Douglas A Kessler Form 4 ASHFORD HOSPITALITY TRUST / DOUGLAS A KESSLER ownership change

SEC Form 4

FORM 4

UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549

STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP

Filed pursuant to Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
or Section 30(h) of the Investment Company Act of 1940

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Check this box if no longer subject to Section 16. Form 4 or Form 5 obligations may continue. See Instruction 1(b).

1. Name and Address of Reporting Person^*

KESSLER DOUGLAS A

(Last) (First) (Middle)

14185 DALLAS PARKWAY

SUITE 1100

(Street)

DALLAS TX 75254

(City) (State) (Zip)

2. Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol
ASHFORD HOSPITALITY TRUST INC [ AHT ]

5. Relationship of Reporting Person(s) to Issuer
(Check all applicable)

	Director	10% Owner
X	Officer (give title below)	Other (specify below)
Chief Executive Officer

3. Date of Earliest Transaction (Month/Day/Year)
03/20/2017

4. If Amendment, Date of Original Filed (Month/Day/Year)

6. Individual or Joint/Group Filing (Check Applicable Line)

X	Form filed by One Reporting Person
	Form filed by More than One Reporting Person

Table I - Non-Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned
1. Title of Security (Instr. 3)	2. Transaction Date (Month/Day/Year)	2A. Deemed Execution Date, if any (Month/Day/Year)	3. Transaction Code (Instr. 8)		4. Securities Acquired (A) or Disposed Of (D) (Instr. 3, 4 and 5)			5. Amount of Securities Beneficially Owned Following Reported Transaction(s) (Instr. 3 and 4)	6. Ownership Form: Direct (D) or Indirect (I) (Instr. 4)	7. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership (Instr. 4)
			Code	V	Amount	(A) or (D)	Price
Common Stock	03/20/2017		F(1)		37,160	D	$6.05(2)	844,815	D

Table II - Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned (e.g., puts, calls, warrants, options, convertible securities)
1. Title of Derivative Security (Instr. 3)	2. Conversion or Exercise Price of Derivative Security	3. Transaction Date (Month/Day/Year)	3A. Deemed Execution Date, if any (Month/Day/Year)	4. Transaction Code (Instr. 8)		5. Number of Derivative Securities Acquired (A) or Disposed of (D) (Instr. 3, 4 and 5)		6. Date Exercisable and Expiration Date (Month/Day/Year)		7. Title and Amount of Securities Underlying Derivative Security (Instr. 3 and 4)		8. Price of Derivative Security (Instr. 5)	9. Number of derivative Securities Beneficially Owned Following Reported Transaction(s) (Instr. 4)	10. Ownership Form: Direct (D) or Indirect (I) (Instr. 4)	11. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership (Instr. 4)
				Code	V	(A)	(D)	Date Exercisable	Expiration Date	Title	Amount or Number of Shares
Performance Stock Units(3)	$0(3)							03/31/2019	03/31/2026	Common Stock(3)	121,429(4)		121,429(4)	D
Common Limited Partnership Units(5)	$0(5)							(5)	(6)	Common Stock(5)	(5)		1,206,100	D

Explanation of Responses:

1. Represents shares of common stock forfeited to the Issuer to satisfy certain tax-withholding obligations of the Reporting Person arising as a result of the vesting of restricted stock held by the Reporting Person.

2. Represents the closing price of the common stock on March 20, 2017, the date of forfeiture.

3. Each performance stock unit ("Performance Stock Unit") award represents a right to receive between zero and two shares of the Issuer's common stock if and when the applicable vesting criteria have been achieved.

4. Represents the target amount of common stock shares that may be issued pursuant to the award of Performance Stock Units. The actual number of Performance Stock Units to be issued upon vesting can range from 0% to 200% of the number of Performance Stock Units reported, based on achievement of specified relative and total stockholder returns of the Issuer. Assuming continued service through the vesting date and achievement of the specified relative and total stockholder returns, the Performance Stock Units, as adjusted, will generally vest on March 31, 2019.

5. Reflects aggregate number of Common Limited Partnership Units ("Common Units") in Ashford Hospitality Limited Partnership, the Issuer's operating subsidiary ("Subsidiary"), currently held by the Reporting Person. Common Units are redeemable for cash or, at the option of the Issuer, convertible into shares of the Issuer's common stock based on a conversion ratio described in the partnership agreement of Subsidiary, which, on March 20, 2017, was 0.9376156105 shares of the Issuer's common stock for each Common Unit.

6. The Common Units do not expire.

	/s/ DOUGLAS A. KESSLER	03/22/2017
	** Signature of Reporting Person	Date
Reminder: Report on a separate line for each class of securities beneficially owned directly or indirectly.
* If the form is filed by more than one reporting person, see Instruction 4 (b)(v).
** Intentional misstatements or omissions of facts constitute Federal Criminal Violations See 18 U.S.C. 1001 and 15 U.S.C. 78ff(a).
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