Treasury regulations thereunder (the
Regulations), published rulings of the Internal Revenue Service (the Service), or other
relevant authority, we have reviewed with the individuals making such representations the relevant
provisions of the Code, the applicable Regulations and published administrative interpretations
thereof.
Pebblebrook Hotel Trust
December 3, 2009
Page 3
Based solely on the documents and assumptions set forth above, the representations set forth
in the Officers Certificate, the discussion in the Prospectus under the caption Material Federal
Income Tax Considerations (which is incorporated herein by reference), we are of the opinion that:
(a) commencing with its short taxable year beginning on the business day prior to the
closing of the Offering and ending on December 31, 2009, the Company will be organized
in conformity with the requirements for qualification and taxation as a REIT pursuant
to sections 856 through 860 of the Code, and the Companys proposed method of
operation will enable it to satisfy the requirements for qualification and taxation as
a REIT under the Code for its taxable year ending December 31, 2009 and thereafter;
and
(b) the descriptions of the law and the legal conclusions in the Prospectus under the
caption Material Federal Income Tax Considerations are correct in all material
respects.
We will not review on a continuing basis the Companys compliance with the documents or
assumptions set forth above, or the representations set forth in the Officers Certificate.
Accordingly, no assurance can be given that the actual results of the Companys operations for any
given taxable year will satisfy the requirements for qualification and taxation as a REIT.
Although we have made such inquiries and performed such investigations as we have deemed necessary
to fulfill our professional responsibilities as counsel, we have not undertaken an independent
investigation of all of the facts referred to in this letter or the Officers Certificate.
The foregoing opinions are based on current provisions of the Code, the Regulations, published
administrative interpretations thereof, and published court decisions. The Service has not issued
Regulations or administrative interpretations with respect to various provisions of the Code
relating to REIT qualification. No assurance can be given that the law will not change in a way
that will prevent the Company from qualifying as a REIT.
The foregoing opinions are limited to the U.S. federal income tax matters addressed herein,
and no other opinions are rendered with respect to other U.S. federal tax matters or to any issues
arising under the tax laws of any other country, or any state or locality. We undertake no
obligation to update the opinions expressed herein after the date of this letter. This opinion
letter speaks only as of the date hereof. Except as provided in the next paragraph, this opinion
letter may not be distributed, quoted in whole or in part or otherwise reproduced in any document,
or filed with any governmental agency without our express written consent.
We hereby consent to the filing of this opinion as an exhibit to the Registration Statement.
We also consent to the references to Hunton & Williams LLP under the captions
Pebblebrook Hotel Trust
December 3, 2009
Page 4
Material Federal Income Tax Considerations and Legal Matters in the Prospectus. In giving this
consent, we do not admit that we are in the category of persons whose consent is required by
Section 7 of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the rules and regulations promulgated
thereunder by the Securities and Exchange Commission.
| |
|
|
|
|
Very truly yours, |
|
|
|
|
|
/s/ Hunton & Williams LLP |
|
|
|
07796/10510 |
|
|