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Related Party Transactions
 6 Months Ended
Jun. 30, 2025
Related Party Transactions [Abstract]  
Related Party Transactions Related Party Transactions
Ashford Inc.
Advisory Agreement with Ashford Trust OP
Ashford LLC, a subsidiary of Ashford Inc., acts as our advisor. Our chairman, Mr. Monty J. Bennett, also serves as chairman of the board of directors and chief executive officer of Ashford Inc.
Under our advisory agreement, we pay advisory fees to Ashford LLC. Advisory fees consist of base fees and incentive fees. We pay a monthly base fee in an amount equal to 1/12 of (i) 0.70% of the Total Market Capitalization (as defined in our advisory agreement) of the Company for the prior month, plus (ii) the Net Asset Fee Adjustment (as defined in our advisory agreement), if any, on the last day of the prior month during which the advisory agreement was in effect; provided, however, that in no event shall the Base Fee (as defined in our advisory agreement) for any month be less than the Minimum Base Fee as provided by the advisory agreement. The Company shall pay the Base Fee or the Minimum Base Fee (as defined in our advisory agreement) on the fifth business day of each month.
The Minimum Base Fee for Ashford Trust for each quarter beginning January 1, 2021 is equal to the greater of:
(i) ninety percent (90%) of the base fee paid for the same month in the prior fiscal year; and
(ii) 1/12th of the G&A Ratio (as defined in the advisory agreement) for the most recently completed fiscal quarter multiplied by the Company’s Total Market Capitalization.
We are also required to pay Ashford LLC an incentive fee that is measured annually (or for a stub period if the advisory agreement is terminated at other than year-end). In each year that the Company’s total shareholder return exceeds the average total shareholder return for the peer group, the Company shall pay to Ashford LLC an incentive fee. The incentive fee, if any, subject to the Fixed Coverage Charge Ratio Condition (as defined in the advisory agreement), shall be payable in arrears in three equal annual installments.
We also reimburse Ashford LLC for certain reimbursable overhead and internal audit, risk management advisory and asset management services, as specified in the advisory agreement. We also record equity-based compensation expense for equity grants of common stock and LTIP units awarded to officers and employees of Ashford LLC in connection with providing advisory services.
The following table summarizes the advisory services fees incurred (in thousands):
Three Months Ended June 30,Six Months Ended June 30,
2025202420252024
Advisory services fee
Base advisory fee$8,210 $7,985 $16,279 $15,948 
Reimbursable expenses (1)
3,345 2,744 6,527 9,142 
Equity-based compensation (2)
222 507 155 1,043 
Incentive fee(66)— 27 — 
Total advisory services fee$11,711 $11,236 $22,988 $26,133 
________
(1)Reimbursable expenses include overhead, internal audit, risk management advisory, asset management services and deferred cash awards.
(2)    Equity-based compensation is associated with equity grants of Ashford Trust’s common stock, LTIP units and Performance LTIP units awarded to officers and employees of Ashford LLC.
On March 12, 2024, we entered into the Third Amended and Restated Advisory Agreement with Ashford LLC (as amended, the “Advisory Agreement”). The Advisory Agreement amends and restates the terms of the Second Amended and Restated Advisory Agreement, dated January 14, 2021, to, among other items: (i) require the Company pay the advisor the Portfolio Company Fee (as defined in the Advisory Agreement) upon certain specified defaults under the Company’s loan agreements resulting in the foreclosure of the Company’s hotel properties; (ii) provide that there shall be no additional payments to the advisor from the amendments to the master hotel management agreement with Remington Hospitality and the master project management agreement with Premier until the Oaktree Credit Agreement is paid in full, and limits, for a period of two years thereafter, the incremental financial impact to no more than $2 million per year in additional payments to the advisor from such amendments; (iii) reduce the Consolidated Tangible Net Worth covenant (as defined in the Advisory Agreement) to $750 million (plus 75% of net equity proceeds received) from $1 billion (plus 75% of net equity proceeds received); (iv) revise the criteria that would constitute a Company Change of Control; (v) revise the definition of termination fee to provide for a minimum amount of such termination fee; and (vi) revise the criteria that would constitute a voting control event.
On March 10, 2025, the Company and Ashford LLC entered into Amendment No. 3 to the Advisory Agreement (the “Third Amendment”). The Third Amendment further extends the updates made by Amendments No. 1 and No. 2 to the Advisory Agreement to the outside date for which any sale or disposition of any of the Company’s Highland loan portfolio and JPM8 hotel properties securing the associated mortgage loans following certain defaults (as described in the Advisory Agreement), including a maturity default, would be excluded from the numerator of the calculation of the percentage of gross book value of the Company’s assets sold or disposed (but, for the avoidance of doubt, included in the denominator of such calculation) for purposes of determining whether a Company Change of Control (as defined in the Advisory Agreement) has occurred, from November 30, 2025 to March 31, 2026.
On May 12, 2025, the Company and Ashford LLC entered into Amendment No. 4 to the Advisory Agreement (the “Fourth Amendment”). The Fourth Amendment further extends the updates made by the Third Amendment to the outside date for which any sale or disposition of any of the Company’s Highland loan portfolio and JPM8 hotel properties securing the associated mortgage loans following certain defaults (as described in the Advisory Agreement) would be excluded from the numerator of the calculation of the percentage of gross book value of the Company’s assets sold or disposed (but, for the avoidance of doubt, included in the denominator of such calculation) for purposes of determining whether a Company Change of Control (as defined in the Advisory Agreement) has occurred, from March 31, 2026 to May 31, 2026.
On March 10, 2025, we entered into a Limited Waiver Under Advisory Agreement with Ashford Inc. and Ashford LLC (the “2025 Limited Waiver”). Pursuant to the Limited Waiver, the Company, the Operating Partnership, TRS and the Advisor waive the operation of any provision in our advisory agreement that would otherwise limit the ability of the Company in its discretion, at the Company’s cost and expense, to award during the first and second fiscal quarters of calendar year 2025, cash incentive compensation to employees and other representatives of the Advisor.
Advisory Agreement with Stirling OP
Stirling REIT Advisors, LLC (“Stirling Advisor”), a subsidiary of Ashford Inc., acts as Stirling OP’s advisor. Stirling Advisor is paid an annual management fee (payable monthly in arrears) of 1.25% of aggregate NAV represented by the Class T, Class S, Class D and Class I shares of Stirling Inc. Additionally, to the extent Stirling OP issues Class T, Class S, Class D or Class I operating partnership units to parties other than Stirling Inc., Stirling OP will pay Stirling Advisor a management fee equal to 1.25% of the aggregate NAV of Stirling OP attributable to such Class T, Class S, Class D and Class I operating partnership units not held by Stirling Inc. per annum payable monthly in arrears. No management fee will be paid with respect to Class E shares of Stirling Inc. or Class E units of Stirling OP. The management fee is allocated on a class-specific basis and borne by all holders of the applicable class. The management fee will be paid, at Stirling Advisor’s election, in cash, Class E shares of Stirling Inc. or Class E units of Stirling OP. If Stirling Advisor elects to receive any portion of its management fee in Class E shares or Class E units of Stirling OP, Stirling Inc. may be obligated to repurchase such Class E shares of Stirling Inc. or Class E units of Stirling OP from Stirling Advisor at a later date. Such repurchases will be outside Stirling Inc.’s share repurchase plan and thus will not be subject to the repurchase limits of the share repurchase plan or any early repurchase deduction.
Stirling OP does not intend to pay Stirling Advisor any acquisition or other similar fees in connection with making investments. Stirling OP will, however, reimburse Stirling Advisor for out-of-pocket expenses in connection with the selection and acquisition of properties and real estate related debt, whether or not such investments are acquired, and make payments to third parties in connection with making investments. In addition to organization and offering expense and acquisition expense reimbursements, Stirling OP will reimburse Stirling Advisor for out-of-pocket costs and expenses it incurs in connection with the services it provides to Stirling Inc., including, but not limited to: (i) the actual cost of goods and services used by Stirling OP and obtained from third parties, including fees paid to administrators, consultants, attorneys, technology providers and other service providers, and brokerage fees paid in connection with the purchase and sale of investments; (ii) expenses of managing and operating Stirling OP’s properties, whether payable to an affiliate or a non-affiliated person; and (iii) expenses related to personnel of Stirling Advisor performing services for Stirling OP other than those who provide investment advisory services or serve as executive officers of Stirling Inc.
The following table summarizes the advisory services fees incurred (in thousands):
Three Months Ended June 30,Six Months Ended June 30,
2025202420252024
Advisory services fee
Base advisory fee$129 $195 $255 $452 
Reimbursable expenses (1)
66 43 92 90 
Performance participation fee
111 — 227 — 
Total advisory services fee$306 $238 $574 $542 
________
(1)Reimbursable expenses include overhead, internal audit, risk management advisory and asset management services.
Ashford Inc. and Stirling OP Advisor Support
Stirling Advisor will advance on Stirling OP’s behalf certain general and administrative expenses through December 31, 2025, at which point Stirling OP will reimburse Stirling Advisor for all such advanced expenses ratably over the 120 months following such date.
Through December 31, 2025, Stirling Advisor has agreed to advance all expenses on Stirling OP’s behalf in connection with its formation and the raising of equity capital, including (without limitation) the following: legal, accounting, investment banking and other advisory fees; regulatory and other filing fees; expenses of qualification of the sale of shares under federal and state laws, including taxes and fees and accountants’ and attorneys’ fees; printing, engraving and mailing costs; expenses of the marketing and distribution of the shares, reasonable bona fide due diligence expenses of a dealer manager and selected dealers supported by detailed and itemized invoices, costs in connection with sales and marketing materials, design and website expenses, salaries of employees while engaged in sales activity, fees and expenses of a dealer manager’s attorneys, costs related to investor and broker-dealer sales meetings, including fees to attend retail seminars sponsored by a dealer manager or selected dealers and reimbursements to a dealer manager and selected dealers for customary travel, lodging and meals; charges of
administrators, transfer agents, registrars, trustees, escrow holders, depositories and experts; but excluding upfront selling commissions, dealer manager fees and distribution fees. Stirling OP will reimburse Stirling Advisor for all such advanced expenses ratably over the 120 months commencing January 1, 2026.
Warwick
Pursuant to the Company’s hotel management agreements with each hotel management company, the Company bears the economic burden for casualty insurance coverage, which includes worker’s compensation, general liability and auto liability coverages. The hotel management companies procure worker’s compensation insurance, the expenses of which are passed through to the Company. Under the advisory agreement and hotel management agreements, Ashford Inc. secures general liability and auto liability policies to cover Ashford Trust, Braemar, Stirling OP, their hotel managers, as needed, and Ashford Inc. The total cost estimates covered by such policies are based on the collective pool of risk exposures from each party. Ashford Inc. delegates the management of the casualty insurance program to Warwick Insurance Company, LLC (“Warwick”), a subsidiary of Ashford Inc., which issues policies covering general liability, workers’ compensation and auto liability losses. Each year Ashford Inc. collects funds from Ashford Trust, Braemar, Stirling OP and their respective hotel management companies, to fund the casualty insurance program as needed, on an allocated basis.
Cash Management
The Company, Ashford Inc. and Braemar Hotels & Resorts Inc. (“Braemar”) are subject to an agreement pursuant to which the Advisor is to implement the REIT’s cash management strategies. This includes actively managing the REIT’s excess cash by primarily investing in short-term U.S. Treasury securities. The annual fee is 20 basis points (“bps”) of the average daily balance of the funds managed by the advisor and is payable monthly in arrears.
Lismore
We engage Lismore or its subsidiaries to provide debt placement services, assist with loan modifications or refinancings on our behalf and provide brokerage services. During the three and six months ended June 30, 2025, we incurred fees of $565,000 and $2.4 million, respectively. During the three and six months ended June 30, 2024, we incurred fees of $3.3 million and $3.5 million, respectively.
Ashford Securities
The Company, Braemar and Ashford Inc. are party to the Fourth Amended and Restated Contribution Agreement with respect to funding certain expenses of Ashford Securities LLC, a subsidiary of Ashford Inc. (“Ashford Securities”). As of June 30, 2025, Ashford Trust has funded approximately $16.3 million. As of December 31, 2024, Ashford Trust had funded approximately $13.2 million and had a $503,000 payable that is included in “due to Ashford Inc., net” on our consolidated balance sheet.
The table below summarizes the amount Ashford Trust has expensed related to reimbursed operating expenses of Ashford Securities (in thousands):
Three Months Ended June 30,Six Months Ended June 30,
Line Item2025202420252024
Corporate, general and administrative$2,158 $1,566 $3,738 $6,456 
Design and Construction Services – Ashford Trust
Premier Project Management LLC (“Premier”), as a subsidiary of Ashford Inc., provides design and construction services to our hotels, including construction management, interior design, architectural services and the purchasing, freight management and supervision of installation of FF&E and related services. Pursuant to the design and construction services agreement, we pay Premier: (a) design and construction fees of up to 4% of project costs; and (b) market service fees at current market rates with respect to construction management, interior design, architecture, FF&E purchasing, FF&E expediting/freight management, FF&E warehousing and FF&E installation and supervision.
On March 12, 2024, Ashford Trust OP entered into an Amended and Restated Master Project Management Agreement with Premier (the “A&R PMA”). The provisions of the A&R PMA are substantially the same as the Master Project Management Agreement, dated as of August 8, 2018. The A&R PMA provides for an initial term of ten years as to each hotel governed by
the A&R PMA. The term may be renewed by Premier, at its option, for three successive periods of seven years each, and, thereafter, a final term of four years; provided that, at the time the option to renew is exercised, Premier is not then in default under the A&R PMA. The A&R PMA also: (i) provides that fees will be payable monthly as the service is delivered based on percentage completion; (ii) allows a project management fee to be paid on a development, together with (and not in lieu of) the development fee; and (iii) fixes the fees for FF&E purchasing, expediting, freight management and warehousing at 8%.
Design and Construction Services – Stirling OP
The Master Project Management Agreement provides that Premier shall be paid a project management fee equal to 4% of the total project costs associated with the implementation of the capital improvement budget (both hard and soft) until such time that the capital improvement budget and/or renovation project involves the expenditure of an amount in excess of 5% of the gross revenues of the applicable hotel, whereupon the design project management fee shall be reduced to 3% of the total project costs in excess of the 5% of gross revenue threshold.
The Master Project Management Agreement provides that Premier shall provide the following services and shall be paid the following fees: (i) architecture (6.5% of total construction costs, plus reimbursement for all third-party, out-of-pocket costs and expenses of mechanical, electrical and structural engineering services utilized in providing architectural services for project management work); (ii) construction management for projects without a general contractor (10% of total construction costs); (iii) interior design (6% of the purchase price of FFE designed or selected by Premier); (iv) FFE purchasing (8% of the purchase price of the FFE purchased by Premier; provided that, if the purchase price exceeds $2.0 million for a single hotel in a calendar year, then the procurement fee is reduced to 6% of the FFE purchase price in excess of $2.0 million for such hotel in such calendar year); (v) freight expediting (8% of the cost of expediting FFE); (vi) warehousing (8% of the cost of warehousing goods delivered to the job site); and (vii) development (4% of total project costs).
Hotel Management Services
As of June 30, 2025, Remington Hospitality managed 50 of our 68 hotel properties and three of the four Stirling OP hotel properties.
We pay monthly hotel management fees equal to the greater of approximately $17,000 per hotel (increased annually based on consumer price index adjustments) or 3% of gross revenues as well as annual incentive management fees, if certain operational criteria were met, and other general and administrative expense reimbursements primarily related to accounting services. Our hotel management agreement also requires that we fund property-level operating costs including the hotel manager's payroll and related costs.
On March 12, 2024, Ashford TRS Corporation entered into a Second Consolidated, Amended and Restated Hotel Master Management Agreement with Remington Hospitality (the “Second A&R HMA”). The provisions of the Second A&R HMA are substantially the same as in the Consolidated, Amended and Restated Hotel Master Management Agreement, dated as of August 8, 2018. The Second A&R HMA provides for an initial term of ten years as to each hotel governed by the Second A&R HMA. The term may be renewed by Remington Hospitality, at its option, for three successive periods of seven years each, and, thereafter, a final term of four years; provided that, at the time the option to renew is exercised, Remington Hospitality is not then in default under the Second A&R HMA. The Second A&R HMA also provides that Remington Hospitality may charge market premiums for its self-insured health plans to its hotel employees, the cost of which is an operating expense of the hotel properties.
On September 11, 2024, Ashford TRS Corporation entered into the First Amendment (the “HMA Amendment”) to the Second A&R HMA with Remington Hospitality. Pursuant to the HMA Amendment, the amount of Group Services (as defined in the Second A&R HMA) charged per room per month at each hotel is capped at $38.32 (subject to annual increases beginning in 2026 equal to the greater of 3% or the percentage change in the Consumer Price Index over the preceding annual period) (the “Cap”). Any unpaid balance will be paid by Ashford TRS, and the Cap will be disregarded when calculating the Incentive Fee (as defined in the Second A&R HMA) for 2024. The Cap will not apply to hotels for whom the New Lessee (as defined in the Second A&R HMA) is not a direct or indirect wholly-owned subsidiary of Ashford TRS.