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Related Party Transactions
3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2015
Related Party Transactions [Abstract]  
Related Party Transactions

8. Related Party Transactions

Chesapeake Hospitality. As of March 31, 2015, the members of Chesapeake Hospitality (a company that is majority-owned and controlled by the Company’s chief executive officer, its former chief financial officer, a member of its Board of Directors and a former member of its Board of Directors) owned 1,064,404 shares, approximately 10.0%, of the Company’s outstanding common stock as well as 1,642,958 Operating Partnership units. The indirect equity owners of Chesapeake Hospitality include the Company’s chief executive officer, Andrew M. Sims, and a member of the Company’s board of directors, Kim E. Sims. The following is a summary of the transactions between Chesapeake Hospitality and us:

Accounts Receivable – At March 31, 2015 and December 31, 2014, we were due $114,440 and $50,838, respectively, from Chesapeake Hospitality.

Shell Island Sublease – We had a sublease arrangement with Chesapeake Hospitality on our expired leasehold interests in the property at Shell Island. Leasehold revenue was $0 and $87,500 for the three month periods ended March 31, 2015 and 2014, respectively. The underlying leases at Shell Island expired on December 31, 2011.

Strategic Alliance Agreement – On December 21, 2004, we entered into a ten-year strategic alliance agreement with Chesapeake Hospitality that provides in part for the referral of acquisition opportunities to the Company and the management of its hotels by Chesapeake Hospitality. The agreement expired on December 15, 2014, in conjunction with the execution of the new management agreements.

 

Management Agreements – Each of the hotels that we wholly-owned at March 31, 2015 were operated by Chesapeake Hospitality under various management agreements that were to expire between December 2014 and March 2019. Under those agreements, Chesapeake Hospitality received a base management fee of 2.0% of gross revenues for the first full fiscal year and partial fiscal year from the commencement date through December 31 of that year, 2.5% of gross revenues the second full fiscal year, and 3.0% of gross revenues for every year thereafter. The agreements also provided for an incentive management fee due annually in arrears within 90 days of the end of the fiscal year equal to 10.0% of the amount by which the gross operating profit of the hotels, on an aggregate basis for eight hotels and on an individual basis for two other hotels, for a given year exceeds the gross operating profit for the same hotel(s), for the prior year. The incentive management fee may not exceed 0.25% of gross revenues of all of the hotel(s) included in the incentive fee calculation. The management agreement for the Crowne Plaza Houston Downtown did not provide for any incentive management fee. Additionally, the management agreement for the Georgian Terrace provided for an administrative fee of $30,000 per year for as long as the adjacent parking garage is managed by a third party.

On December 15, 2014, we entered into a new master agreement and a series of individual hotel management agreements that became effective on January 1, 2015. The master agreement has a five-year term, but may be extended for such additional periods as long as an individual management agreement remains in effect. The base management fee for the Crowne Plaza Houston Downtown and the Georgian Terrace will remain at 2.00% through 2015, increases to 2.25% in 2016 and increases to 2.50% thereafter. The base management fees for the remaining properties in the current portfolio will be 2.65% through 2017 and decreases to 2.50% thereafter. For new individual hotel management agreements, Chesapeake Hospitality will receive a base management fee of 2.00% of gross revenues for the first full year from the commencement date through the anniversary date, 2.25% of gross revenues the second full year, and 2.50% of gross revenues for every year thereafter.

Base management and administrative fees earned by Chesapeake Hospitality totaled $753,898 and $687,562 for the three months ended March 31, 2015 and 2014, respectively. In addition, estimated incentive management fees of $35,349 and $7,272 were accrued for the three months ended March 31, 2015 and 2014, respectively.

Employee Medical Benefits – We purchase employee medical benefits through Maryland Hospitality, Inc. (d/b/a MHI Health), an affiliate of Chesapeake Hospitality for our employees as well as those employees that are employed by Chesapeake Hospitality that work exclusively for our hotel properties. Gross premiums for employee medical benefits paid by the Company (before offset of employee co-payments) were approximately $1.1 million and $0.8 million for the three months ended March 31, 2015 and 2014, respectively.

Crowne Plaza Hollywood Beach Resort. As of March 31, 2015, we own a 25% indirect interest in (i) the entity that owns the Crowne Plaza Hollywood Beach Resort and (ii) the entity that leases the hotel and has engaged Chesapeake Hospitality to operate the hotel under a management contract. The following is a summary of the transactions between Crowne Plaza Hollywood Beach Resort and us:

Accounts Receivable – At March 31, 2015 and December 31, 2014, we were due $127,774 and $146,836, respectively, from Crowne Plaza Hollywood Beach Resort.

Management Agreement – Crowne Plaza Hollywood Beach Resort is operated by Chesapeake Hospitality under a management agreement that is set to expire August 2017. Under this agreement Chesapeake Hospitality received a base management fee of 3.0% of gross revenues. Base management fees earned by Chesapeake Hospitality totaled $211,259 and $192,785 for the three months ended March 31, 2015 and 2014, respectively.

Asset Management Fee – Also, under an asset management agreement, MHI Hospitality TRS II, LLC, an indirect subsidiary of the Company, receives a fee of 1.50% of total revenue which is due on a quarterly basis for services rendered. Asset management fees for the three months ended March 31, 2015 and 2014 were $105,629 and $96,440, respectively. Unpaid asset management fees included in accounts payable and accrued liabilities at March 31, 2015 and December 31, 2014 totaled $105,629 and $73,278, respectively

Redemption of Units in Operating Partnership – During 2014, we redeemed a total of 3,300 units in our Operating Partnership held by a trust controlled by two current members and one former member of the Company’s Board of Directors for a total of $25,621 pursuant to the terms of the partnership agreement.

Bridge Lenders. A former member of the Company’s board of directors holds executive positions in Essex Equity Capital Management, LLC, an affiliate of Essex Equity Joint Investment Vehicle, LLC as well as Richmond Hill Capital Partners, LP. On March 26, 2014, we entered into a Note Agreement, Guaranty, and Pledge Agreement to secure a $19.0 million secured Bridge Loan with the Richmond Hill Capital Partners, LP and Essex Equity Joint Investment Vehicle, LLC. The Bridge Loan had a maturity date of March 26, 2015; carried a fixed interest rate of 10.0% per annum; was subject to a prepayment premium if the loan was prepaid in full or in part prior to March 26, 2015; required mandatory prepayment upon certain events; contained limited financial covenants; and was secured by a lien on 100% of the limited partnership interests in the subsidiary that owns the DoubleTree by Hilton Philadelphia Airport hotel. The Bridge Loan was repaid in full in November 2014.

Others. On June 24, 2013 we hired Ashley S. Kirkland, the daughter of our Chief Executive Officer as a legal analyst and Robert E. Kirkland IV, her husband, as our compliance officer. On October 2, 2014, we hired Andrew M. Sims Jr., the son of our Chief Executive Officer, as a brand manager. Compensation for the three months ended March 31, 2015 and 2014 totaled approximately $62,972 and $32,330, respectively, for all individuals.