Jeffrey Fisher
Analyst · Barclays. Please proceed with your question
Thanks, Chris. Good morning, everybody. Earlier today, we reported very strong fourth quarter results as our overall portfolio RevPAR growth of 4% easily exceeded our original guidance range of negative one to up one. As laid out in our release about 250 basis points of this increase was attributable to demand from the residential gas explosions in North Boston. Having said that, the balance of the portfolio still generated RevPAR growth of 1.5%, which was better than expected as well. This strong performance allowed us to significantly beat our AFFO guidance to close out 2018. 2018 was a good year operationally. RevPAR growth of almost 1% finished above the upper end of our range of minus 1.5% to plus 0.5% for the year, which ironically is the same range that we're putting out for 2019. Adjusted EBITDA finished towards the upper end of our range and adjusted FFO beat the upper end of our range by a penny. Driven by acquisitions in 2017 and 2018, we grew EBITDA and FFO approximately 5% year-over-year. I'm particularly pleased with the results from certain programs and innovative tools that were implemented in 2017 and 2018 to drive incremental revenue or profits. These programs and tools were the result and product of collaboration between Chatham and Island Hospitality, and drives home the huge benefit we derive from working closely together. For example, we analyzed parking rates across the portfolio and successfully raised parking rates, generating a $1.5 million incremental parking revenue increase at our 40 comparable hotels. We introduced room amenity packages in 2018 that generated an additional $200,000 in revenue in 2018. We created tools to help our revenue management and operations teams identify occupancy opportunities and we will continue to look at ways to improve our top line and minimize margin erosion. On the corporate side, we improved our capital structure with the refinancing of our $250 million credit facility, reducing our credit spreads along with improving certain terms and extending our maturity. Additionally, we raised approximately $25 million through our share plans. In fact, since 2017, we’ve raised over $200 million of equity and along with proceeds from the sale of one asset to fully fund our acquisitions over that time. These events have enabled us to substantially reduce leverage and generate incremental cash flow. We continue to expand our Investor Relations function, participating in more events and non-deal roadshows than ever. Strategically, we’re very excited to add two hotels to our portfolio, investing approximately $70 million for the Courtyard, Dallas Downtown and the Residence Inn Charleston, Somerville, both high quality hotels opened in the second half of 2018, and it will take some time to ramp up but are going to be great long term investments and provide increasing FFO over the ramp up period. Shifting gears to 2019, our RevPAR growth range of minus 1.5% to plus 0.5% is adversely impacted by a few items. Demand from the Boston gas explosions of 55 basis points, additional displacement from renovations in Silicon Valley which is reducing RevPAR growth by 35 basis points and very tough fourth quarter costs at our San Diego Gaslamp Hotel that had a tremendous 2018 fourth quarter. This comp alone is reducing our growth by approximately 25 basis points. In our release, we laid out the key items driving the AFFO per share decrease in 2019. We try to be conservative, of course in our approach. So hopefully there's some upside to our estimates because we remain focused as I said on maximizing revenue and minimizing margin erosion. Chatham still generates the highest operating margins of all [indiscernible] REITs and we’re going to maintain our position at the top in 2019. In 2019, we're going to continue with asset sales with the intention of using those proceeds to invest in acquisitions or potential developments. The acquisition market is pretty thin, due to buyer seller pricing expectations, especially in our kind of assets. So we're going to look at a few value add opportunities as we've stated previously, and we may develop one or two hotels if the returns generate the proper risk adjusted return compared to buy an asset of similar quality in that same market. Additionally we will add value by converting existing space at some of our limited service hotels into income producing assets. For example, in 2018, we converted a seldom used meeting space at our Savannah Spring Hill Suites Hotel into a very cool bar called Toasted Barrow. The bar has limited food service, and it has only been open, as I said, for three or four months. However, we are substantially, outperforming our original expectations, taking space that otherwise produced no income and will produce substantial income in 2019. We're looking at opportunities like that in other hotels. We’re certainly finding new sources of revenue and profit as a result of adding bar components like we did about a year and a half ago in our Downtown Bellevue residents Inn, is certainly a very profitable way to go in an environment where RevPAR gains are hard to find we are going to double down on our efforts in terms of adding bars and facilities like that. Also looking at opportunities for example, with the pool in Washington DC at our Residence Inn that gets very little use to be able to convert back into a few rooms and generate substantial revenue as compared to what that space generated before. Our annual dividends expected to remain at a $1.32 per share, a level maintained since midway through 2016 and represents an attractive 6.1% yield. We remain comfortable in our current dividend and we’re producing free cash flow after dividends and CapEx in 2019. Of course our long term goal is to increase free cash flow and guide our strategic efforts to pursue incremental cash flow wherever we get. With that I’d like to turn it over to Dennis.