Hotel Online  Special Report

Discount Hotels
London, Sydney, Rome, AmsterdamParis, Melbourne, Lisbon, Barcelona, Berlin, Hong Kong, New York, Auckland
advertisements
 

..

FelCor Reports 2004 4th Qtr Net loss of $21 million Compared with a Loss of $150 million a Year Earlier
-
Sold Five Hotels Resulting in Proceeds of $86 million During the Quarter

.

IRVING, Texas, Feb. 9, 2005 - FelCor Lodging Trust Incorporated (NYSE: FCH), today reported operating results for the fourth quarter and year ended December 31, 2004.  For the fourth quarter ended December 31, 2004, our RevPAR increased 3.9 percent, with ADR growth accounting for 74 percent of that increase, Adjusted EBITDA increased 11.7 percent, and Adjusted FFO per share totaled $0.08, consistent with the low end of our previous guidance.  During the quarter, we incurred a net loss applicable to common shareholders of $0.35 per share, compared to a loss of $2.55 per share for the same period of 2003, and FFO per share was a loss of $0.10, compared to a loss of $2.06 for last year.

HIGHLIGHTS

Fourth Quarter 2004

  • Adjusted EBITDA grew from $47 million in 2003 to $53 million in 2004, and Same-Store EBITDA increased from $45 million in 2003 to $52 million in 2004, a 15.1% increase.
  • Adjusted FFO was $5 million for the quarter, a $9 million improvement from the loss of $4 million in the prior year period.
  • Net loss applicable to common shareholders was $21 million for the quarter, compared to a net loss of $150 million for the same period in 2003, and FFO was a loss of $6 million, compared to a loss of $128 million in the same period of 2003.
  • RevPAR for the quarter was $59.94, as compared to $57.70 in the same period of 2003, and ADR was $99.28 in the current quarter, compared to $96.45 last year.
  • Hotel operating profit increased to $50 million for the quarter, compared to $43 million in the prior year, an increase of 14.7%.  Hotel operating profit margin during the quarter was 17.5%, an increase of 141 basis points over the 16.1% margin of the prior year.
  • We sold five hotels, resulting in gross proceeds of $86 million.
Full Year 2004

For the full year 2004, our RevPAR increased 4.9 percent, with ADR improvement accounting for 35 percent of the increase, Adjusted EBITDA increased 7.1 percent, and Adjusted FFO per share totaled $1.01, consistent with the low end of our previous guidance.  During the year, we incurred a net loss applicable to common shareholders of $2.29 per share, compared to a per share loss of $5.75 in 2003, and FFO per share was a loss of $0.49, as compared to a per share loss of $3.35 in 2003.

  • Adjusted EBITDA for the year was $259 million, compared to $242 million in 2003, and Same-Store EBITDA was $242 million in 2004, as compared to $227 million in 2003, a 6.5% improvement.
  • Adjusted FFO was $63 million, compared to $38 million in 2003.
  • Net loss applicable to common shareholders was $135 million, compared to a net loss of $337 million in 2003, and FFO was a loss of $31 million, compared to a loss of $207 million last year.
  • RevPAR was $64.91, as compared to $61.89 in 2003, and ADR was $99.07, as compared to $97.38 in 2003.
  • Hotel operating profit increased to $231 million, from $215 million in the prior year, an increase of 7.4%.  Hotel operating margin improved to 19.5%, from 19.4% in the prior year.
  • A labor lockout in San Francisco adversely affected hotel operating profit by an estimated $2 million, and major renovations took room nights out of service and reduced hotel operating profit by an estimated additional $2 million.
  • The Margate condominium tower at Kingston Plantation in Myrtle Beach, S.C., was completed and sold, realizing a gain of approximately $12 million.
  • We spent approximately $102 million on capital improvements during 2004.
  • We sold 17 hotels, resulting in aggregate gross proceeds of $157 million and a net gain of $19 million, and terminated the lease on one hotel.
  • We issued $524 million in debt, and $160 million in preferred equity.
  • We prepaid $775 million of debt.
  • We incurred impairment charges of $38 million.
"In 2004, we exceeded our expectations, with RevPAR, Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted FFO exceeding the targets set forth at the beginning of the year.  In accordance with our strategic plan, we completed $680 million in financings, redeemed early all $600 million of our 10 percent interest rate debt due 2008, and disposed of 18 non-strategic hotels," said Thomas J. Corcoran, Jr., FelCor's President and CEO.

Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation and Amortization ("EBITDA"), Adjusted EBITDA, Same-Store EBITDA, Funds From Operations ("FFO"), Adjusted FFO, hotel operating profit and hotel operating margin are all non-GAAP financial measures.  See "Non-GAAP Financial Measures" for a reconciliation of each of these measures to our net loss and for information regarding the use, limitations and importance of these non-GAAP financial measures.

DISCUSSION

Fourth Quarter 2004

RevPAR.  This is our fourth consecutive quarter of revenue per available room ("RevPAR") increases over the prior year period.  During the quarter, occupancy grew by only 0.9 percent, while average daily rate ("ADR") grew by 2.9 percent.  Average daily rate has been the principal component of RevPAR growth beginning with the third quarter of 2004.  We anticipate that the majority of near-term RevPAR growth will come from increases in ADR, which should help to improve hotel operating profit margins in future periods.

Hotel Operating Profit and Margins.  Hotel operating profit for our hotels included in continuing operations increased 14.7 percent over the same period last year, primarily as a result of the increase in RevPAR.  As a percentage of revenues, both energy expenses and administrative and general expenses increased over the prior year.  The 141 basis point improvement in hotel operating margin over last year was achieved largely as the result of reductions in property taxes and insurance expense.  We are placing increased focus on working with our management companies to improve operating margins at our hotels above those anticipated in 2005.

Net Loss and EBITDA.  Our net loss applicable to common shareholders and EBITDA for the fourth quarter of 2004 included the following items, aggregating to a gain of $6 million, or $0.11 per share:

  • $5 million ($0.08 per share) of impairment charges related to four non-strategic hotels, which had previously been written down to our then estimated fair value;
  • $6 million ($0.09 per share) of costs associated with the early retirement of $96 million of Senior Notes; and
  • $17 million ($0.29 per share) net gain on the sale of non-strategic hotels.
Included in the prior year fourth quarter net loss and EBITDA was a net asset impairment charge of $123 million, or $1.99 per share.

FFO.  Our fourth quarter 2004 FFO included the following items, aggregating to $11 million, or $0.18 per share:

  • $5 million ($0.08 per share) of asset impairment charges; and
  • $6 million ($0.09 per share) of costs associated with the early retirement of debt.
Included in prior year fourth quarter FFO was a net asset impairment charge of $123 million, or $1.99 per share.

Other Events Affecting Operations.  During the third quarter, our Holiday Inn(R) hotel in Cocoa Beach, Fla., suffered major hurricane damage and was reopened in January 2005.  We recorded approximately $2 million in anticipated business interruption insurance proceeds during the quarter, which are expected to cover the loss of income during the period the hotel was closed.

A labor dispute in San Francisco, which resulted in a lockout at two of our hotels, adversely affected fourth quarter RevPAR by 0.7 percent and hotel operating profits by $2 million.  The lockout ended in November and contract negotiations are ongoing.

We spent $39 million in capital improvements during the fourth quarter.  Major renovations took room nights out of service during the fourth quarter resulting in an estimated reduction of hotel operating profit of approximately $1 million.

Full Year 2004

RevPAR.  The 4.9 percent increase in RevPAR resulted from a 1.7 percent increase in ADR and a 3.1 percent increase in occupancy during the year.  This is the first annual RevPAR increase that we have experienced since 2000.

Hotel Operating Profit and Margins.  Hotel operating profit for our hotels included in continuing operations increased 7.4 percent, primarily as a result of the increase in RevPAR.  The hotel operating margins were 19.5 percent, a six basis point increase compared to 2003.  The increase in hotel operating margins is attributed to decreases in property taxes and insurance expense, which were largely offset by increases in labor related costs.

Net Loss and EBITDA.  Our net loss applicable to common shareholders and EBITDA for the full year 2004 included the following items, aggregating to a loss of $74 million, or $1.17 per share:

  • $38 million ($0.62 per share) of asset impairment charges related to non-strategic hotels;
  • $50 million ($0.80 per share) of costs associated with the early retirement of $775 million of Senior Notes;
  • $5 million ($0.08 per share) of lease termination cost; and
  • $19 million ($0.33 per share) gain on sale of non-strategic hotels.
Included in the prior year net loss and EBITDA was a net asset impairment charge of $244 million, or $3.94 per share.

FFO.  Our full year 2004 FFO included the following items, aggregating to a loss of $93 million, or $1.50 per share:

  • $38 million ($0.62 per share) of asset impairment charges;
  • $50 million ($0.80 per share) of costs associated with the early retirement of debt; and
  • $5 million ($0.08 per share) of lease termination expense.
Included in prior year FFO was a net asset impairment charge of $244 million ($3.94 per share) and $2 million ($0.03 per share) of costs associated with the early retirement of debt.

Other Events Affecting Operations.  Included in operating results for the year are $2 million ($0.03 per share) of hurricane losses sustained in the third quarter at 13 of our hotels and a gain of $12 million from the development and sale of the 251-unit Margate condominium tower at the Kingston Plantation in Myrtle Beach, S.C.

A labor lockout in San Francisco adversely affected our RevPAR by 0.2 percent and resulted in a decrease in hotel operating profit by an estimated $2 million.

January 2005 RevPAR

Our January total portfolio RevPAR increased 7.2 percent, with ADR increasing 4.9 percent and occupancy increasing 2.2 percent, compared to January 2004.  The month of January is our 14th consecutive month of RevPAR increases.  Our ADR has increased for three consecutive quarters, with each quarter becoming a more meaningful share of the RevPAR growth.

"We anticipate continued positive RevPAR growth.  With ADR becoming a larger percentage of the RevPAR improvement, we are focused on improving margins in 2005 over our current guidance," said Richard A. Smith, FelCor's Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer.

Capital Structure

At December 31, 2004, we had $1.77 billion of debt outstanding, with a weighted average life of five years, a weighted average cost of 7.4 percent, and approximately $119 million in cash and cash equivalents.  At December 31, 2003, we had $2.04 billion of debt outstanding with a weighted average cost of 7.8 percent.  We have no significant remaining debt maturities (other than those that may be extended at our option, subject to the satisfaction of certain contingencies) until 2007, at which time $125 million of our Senior Notes mature.

2004 Transactions

  • We sold 17 non-strategic hotels for gross proceeds of approximately $157 million and terminated the lease on one hotel at a cost of $5 million;
  • We acquired the 132-room Holiday Inn hotel in Santa Monica, Calif., for $27 million;
  • We completed the development and sale of the 251-unit Margate condominium tower at the Kingston Plantation in Myrtle Beach, S.C., at a gain of $12 million;
  • We retired $600 million of Senior Notes paying 10% interest that were scheduled to mature in 2008;
  • We retired early $175 million of Senior Notes due in October 2004;
  • We issued $290 million of floating rate Senior Notes due 2011;
  • We issued $234 million in mortgage debt;
  • We issued $160 million of convertible preferred stock; and
  • We spent approximately $102 million in our ongoing capital plan.
We currently have 18 remaining hotels identified for sale, with expected gross proceeds of approximately $155 million, substantially all of which are expected to be sold over the next 18 months.

2005 GUIDANCE

"We are encouraged by the ADR and RevPAR trends in our portfolio, and our 2005 guidance reflects continued improvement.  While RevPAR will be somewhat impacted by our capital expenditures to a number of our largest hotels during 2005, we are pleased with the expected Same-Store EBITDA growth rate of 1.8 times the RevPAR growth," said Mr. Smith.  "We are encouraged by the anticipated 17 percent EBITDA gain in 2005 from our hotels that completed renovations last year.  Notwithstanding the impact of renovations in 2005, our non-sale hotel portfolio is forecasted to grow RevPAR in excess of six percent over prior year.  Further, the improvements in operating performance will lead to the establishment of a new dividend policy this year," he added.

We are currently under contract to sell our Embassy Suites Hotel(R) in downtown St. Louis, Mo., for $38 million, which is expected to close in March 2005.  We expect to realize a gain of approximately $6 million in the first quarter from the sale of this hotel.  This hotel had $2.8 million of EBITDA in 2004, of which only $0.1 million is included in our 2005 guidance, and its sale will affect future Same-Store EBITDA comparisons.  No other assets sales or capital transactions are assumed in the preparation of our guidance.

We currently anticipate that for the First Quarter 2005:

  • Hotel portfolio RevPAR will increase approximately 4.0% to 5.0%, with 75% of the increase coming from ADR improvements;
  • EBITDA will be between $59 to $61 million;
  • Hotel operating margins will be approximately 18.9% to 19.3%, or an increase of 10 to 50 basis points over first quarter 2004;
  • Total interest expense will be $36 million;
  • FFO per share will be within the range of $0.19 to $0.22; and
  • Net loss will be between $11 and $13 million or a loss per share of $0.19 to $0.22.
We anticipate that for the Full Year 2005:
  • Hotel portfolio RevPAR will increase approximately 5.0% to 6.0%, with 75% of the increase coming from ADR improvements;
  • EBITDA will be between $259 and $265 million, an increase of 8% to 11% on a same-store basis;
  • Hotel operating margins will be between 19.9% to 20.2%, an increase of 40 to 70 basis points
  • Total interest expense will be $146 million;
  • FFO per share will be within the range of $1.11 to $1.21;
  • Ending cash balance will be approximately $112 million; and
  • Net loss will be between $29 and $35 million or a loss per share of $0.49 to $0.59.
Our anticipated capital expenditures in 2005 will be approximately $100 million, with approximately 42 percent in routine capital replacement, 16 percent for new bedding and technology standards, and 42 percent for major upgrades.  We expect to undertake major upgrade projects at 38 hotels during 2005.

"We are allocating our 2005 capital to upgrade those hotels that will drive the most revenue and profit.  As we execute our 2005 capital improvement plan, we expect to see a high return on that investment through accelerated RevPAR growth in 2006," added Mr. Corcoran.
 

Consolidated Statements of Operations
(in thousands, except per share data)
                                  Three Months Ended         Year Ended
                                     December 31,            December 31,
                                   2004        2003        2004        2003
    Revenues:
       Hotel operating revenue:
         Room                    $220,964    $209,291    $945,938    $883,834
         Food and beverage         48,888      46,535     180,398     167,883
         Other operating
          departments              14,638      13,949      62,527      59,011
       Retail space rental and
        other revenue                 131         184       2,721       1,022
           Total revenues         284,621     269,959   1,191,584   1,111,750

    Expenses:
       Hotel departmental
        expenses:
         Room                      62,537      59,454     257,016     234,242
         Food and beverage         37,624      36,675     143,079     133,412
         Other operating
          departments               7,842       6,608      31,887      27,024
       Other property related
        costs                      87,638      82,463     349,274     324,202
       Management and franchise
        fees                       14,090      14,224      61,579      58,711
       Taxes, insurance and
        lease expense              24,898      26,870     114,648     117,662
       Corporate expenses           5,525       3,807      17,094      14,266
       Depreciation                30,410      28,959     118,855     123,968
           Total operating
            expenses              270,564     259,060   1,093,432   1,033,487

    Operating income               14,057      10,899      98,152      78,263
       Interest expense, net      (33,413)    (42,025)   (149,623)   (165,175)
       Impairment loss             (5,262)    (54,205)    (33,760)   (107,409)
       Hurricane loss                 ---         ---      (2,125)        ---
       Charge-off of deferred financing costs   (866)        ---     (6,960)   (2,834)
       Loss on early extinguishment
        of debt                    (4,983)        ---     (44,216)        ---
       Gain on swap termination       ---         ---       1,005         ---

    Loss before equity in income
     from unconsolidated entities,
     minority interests and
     gain on sale of assets       (30,467)    (85,331)   (137,527)   (197,155)
       Equity in income from
        unconsolidated entities     1,429         118      17,121       2,370
       Gain on sale of assets          73         178       1,167         284
       Minority interests           2,098       6,769       7,928      13,912
    Loss from continuing
     operations                   (26,867)    (78,266)   (111,311)   (180,589)
       Discontinued operations     16,097     (64,667)     11,184    (129,555)
    Net loss                      (10,770)   (142,933)   (100,127)   (310,144)
       Preferred dividends        (10,091)     (6,727)    (35,130)    (26,908)
Net loss applicable to common stockholders  $(20,861)  $(149,660) $(135,257)  $(337,052)
    Basic and diluted per
     common share data:
       Net loss from continuing
        operations                 $(0.62)     $(1.45)     $(2.48)     $(3.54)
       Net loss                    $(0.35)     $(2.55)     $(2.29)     $(5.75)
       Weighted average common
        shares outstanding         59,192      58,801      59,045      58,657
 

                           Discontinued Operations
                                (in thousands)
    Included in discontinued operations are the results of operations of the 18 hotels disposed of in 2004, one hotel designated as held for sale at December 31, 2004, and 16 hotels sold in 2003.  Condensed financial information for the hotels included in discontinued operations is as follows:
                                   Three Months Ended          Year Ended
                                       December 31,           December 31,
                                    2004        2003        2004       2003

      Hotel operating revenue      $5,677     $26,617     $69,298    $146,317
      Hotel operating expenses      6,135      27,096      67,566     147,798
        Operating income (loss)      (458)       (479)      1,732      (1,481)
      Direct interest costs, net      ---         ---          12        (636)
      Gain on the early
       extinguishment of debt         ---         ---         ---       1,611
      Impairment loss                 ---     (70,778)     (4,529)   (138,100)
      Lease termination expense
       from asset disposition         ---         ---      (4,900)        ---
      Gain on sale of assets       17,306       3,258      19,422       2,376
      Minority interest in
       FelCor LP                     (751)      3,332        (553)      6,675
    Gain (loss) from discontinued
     operations                    16,097     (64,667)     11,184    (129,555)
      Depreciation                    ---       2,153       3,797      16,258
      Minority interest               751      (3,332)        553      (6,675)
      Interest expense                ---         ---         ---         665
    EBITDA from discontinued
     operations                    16,848     (65,846)     15,534    (119,307)
      Gain on sale of assets      (17,306)     (3,258)    (19,422)     (2,376)
      Impairment loss                 ---      70,778       4,529     138,100
      Loss on early extinguishment
       of debt                        ---         ---                  (1,611)
      Lease termination expense
       from asset disposition         ---         ---       4,900         ---
    Adjusted EBITDA from
     discontinued operations        $(458)     $1,674      $5,541     $14,806
 

                           Selected Balance Sheet Data
                                  (in thousands)
                                                       December 31,
                                                   2004            2003

    Investment in hotels                        $3,909,021      $3,989,964
    Accumulated depreciation                      (948,631)       (886,168)
    Investment in hotels, net of
     accumulated depreciation                   $2,960,390      $3,103,796

    Total cash and cash equivalents             $  119,310      $  231,885
    Total assets                                $3,317,658      $3,590,893
    Total debt                                  $1,767,122      $2,037,355
    Total stockholders' equity                  $1,330,323      $1,296,272
 

    Non-GAAP Financial Measures
    We refer in this press release to certain "non-GAAP financial measures."
These measures, including FFO, Adjusted FFO, EBITDA, Adjusted EBITDA, Same-Store EBITDA, hotel operating profit and hotel operating margin, are measures of our financial performance that are not calculated and presented in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles ("GAAP").  The following tables set forth the adjustments made and reconcile each of these non-GAAP measures to the most comparable GAAP financial measure.  Immediately following the reconciliations, we include a discussion of why we believe these measures are useful supplemental measures of our performance and of the limitations upon such measures.
 

              Reconciliation of Net Loss to FFO and Adjusted FFO
                    (in thousands, except per share data)
                                      Three Months Ended December 31,
                                    2004                         2003
                                          Per Share                  Per Share
                         Dollars   Shares  Amount    Dollars   Shares  Amount

    Net loss            $(10,770)                  $(142,933)
      Preferred
       dividends         (10,091)                     (6,727)
    Net loss applicable
     to common
     stockholders        (20,861)  59,192  $(0.35)  (149,660)  58,801  $(2.55)
      Depreciation from
       continuing
       operations         30,410      ---    0.51     28,959      ---    0.49
      Depreciation from
       unconsolidated
       entities and
       discontinued
       operations          2,659      ---    0.04      4,231      ---    0.07
      Gain on sale
       of assets         (17,306)     ---   (0.29)    (3,444)     ---   (0.06)
      Minority interest
       in FelCor LP         (974)   2,789   (0.01)    (7,712)   3,050   (0.01)
    FFO                   (6,072)  61,981   (0.10)  (127,626)  61,851   (2.06)
      Charge-off of
       deferred debt costs   866      ---    0.01        ---      ---     ---
      Loss on early
       extinguishment of
       debt                4,983      ---    0.08        ---      ---     ---
      Impairment           5,262      ---    0.08    124,983      ---    2.02
      Minority interest
       share of impairment   ---      ---     ---     (1,770)     ---   (0.03)
      Dilutive effect of
       unvested stock
       grants                ---      438    0.01        ---      ---     ---
    Adjusted FFO          $5,039   62,419   $0.08    $(4,413)  61,851  $(0.07)
 
 

                                         Year Ended December 31,
                                    2004                        2003
                                          Per Share                  Per Share
                         Dollars   Shares  Amount    Dollars   Shares  Amount

    Net loss           $(100,127)                  $(310,144)
      Preferred
       dividends         (35,130)                    (26,908)
    Net loss applicable
     to common
     stockholders       (135,257)  59,045  $(2.29)  (337,052)  58,657  $(5.75)
      Depreciation from
       continuing
       operations        118,855      ---    2.01    123,968      ---    2.11
      Depreciation from
       unconsolidated
       entities and
       discontinued
       operations         11,897      ---    0.20     26,067      ---    0.44
      Gain on sale
       of assets         (19,422)     ---   (0.33)    (2,668)     ---   (0.05)
      Minority interest
       in FelCor LP       (6,681)   2,939   (0.08)   (17,777)   3,188   (0.10)
    FFO                  (30,608)  61,984   (0.49)  (207,462)  61,845   (3.35)
      Charge-off of
       deferred debt
       costs               6,960      ---    0.11      2,834      ---    0.04
      Loss (gain) on
       early
       extinguishment
       of debt            44,216      ---    0.71     (1,611)     ---   (0.03)
      Gain on swap
       termination        (1,005)     ---   (0.02)       ---      ---     ---
      Lease termination
       expense from asset
       disposition         4,900      ---    0.08        ---      ---     ---
      Impairment          38,289      ---    0.62    245,509      ---    3.97
      Minority interest
       share of impairment   ---      ---     ---     (1,770)     ---   (0.03)
      Dilutive effect of
       unvested stock
       grants                ---      359     ---        ---      303     ---
    Adjusted FFO         $62,752   62,343   $1.01    $37,500   62,148   $0.60
 
 

       Reconciliation of Net Loss to EBITDA, Adjusted EBITDA and Same-Store
                                      EBITDA (in thousands)
                                Three Months Ended            Year Ended
                                   December 31,              December 31,
                                 2004         2003         2004        2003
    Net loss                  $(10,770)   $(142,933)   $(100,127)   $(310,144)
       Depreciation from
        continuing operations   30,410       28,959      118,855      123,968
       Depreciation from
        unconsolidated entities
        and discontinued
        operations               2,659        4,231       11,897       26,067
       Minority interest in
        FelCor Lodging LP         (974)      (7,712)      (6,681)     (17,777)
       Interest expense         34,322       42,871      152,394      167,431
       Interest expense from
        unconsolidated entities
        and discontinued
        operations               1,773        1,294        5,667        7,713
       Amortization expense      1,330          565        2,945        2,210
    EBITDA                      58,750      (72,725)     184,950         (532)
       Charge-off of deferred
        debt costs                 866          ---        6,960        2,834
       Loss (gain) on early
        extinguishment of debt   4,983          ---       44,216       (1,611)
       Gain on swap termination    ---          ---       (1,005)         ---
       Lease termination expense
        from asset disposition     ---          ---        4,900          ---
       Gain on sale of assets  (17,306)      (3,444)     (19,422)      (2,668)
       Impairment                5,262      124,983       38,289      245,509
       Minority interest share
        of impairment loss         ---       (1,770)         ---       (1,770)
    Adjusted EBITDA             52,555       47,044      258,888      241,762
       Adjusted EBITDA from discontinued operations    458       (1,674)      (5,541)     (14,806)
       Gain on development and
        sale of Margate
        Condominiums              (808)         ---      (11,664)         ---
    Same-Store EBITDA          $52,205      $45,370     $241,683     $226,956
 
 

         Reconciliation of Estimated Net Loss to Estimated FFO and EBITDA
                  (in millions, except per share and unit data)
                                        First Quarter 2005 Guidance
                                    Low Guidance           High Guidance
                                           Per Share              Per Share
                                Dollars    Amount(A)    Dollars    Amount(A)
    Net loss                     $(13)      $(0.22)      $(11)      $(0.19)
       Depreciation                36                      36
       Preferred Dividends        (10)                    (10)
       Minority interest in
        FelCor LP                  (1)                     (1)
    FFO                          $ 12       $ 0.19       $ 14       $ 0.22

    Net loss                     $(13)                   $(11)
       Depreciation                36                      36
       Minority interest in
        FelCor LP                  (1)                     (1)
       Interest expense            34                      34
       Interest expense from
        unconsolidated entities     2                       2
       Amortization expense         1                       1
    EBITDA                       $ 59                    $ 61
 
 

                                         Full Year 2005 Guidance
                                  Low Guidance           High Guidance
                                           Per Share              Per Share
                                Dollars    Amount(A)    Dollars    Amount(A)
    Net loss                    $ (35)      $(0.59)     $ (29)      $(0.49)
       Depreciation               147                     147
       Preferred Dividends        (40)                    (40)
       Minority interest in
        FelCor LP                  (2)                     (2)
    FFO                         $  70       $ 1.11      $  76       $ 1.21

    Net loss                    $ (35)                  $ (29)
       Depreciation               147                     147
       Minority interest in
        FelCor LP                  (2)                     (2)
       Interest expense           139                     139
       Interest expense from
        unconsolidated entities     7                       7
       Amortization expense         3                       3
    EBITDA                       $259                    $265

     (A)  Weighted average shares are 59.4 million.  Adding minority interest
          and unvested restricted stock of 3.4 million shares to weighted average shares, provides the weighted average shares and units of 62.8 million used to compute FFO per share.
 

                            Hotel Operating Profit
                            (dollars in thousands)

                                 Three Months              Year Ended
                              Ended December 31,           December 31,
                               2004        2003         2004          2003
    Total revenue            $284,621    $269,959    $1,191,584    $1,111,750
    Retail space rental
     and other revenue           (131)       (184)       (2,721)       (1,022)
    Hotel revenue             284,490     269,775     1,188,863     1,110,728
    Hotel operating expenses (234,629)   (226,294)     (957,483)     (895,253)
    Hotel operating profit    $49,861     $43,481      $231,380      $215,475
    Hotel operating margin      17.5%       16.1%         19.5%         19.4%
 
 

                       Hotel Operating Expense Composition
                              (dollars in thousands)
                               Three Months Ended           Year Ended
                                  December 31,              December 31,
                                2004        2003         2004          2003
    Hotel departmental expenses:
       Room                   $62,537     $59,454      $257,016      $234,242
       Food and beverage       37,624      36,675       143,079       133,412
       Other operating
        departments             7,842       6,608        31,887        27,024
    Other property related
     costs:
       Administrative and
        general                29,860      26,948       115,422       106,466
       Marketing and
        advertising            25,042      24,506       102,897        96,400
       Repairs and maintenance 17,111      16,953        67,827        63,696
       Energy                  15,625      14,056        63,128        57,640
       Taxes, insurance and
        lease expense          24,898      26,870       114,648       117,662
         Total other property
          related costs       220,539     212,070       895,904       836,542
    Management and franchise
     fees                      14,090      14,224        61,579        58,711
    Hotel operating expenses $234,629    $226,294      $957,483      $895,253

    Reconciliation of total
     operating expense to
     hotel operating expense:
    Total operating expenses $270,564    $259,060    $1,093,432    $1,033,487
       Corporate expenses      (5,525)     (3,807)      (17,094)      (14,266)
       Depreciation           (30,410)    (28,959)     (118,855)     (123,968)
    Hotel operating expenses $234,629    $226,294      $957,483      $895,253
 

    Substantially all of our non-current assets consist of real estate.  Historical cost accounting for real estate assets implicitly assumes that the value of real estate assets diminish predictably over time.  Since real estate values instead have historically risen or fallen with market conditions, most industry investors consider supplemental measures of performance, which are not measures of operating performance under GAAP, to be helpful in evaluating a real estate company's operations.  These supplemental measures, including FFO, Adjusted FFO, EBITDA, Adjusted EBITDA, Same-Store EBITDA, hotel operating profit and hotel operating margin, are not measures of operating performance under GAAP.  However, we consider these non-GAAP measures to be supplemental measures of a REIT's performance and should be considered along with, but not as an alternative to, net income as a measure of our operating performance.
    FFO and EBITDA
    The White Paper on Funds From Operations approved by the Board of
Governors of the National Association of Real Estate Investment Trusts ("NAREIT,") defines FFO as net income or loss (computed in accordance with GAAP), excluding gains or losses from sales of property, plus depreciation and amortization, and after adjustments for unconsolidated partnerships and joint ventures.  Adjustments for unconsolidated partnerships and joint ventures are calculated to reflect FFO on the same basis.  We compute FFO in accordance with standards established by NAREIT.  This may not be comparable to FFO reported by other REITs that do not define the term in accordance with the current NAREIT definition, or that interpret the current NAREIT definition differently than we do.
    EBITDA is a commonly used measure of performance in many industries.  We define EBITDA as net income or loss (computed in accordance with GAAP) plus interest expenses, income taxes, depreciation and amortization, and after adjustments for unconsolidated partnerships and joint ventures.  Adjustments for unconsolidated partnerships and joint ventures are calculated to reflect EBITDA on the same basis.
    Adjustments to FFO and EBITDA
    We adjust FFO and EBITDA when evaluating our performance because
management believes that the exclusion of certain additional recurring and non-recurring items described below provides useful supplemental information to investors regarding our ongoing operating performance and that the presentation of Adjusted FFO, Adjusted EBITDA and Same-Store EBITDA, when combined with GAAP net income, EBITDA and FFO, is beneficial to an investor's better understanding of our operating performance.
     *  Gains and losses related to early extinguishment of debt and interest rate swaps -- We exclude gains and losses related to early extinguishment of debt and interest rate swaps from FFO and EBITDA because we believe that it is not indicative of ongoing operating performance of our hotel assets.  This also represents an acceleration of interest expense or a reduction of interest expense, and interest expense is excluded from EBITDA.
     *  Impairment losses -- We exclude the effect of impairment losses in computing Adjusted FFO and Adjusted EBITDA because we believe that including these is not consistent with reflecting the ongoing performance of our remaining assets.  Additionally, we believe that impairment charges represent accelerated depreciation, and depreciation is excluded from FFO by the NAREIT definition and from EBITDA.
     *  Cumulative effect of a change in accounting principle -- Infrequently, the Financial Accounting Standards Board promulgates new accounting standards that require the consolidated statements of operations to reflect the cumulative effect of a change in accounting principle.  We exclude these one-time adjustments in computing Adjusted FFO and Adjusted EBITDA because they do not reflect our actual performance for that period.

    In addition, to derive Adjusted EBITDA, we adjust EBITDA for gains or losses on the disposition of assets because we believe that including them in EBITDA is not consistent with reflecting ongoing performance of our remaining assets.  Additionally, the gain or loss on sale of depreciable assets represents either accelerated depreciation or excess depreciation in previous periods, and depreciation is excluded from EBITDA.
    To derive Same-Store EBITDA, we make the same adjustments to EBITDA as for Adjusted EBITDA and, additionally, exclude EBITDA from discontinued operations and gains and losses on the disposition of non-hotel related assets.
    Hotel Operating Profit and Operating Margin
    Hotel operating profit and operating margin are commonly used measures of
performance in the industry and give investors a more complete understanding of the operating results over which our individual hotels and operating managers have direct control.  We believe that hotel operating profit and operating margin is useful to investors by providing greater transparency with respect to two significant measures used by us in our financial and operational decision-making.  Additionally, using these measures facilitate comparisons with other hotel REITs and hotel owners.  We present hotel operating profit and hotel operating margin by eliminating corporate-level expenses, depreciation and expenses related to our capital structure.  We eliminate corporate-level costs and expenses because we believe property-level results provide investors with supplemental information into the ongoing operation performance of our hotels and the effectiveness of management in running our business on a property-level basis.  We eliminate depreciation and amortization because, even though depreciation and amortization are property-level expenses, these non-cash expenses, which are based on historical cost accounting for real estate assets, implicitly assumes that the value of real estate assets diminishes predictably over time.
    Use and Limitations of Non-GAAP Measures
    Our management and Board of Directors use FFO, Adjusted FFO, EBITDA and
Adjusted EBITDA to evaluate the performance of our hotels and to facilitate comparisons between us and other lodging REITs, hotel owners who are not REITs and other capital intensive companies.  Same-Store EBITDA is used to provide investors with supplemental information as to the ongoing operating performance of our hotels without regard to those hotels sold or held for sale at the date of presentation.
    The use of these non-GAAP financial measures has certain limitations.  FFO, Adjusted FFO, EBITDA, Adjusted EBITDA, Same-Store EBITDA, hotel operating profit and hotel operating margin, as presented by us, may not be comparable to FFO, Adjusted FFO, EBITDA, Adjusted EBITDA, Same-Store EBITDA, hotel operating profit and hotel operating margin as calculated by other real estate companies.  These measures do not reflect certain expenses that we incurred and will incur, such as depreciation, interest and capital expenditures.  Management compensates for these limitations by separately considering the impact of these excluded items to the extent they are material to operating decisions or assessments of our operating performance.  Our reconciliations to the GAAP financial measures, and our consolidated statements of operations and cash flows, include interest expense, capital expenditures, and other excluded items, all of which should be considered when evaluating our performance, as well as the usefulness of our non-GAAP financial measures.
    These non-GAAP financial measures are used in addition to and in conjunction with results presented in accordance with GAAP.  They should not be considered as alternatives to operating profit, cash flow from operations, or any other operating performance measure prescribed by GAAP.  Neither should FFO, FFO per share, Adjusted FFO, Adjusted FFO per share, EBITDA, Adjusted EBITDA or Same-Store EBITDA be considered as measures of our liquidity or indicative of funds available for our cash needs, including our ability to make cash distributions.  FFO per share does not measure, and should not be used as a measure of, amounts that accrue directly to the benefit of stockholders.  FFO, Adjusted FFO, EBITDA, Adjusted EBITDA, Same-Store EBITDA, hotel operating profit and hotel operating margin reflect additional ways of viewing our operations that we believe when viewed with our GAAP results and the reconciliations to the corresponding GAAP financial measures provide a more complete understanding of factors and trends affecting our business than could be obtained absent this disclosure.  Management strongly encourages investors to review our financial information in its entirety and not to rely on a single financial measure.

We have published our Supplemental Information for the Three Months and Year Ended December 31, 2004, which provides additional corporate data, financial highlights and portfolio statistical data.  Investors are encouraged to access the Supplemental Information on our Web site at http://www.felcor.com , on the Investor Relations page in the "Financial Reports" section.  The Supplemental Information also will be furnished upon request.  Requests may be made by e-mail to [email protected] or by writing to the Vice President of Investor Relations, FelCor Lodging Trust Incorporated, 545 E. John Carpenter Freeway, Suite 1300, Irving, Texas, 75062.

FelCor is the nation's second largest public hotel real estate investment trust and the largest owner of full service, all-suite hotels.  FelCor's consolidated portfolio is comprised of 143 hotels, located in 31 states and Canada.  FelCor owns 69 upscale, all-suite hotels, and is the owner of the largest number of Embassy Suites Hotels and Doubletree Guest Suites(R) hotels in the U.S.  FelCor's portfolio also includes 65 hotels in the upscale and full service segments.  FelCor has a current market capitalization of approximately $3.2 billion.  Additional information can be found on our Web site at http://www.felcor.com .

With the exception of historical information, the matters discussed in this news release include "forward looking statements" within the meaning of the federal securities laws. 

.
Contact:

FelCor Lodging Trust Incorporated
Web Site: http://www.felcor.com

Also See: FelCor Reports 2003 Net Loss of $337 million Compared to the Prior Year Net Loss of $205 million; Hotel Portfolio RevPAR for the Full Year 2003 Declines 4.4% Compared to 2002, Occupancy Decreased to 62.4% / February 2004
FelCor Reports 2002 Net Loss of $178.5 million; Plans to Sell 33 Smaller Hotels from Portfolio of 169, Expects to Defer Further Common Dividends / February 2003
FelCor Reports Fourth-quarter Net Loss of $35.4 million, Reverses Profit of $35.1 million in the Year-earlier Period / Feb 2002


To search Hotel Online data base of News and Trends Go to Hotel.Online Search

Home | Welcome! | Hospitality News | Classifieds | Catalogs & Pricing | Viewpoint Forum | Ideas/Trends
Please contact Hotel.Online with your comments and suggestions.