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Related Party Transactions
6 Months Ended
Jun. 30, 2017
Related Party Transactions [Abstract]  
Related Party Transactions

9. Related Party Transactions

Chesapeake Hospitality. As of June 30, 2017, the members of Chesapeake Hospitality (a company that is majority-owned and controlled by the Company’s chairman and chief executive officer, the Company’s former chief financial officer, and two former members of the Company’s board of directors) owned 1,740,691 shares, approximately 12.0%, of the Company’s outstanding common stock as well as 870,271 Operating Partnership units. The following is a summary of the transactions between Chesapeake Hospitality and us:

Accounts Receivable – At June 30, 2017 and December 31, 2016, we were due $483,905 and $0, respectively, from Chesapeake Hospitality.

Management Agreements – As of June 30, 2017, each of our wholly-owned hotels and the Hyde Resort & Residences operated under various management agreements with Chesapeake Hospitality.  The management agreements each provide for an initial term of 5 years and expire between January 1, 2020 and January 30, 2022, and may be extended for up to two additional periods of five years each subject to the approval of both parties.  Each of the individual hotel management agreements may be terminated earlier than the stated term upon the sale of the hotel covered by the respective management agreement, in which case we may incur early termination fees.  We also have a master agreement with Chesapeake Hospitality that 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 fees for The Whitehall and the Georgian Terrace were 2.00% through 2015, increased to 2.25% in 2016, and increased to 2.50% in 2017 and for each year thereafter.  The base management fee for the Crowne Plaza Hollywood Beach Resort was 2.00% from July 2015 through July 2016, increased to 2.25% in July 2016, and increases to 2.50% in July 2017 and each year thereafter.  The base management fee for the Hyde Resort & Residences is 2.00% from January 2017 through January 2018, increases to 2.25% in January 2018, and increases to 2.50% in January 2019 and for each year thereafter.  The base management fees for the remaining properties in the current portfolio are 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.  The Company and Chesapeake Hospitality agreed to substitute the Hyde Resort & Residences for the Crowne Plaza Hampton Marina and there was no termination fee associated with the termination of the Crowne Plaza Hampton Marina management agreement.  Each management agreement sets an incentive management fee equal to 10% of the amount by which gross operating profit, as defined in the management agreement, 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.

Base management and administrative fees earned by Chesapeake Hospitality for our properties totaled $1,089,464 and $1,050,008 for the three months ended June 30, 2017 and 2016, respectively and $2,062,532 and $1,982,394 for the six months ended June 30, 2017 and 2016, respectively.  In addition, estimated incentive management fees of $1,824 and $33,305 were accrued for the three months ended June 30, 2017 and 2016, respectively and $28,117 and $47,002 were accrued for the six months ended June 30, 2017 and 2016, 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 $1,345,837 and $2,673,778 for the three and six months ended June 30, 2017, respectively and were approximately $1,219,458 and $2,545,612 for the three and six months ended June 30, 2016, respectively.

Sotherly Foundation – During 2015, the Company loaned $180,000 to the Sotherly Foundation, a non-profit organization to benefit wounded American veterans living in communities near our hotels.  As of June 30, 2017, and December 31, 2016, the balance of the loan was $80,000, respectively.

Loan Receivable - Affiliate – As of June 30, 2017, approximately $4.7 million was due the Operating Partnership for advances to the Company under a loan agreement dated December 29, 2016.  The Company used the proceeds to make advances to the ESOP to purchase shares of the Company’s common stock.

Others. We employ 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.  We also employ Andrew M. Sims Jr., the son of our Chief Executive Officer, as a manager. Compensation for the three months ended June 30, 2017 and 2016 totaled $88,334 and $81,110, respectively and for the six months ended June 30 2017 and 2016 totaled approximately $179,642 and $164,848, respectively, for the three individuals.  

On February 1, 2016, one current member of the Company’s board of directors redeemed 322,687 units for an equivalent number of shares of the Company’s common stock, and one previous member of the board of directors redeemed 100,000 units for an equivalent number of shares of the Company’s common stock, pursuant to the terms of the partnership agreement.

During the three-month period ending June 30, 2017 and 2016, the Company reimbursed $57,148  and $40,966, respectively and during the six-month period ending June 30, 2017 and 2016, the Company reimbursed $106,006 and $69,768, respectively, to a partnership controlled by the Chief Executive Officer for business-related air travel pursuant to the Company’s travel reimbursement policy.