Apple Hospitality REIT Reports Results of Operations for First Quarter 2020

RICHMOND, Va.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Apple Hospitality REIT, Inc. (NYSE: APLE) (the “Company” or “Apple Hospitality”) today announced results of operations for the first quarter ended March 31, 2020 and provided an operational update regarding the Company’s response to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

Justin Knight, Chief Executive Officer of Apple Hospitality, commented, “My heart goes out to those who have been directly affected by the coronavirus, and I would like to express my sincere gratitude to all first responders, health care workers and everyone on the front lines of this pandemic. The COVID-19 outbreak and efforts to mitigate it have dramatically impacted the environment in which we operate, and our efforts to maintain our business and preserve our ability to thrive in future years have required us to make difficult decisions that affect our employees, our shareholders and the associates at our hotels. We do not take these decisions lightly. We are diligently working with the brands, our management companies, banking teams and industry associations to effectively adapt our business to maintain a sound liquidity position and safeguard long-term value for our shareholders. We are deeply committed to the overall health and well-being of all hotel associates and guests and will continue to work closely with the brands and our management companies to provide the highest levels of cleanliness and safety at our hotels. Through our ownership of rooms-focused hotels, our geographic diversification, our alignment with industry-leading brands and hotel operators, and our conservative approach to our capital structure, Apple Hospitality was intentionally built to weather challenging times. It is during an unprecedented time like this that I am especially grateful for the strong relationships we have fostered throughout the hotel industry, the depth and experience of our team at Apple Hospitality, and the strength of our underlying strategy, and I am confident that we are well positioned for outperformance as economic conditions improve and travel resumes.”

Actions to Mitigate Operational and Financial Impact of COVID-19

The effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the hotel industry are unprecedented and have dramatically reduced business and leisure travel. Since March 2020, Apple Hospitality has experienced a significant decline in revenue and operating results throughout its portfolio, which the Company expects to continue for an extended period of time. Average occupancy for the Company’s Comparable Hotels declined from approximately 76 percent in February to below 20 percent by the end of March and for the entire month of April, which has been accompanied by declines in average daily rate (ADR) of approximately 30 percent for the month of April, as compared to April 2019. The following is a brief summary of certain measures the Company, its third-party management companies and the brands the Company’s hotels are franchised with have taken to preserve capital and mitigate the operational and financial impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Company will continue to evaluate and implement additional measures as the situation evolves and work to position the hotels to adapt to the changes that may occur to guest preferences in the future.

• As of May 15, 2020, all of the Company’s 233 hotels were open and receiving reservations. The Company has intentionally consolidated operations at 38 hotels in market clusters to maximize operational efficiencies. One hotel was temporarily closed due to the impact of a local ordinance prohibiting short-term lodging and has since reopened.

• The Company, its brands and its third-party management companies have implemented cost elimination and efficiency initiatives at each of the Company’s hotels by reducing labor costs and reducing or eliminating certain services and amenities. The Company has also successfully reduced or deferred payment under various service contracts. The Company estimates reductions in portfolio-wide hotel operating costs of approximately 65 percent in April 2020 as compared to the Company’s initial forecast, based on implemented cost reductions and occupancy levels.

• Together with its third-party management companies, the Company has enhanced its sales efforts by focusing on COVID-19-specific demand opportunities in certain markets and identifying other sectors that may have lodging needs such as construction, manufacturing, government and maintenance industries. The Company and its third-party management companies are also working with existing customers to move business to later in the year.

• In March 2020, the Company drew all of its remaining borrowing capacity under its $425 million revolving credit facility as a precautionary measure in order to increase its cash position and preserve financial flexibility in light of uncertainty in the financial markets resulting from COVID-19.

• Although the Company was in compliance with the covenants under its credit facilities at March 31, 2020, in April 2020, the Company notified the lenders under its credit facilities of anticipated non-compliance with certain covenants in future periods. As a result, the Company has been working with its lenders and anticipates entering into an amendment to each of its credit facilities that will provide for waivers of each of the covenants under the agreements for four quarters beginning with the quarter ending June 30, 2020.

• The Company has postponed all non-essential capital improvement projects planned for 2020 and anticipates a reduction of approximately $50 million in originally planned capital improvements for the year.

• The Company suspended its monthly distributions, with the last distribution being paid March 16, 2020. Distributions paid during the three months ended March 31, 2020 totaled approximately $67 million or $0.30 per common share and were paid at a monthly rate of $0.10 per common share.

• The Company terminated its written trading plan under its Share Repurchase Program in March 2020.

• The Company’s Executive Chairman voluntarily agreed to forego six months of his salary, the Company’s Chief Executive Officer volunteered to reduce his target compensation by 60 percent and the non-employee directors on the Company’s Board of Directors volunteered as a group to reduce their annual director fees by more than 15 percent. The Company anticipates a reduction of corporate expenses by a total of approximately 25 percent for the year as compared to its initial February 2020 forecast due to reduced compensation and other overhead expenses.

• In May 2020, the contract to purchase the planned Courtyard by Marriott to be constructed in Denver, Colorado, for approximately $49 million was terminated by the Company, and the refundable deposit of approximately $0.6 million was repaid to the Company.

Comparable Hotels is defined as the 231 hotels owned by the Company as of March 31, 2020. For hotels acquired during the periods noted, the Company has included, as applicable, results of those hotels for periods prior to the Company’s ownership, and for dispositions, results have been excluded for the Company’s period of ownership. Results for periods prior to the Company’s ownership have not been included in the Company’s actual Consolidated Financial Statements and are included only for comparison purposes. Results included for periods prior to the Company’s ownership are based on information from the prior owner of each hotel and have not been audited or adjusted.

Portfolio Activity

Acquisitions and Contracts for Potential Acquisitions

In April 2020, Apple Hospitality closed on the purchase of the newly developed Hampton Inn & Suites by Hilton and Home2 Suites by Hilton in Cape Canaveral, Florida, a combined 224-room dual-branded complex. The Company entered into the contract to purchase the hotels in 2018. The purchase price was approximately $47 million, funded by $25 million of cash on hand and a one-year note payable with the developer for approximately $22 million.

The Company has outstanding contracts, all of which were entered into prior to 2020, for the potential purchase of three additional hotels for a combined total expected purchase price of approximately $113 million. The three hotels are currently under development and include a Hyatt House and Hyatt Place in Tempe, Arizona, and a Hilton Garden Inn in Madison, Wisconsin. Assuming all conditions to closing are met, the hotels will be acquired over the next five to 15 months from March 31, 2020. There are many conditions to closing under each of the contracts that have not yet been satisfied, including completion of construction, and there can be no assurance that closings on the three hotels will occur. If the sellers meet all of the conditions to closing, the Company is obligated to specifically perform under these contracts.

Dispositions

During the three months ended March 31, 2020, the Company sold its SpringHill Suites by Marriott in Sanford, Florida, and SpringHill Suites by Marriott in Boise, Idaho, for a total combined gross sales price of approximately $45 million and recognized a gain on sale of approximately $9 million in the first quarter of 2020.

Renaissance New York Hotel 57 Converted to an Independent Boutique Hotel

In January 2020, the Company converted its 208-room Renaissance hotel in New York, New York, to an independent boutique hotel. The intent of the conversion is to provide greater long-term flexibility with the operations of the hotel. As anticipated, the operating results of the hotel declined in the first quarter of 2020 (prior to COVID-19) as compared to the first quarter of 2019 as the management team worked to replace revenue that was historically generated from the Renaissance brand system. The hotel has experienced further declines due to the effects of COVID-19.

Capital Improvements

During the three months ended March 31, 2020, the Company invested approximately $24 million in capital expenditures and anticipates spending an additional $10 million to $15 million during the remainder of 2020. This estimate is approximately $50 million less than originally planned for the entire year of 2020 as the Company has postponed all non-essential capital improvements planned in order to maintain a sound liquidity position as a result of COVID-19.

Balance Sheet

As of March 31, 2020, Apple Hospitality had approximately $1.8 billion of total outstanding indebtedness with a current combined weighted-average interest rate of approximately 3.3 percent and unrestricted cash and cash equivalents of $0.4 billion. Excluding unamortized debt issuance costs and fair value adjustments, the Company’s total outstanding indebtedness is comprised of approximately $500 million in property-level debt secured by 31 hotels and approximately $1.3 billion outstanding on its unsecured credit facilities. To increase the amount of cash on hand, the Company has drawn all of its borrowing capacity under its $425 million revolving credit facility as of March 31, 2020. The Company’s total debt to total capitalization, net of cash and cash equivalents at March 31, 2020 was approximately 40 percent. As of March 31, 2020, the Company’s weighted-average debt maturities are 5 years, with no maturities for the remainder of 2020 and $32 million, net of reserves, maturing in 2021. Although at March 31, 2020, the Company was in compliance with the covenants under its credit facilities’ loan agreements, in anticipation of not meeting certain covenants in future periods, the Company is working with its lenders and anticipates entering into an amendment to each of the credit facilities that will provide relief from the covenants for a period of four quarters beginning with the quarter ending June 30, 2020. The terms of the proposed amendments are expected to include minimum liquidity requirements and restrictions on the amount of the Company’s distributions, capital expenditures, share repurchases and acquisitions among other items during the covenant relief period. Additionally, the Company anticipates the amendments to require the interest rate under its credit facilities to increase during the covenant relief period to the highest interest rate margin under each of the credit agreements which would range from 75 to 80 basis points of an increase above current margins depending on the agreement. Although the Company anticipates completing these amendments, there are many conditions to closing, including, but not limited to, finalizing the terms of the amendments and completing the amendments themselves, and there can be no assurances that the Company will be able to complete the amendments with the noted terms or at all.

Share Repurchase Program

During the first three months of 2020, the Company purchased, under its Share Repurchase Program, approximately 1.5 million of its common shares at a weighted-average market purchase price of approximately $9.42 per common share, for an aggregate purchase price of approximately $14.3 million. The timing of share repurchases and the number of common shares to be repurchased under the Share Repurchase Program will depend upon prevailing market conditions, regulatory requirements and other factors. The Company terminated its written trading plan under its Share Repurchase Program in March 2020.

Shareholder Distributions

Apple Hospitality paid distributions of $0.30 per common share during the three-month period ended March 31, 2020. In March 2020, the Company announced the suspension of its monthly distributions as a result of COVID-19 and the impact on its business.

2020 Outlook

In March 2020, the Company announced that it had withdrawn its full year 2020 outlook provided on February 24, 2020, due to cancellations and corporate travel policy restrictions related to concerns surrounding COVID-19. Given the uncertainties related to the depth and duration of the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on the travel industry and hotel operations, the Company does not expect to issue new guidance until operating fundamentals begin to stabilize.

First Quarter 2020 Earnings Conference Call

The Company will host a quarterly conference call for investors and interested parties on Tuesday, May 19, 2020, at 10:00 a.m. Eastern Time. The conference call will be accessible by telephone and the internet. To access the call, participants from within the U.S. should dial 877-407-9039, and participants from outside the U.S. should dial 201-689-8470. Participants may also access the call via live webcast by visiting the Investor Information section of the Company’s website at ir.applehospitalityreit.com. A replay of the call will be available from approximately 1:00 p.m. Eastern Time on May 19, 2020, through 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on June 9, 2020. To access the replay, the domestic dial-in number is 844-512-2921, the international dial-in number is 412-317-6671, and the passcode is 13703414. The archive of the webcast will be available on the Company’s website for a limited time.

About Apple Hospitality REIT, Inc.

Apple Hospitality REIT, Inc. (NYSE: APLE) is a publicly traded real estate investment trust (“REIT”) that owns one of the largest and most diverse portfolios of upscale, rooms-focused hotels in the United States. Apple Hospitality’s portfolio consists of 233 hotels with more than 29,700 guest rooms located in 87 markets throughout 34 states. Concentrated with industry-leading brands, the Company’s portfolio consists of 104 Marriott-branded hotels, 126 Hilton-branded hotels, one Hyatt-branded hotel and two independent hotels. For more information, please visit www.applehospitalityreit.com.

Apple Hospitality REIT Non-GAAP Financial Measures

The Company considers the following non-GAAP financial measures useful to investors as key supplemental measures of its operating performance: Funds from Operations (“FFO”); Modified FFO (“MFFO”); Earnings Before Interest, Income Taxes, Depreciation and Amortization (“EBITDA”); Earnings Before Interest, Income Taxes, Depreciation and Amortization for Real Estate (“EBITDAre”); Adjusted EBITDAre (“Adjusted EBITDAre”); and Adjusted Hotel EBITDA (“Adjusted Hotel EBITDA”). These non-GAAP financial measures should be considered along with, but not as alternatives to, net income (loss), cash flow from operations or any other operating GAAP measure. FFO, MFFO, EBITDA, EBITDAre, Adjusted EBITDAre and Adjusted Hotel EBITDA are not necessarily indicative of funds available to fund the Company’s cash needs, including its ability to make cash distributions. Although FFO, MFFO, EBITDA, EBITDAre, Adjusted EBITDAre and Adjusted Hotel EBITDA, as calculated by the Company, may not be comparable to FFO, MFFO, EBITDA, EBITDAre, Adjusted EBITDAre and Adjusted Hotel EBITDA, as reported by other companies that do not define such terms exactly as the Company defines such terms, the Company believes these supplemental measures are useful to investors when comparing the Company’s results between periods and with other REITs. Reconciliations of these non-GAAP financial measures to net income (loss) are provided in the following pages.

Forward-Looking Statements Disclaimer

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Forward-looking statements are typically identified by use of statements that include phrases such as “may,” “believe,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “estimate,” “project,” “target,” “goal,” “plan,” “should,” “will,” “predict,” “potential,” “outlook,” “strategy,” and similar expressions that convey the uncertainty of future events or outcomes. Such statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance, or achievements of the Company to be materially different from future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements.

Currently, one of the most significant factors that could cause actual outcomes to differ materially from the Company’s forward-looking statements is the potential increased adverse effect of COVID-19 on the Company’s business, financial performance and condition, operating results and cash flows, the real estate market and the hospitality industry specifically, and the global economy and financial markets. The significance, extent and duration of the impacts caused by the COVID-19 outbreak on the Company will depend on future developments, which are highly uncertain and cannot be predicted with confidence at this time, including the scope, severity and duration of the pandemic, the extent and effectiveness of the actions taken to contain the pandemic or mitigate its impact, the Company’s ability to complete the anticipated amendments to its credit facilities on the terms and timing anticipated, or at all, and the direct and indirect economic effects of the pandemic and containment measures, among others. Moreover, investors are cautioned to interpret many of the risks identified under the section titled “Risk Factors” in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2019 as being heightened as a result of the ongoing and numerous adverse impacts of COVID-19. Such additional factors include, but are not limited to, the ability of the Company to effectively acquire and dispose of properties; the ability of the Company to successfully integrate pending transactions and implement its operating strategy; changes in general political, economic and competitive conditions and specific market conditions; reduced business and leisure travel due to travel-related health concerns, including the widespread outbreak of COVID-19 or any other infectious or contagious diseases in the U.S. or abroad; adverse changes in the real estate and real estate capital markets; financing risks; litigation risks; regulatory proceedings or inquiries; and changes in laws or regulations or interpretations of current laws and regulations that impact the Company’s business, assets or classification as a REIT. Although the Company believes that the assumptions underlying the forward-looking statements contained herein are reasonable, any of the assumptions could be inaccurate, and therefore there can be no assurance that such statements included in this press release will prove to be accurate. In light of the significant uncertainties inherent in the forward-looking statements included herein, the inclusion of such information should not be regarded as a representation by the Company or any other person that the results or conditions described in such statements or the objectives and plans of the Company will be achieved. In addition, the Company’s qualification as a REIT involves the application of highly technical and complex provisions of the Internal Revenue Code. Readers should carefully review the risk factors described in the Company’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including but not limited to those discussed in the section titled “Risk Factors” in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2019 and Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2020. Any forward-looking statement that the Company makes speaks only as of the date of this press release. The Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements or cautionary factors, as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise, except as required by law.

For additional information or to receive press releases by email, visit www.applehospitalityreit.com.

Contacts

Apple Hospitality REIT, Inc.

Kelly Clarke, Vice President, Investor Relations

804-727-6321

kclarke@applereit.com

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