Acquisition Highlights:

Ashford Hospitality Trust, Inc. (NYSE: AHT) today announced that it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire the 142-room Pier House Resort and Caribbean Spa in Key West, Florida, for total consideration of $90 million in cash ($634,000 per key).  Ashford intends to fund the entire purchase price with cash on hand.  The acquisition is expected to close within the next 15 days.

The purchase price of $90 million represents a trailing 12-month cap rate of 6.2% on net operating income and an EBITDA yield of 7.0%.  On a forward 12-month basis, the purchase price represents a cap rate of 7.6% on net operating income and an EBITDA yield of 8.5%, which equates to an 11.8x forward EBITDA multiple.  In 2012, the hotel achieved RevPAR of $275, with occupancy of 83% and an Average Daily Rate of $333.

At the closing of the acquisition, Ashford intends to replace the property manager with Remington Lodging.  Remington currently manages three hotels in Key West.  These include the Southernmost House, Inn at Key West and the Crowne Plaza La Concha Hotel which is also owned by Ashford Hospitality Trust.

"We are very pleased to announce this acquisition of a very high quality hotel in a great market like Key West," said Monty J. Bennett, Ashford's Chairman and Chief Executive Officer.  "Aside from being the nation's 2nd highest RevPAR market, Key West has not seen any new competitive supply in the last 17 years given that the Rate of Growth Ordinance "ROGO," presently sets extremely high barriers to any new hotel development in Monroe County.  In particular, the Pier House Resort offered us a very unique opportunity, given its recent renovation, its prime location in Key West, and the significant operational synergies with Remington's existing presence in that market."

The Pier House Resort and Caribbean Spa was built in 1968.  It has 142 rooms including 119 guest rooms and 23 suites.  The hotel has 40 waterfront facing rooms and suites, and standard guestrooms average 325 square feet, while the 23 suites average 710 square feet.  Additionally, the hotel offers 2,600 square feet of meeting space, a 10,000 square foot spa with 10 treatment rooms, three food and beverage outlets including al fresco dining at HarborView Cafe and the renowned Chartroom bar, a full-service fitness facility and private dock for charter pick-ups.  The hotel is located at the northern end of Duval Street in the heart of Key West on a 6-acre compound with a private beach and immediate access to the Gulf of Mexico.  Ashford expects to incur minimal expenses related to capital improvements given a $12 million dollar renovation recently completed at the property.

These forward-looking statements are subject to known and unknown risks and uncertainties, which could cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated, including, without limitation:  general volatility of the capital markets and the market price of our common stock; changes in our business or investment strategy; availability, terms and deployment of capital; availability of qualified personnel; changes in our industry and the market in which we operate, interest rates or the general economy; and the degree and nature of our competition.  These and other risk factors are more fully discussed in Ashford's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.  EBITDA is defined as net income before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization.  EBITDA yield is defined as trailing twelve month EBITDA divided by the purchase price.  EBITDA multiple is defined as the purchase price divided by the annual EBITDA.  A capitalization rate is determined by dividing the property's annual net operating income by the purchase price.  Net operating income is the property's funds from operations minus a capital expense reserve of either 4% or 5% of gross revenues.  Funds from operations ("FFO"), as defined by the White Paper on FFO approved by the Board of Governors of the National Association of Real Estate Investment Trusts ("NAREIT") in April 2002, represents net income (loss) computed in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles ("GAAP"), excluding gains (or losses) from sales of properties and extraordinary items as defined by GAAP, plus depreciation and amortization of real estate assets, and net of adjustments for the portion of these items related to unconsolidated entities and joint ventures.

The forward-looking statements included in this press release are only made as of the date of this press release.  Investors should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements.  We are not obligated to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or circumstances, changes in expectations or otherwise.