Moreover, if we fail to satisfy the asset tests at the end of a calendar quarter during a taxable year, we will not lose our REIT status if one of the following additional exceptions applies:
In order to qualify as a REIT, we must distribute dividends (other than capital gain dividends) to our stockholders in an amount at least equal to (A) the sum of (i) 90% of our “REIT taxable income” (determined without regard to the dividends paid deduction and by excluding any net capital gain) and (ii) 90% of the net income (after tax), if any, from foreclosure property, minus (B) the sum of certain items of non-cash income. We generally must pay such distributions in the taxable year to which they relate, or in the following taxable year if declared before we timely file our tax return for such year and if paid on or before the first regular dividend payment after such declaration. We may satisfy our distribution requirement in part by paying a taxable stock dividend.
To the extent that we do not distribute all of our net capital gain and REIT taxable income, we will be subject to tax on the undistributed amount at corporate capital gains and ordinary tax rates, respectively. Furthermore, if we should fail to distribute during each calendar year at least the sum of (i) 85% of our ordinary income for such year, (ii) 95% of our capital gain net income for such year, and (iii) any undistributed ordinary income and capital gain net income from prior periods, we will be subject to a 4% nondeductible excise tax on the excess of such required distribution over the amounts actually distributed.
Under certain circumstances, we may be able to rectify a failure to meet the distribution requirement for a year by paying “deficiency dividends” to our stockholders in a later year that may be included in our deduction for dividends paid for the earlier year. Thus, we may be able to avoid being taxed on amounts distributed as deficiency dividends; however, we will be required to pay interest based upon the amount of any deduction taken for deficiency dividends.
In addition, dividends we pay must not be preferential. If a dividend is preferential, it will not qualify for the dividends paid deduction. To avoid paying preferential dividends, we must treat every stockholder of the class of stock with respect to which we make a distribution the same as every other stockholder of that class, and we must not treat any class of stock other than according to its dividend rights as a class.
We may retain and pay income tax on net long-term capital gains we received during the tax year. To the extent we so elect, (i) each stockholder must include in its income (as long-term capital gains) its proportionate share of our undistributed long-term capital gains, (ii) each stockholder’s basis in its shares of our stock is increased by the included amount of the undistributed long-term capital gains, and (iii) each stockholder is deemed to have paid, and receives a credit for, its proportionate share of the tax paid by us on the undistributed long-term capital gains.
To qualify as a REIT, we may not have, at the end of any taxable year, any undistributed earnings and profits accumulated in any non-REIT taxable year. Our non-REIT earnings and profits include any earnings and profits we accumulated before the effective date of our REIT election, which was January 1, 2005. We distributed sufficient earnings and profits before December 31, 2005 to eliminate any non-REIT earnings and profits, which distributions were in addition to distributions we were required to make to satisfy the 90% distribution test (as discussed above) and avoid incurring tax on our undistributed income.
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Failure to Qualify
If we fail to qualify as a REIT and such failure is not an asset test or income test failure, we generally will be eligible for a relief provision if the failure is due to reasonable cause and not willful neglect and we pay a penalty of $50,000 with respect to such failure.
If we fail to qualify for taxation as a REIT in any taxable year and no relief provisions apply, we generally will be subject to tax (including any applicable alternative minimum tax) on our taxable income at regular corporate rates. Distributions to our stockholders in any year in which we fail to qualify as a REIT will not be deductible by us nor will they be required to be made. In such event, to the extent of current or accumulated earnings and profits, all distributions to our stockholders will be taxable as dividend income. Subject to certain limitations in the Code, corporate stockholders may be eligible for the dividends received deduction, and individual, trust and estate stockholders may be eligible to treat the dividends received from us as qualified dividend income taxable as net capital gains, under the provisions of Section 1(h)(11) of the Code, through the end of 2010. Unless entitled to relief under specific statutory provisions, we also will be ineligible to elect REIT status again prior to the fifth taxable year following the first year in which we failed to qualify as a REIT under the Code.
Our qualification as a REIT for federal income tax purposes will depend on our continuing to meet the various requirements summarized above governing the ownership of our outstanding shares, the nature of our assets, the sources of our income, and the amount of our distributions to our stockholders. Although we intend to operate in a manner that will enable us to comply with such requirements, there can be no certainty that such intention will be realized. In addition, because the relevant laws may change, compliance with one or more of the REIT requirements may become impossible or impracticable for us.
Qualified REIT Subsidiaries and Disregarded Entities
If we own a corporate subsidiary that is a “qualified REIT subsidiary” (“QRS”), or if we or our operating partnership own 100% of the membership interests in a limited liability company or other unincorporated entity that does not elect to be treated as a corporation for federal income tax purposes, the separate existence of the QRS, limited liability company or other unincorporated entity generally will be disregarded for federal income tax purposes. Generally, a QRS is a corporation, other than a TRS, all of the stock of which is owned by a REIT. A limited liability company or other unincorporated entity 100% owned by a single member that does not elect to be treated as a corporation for federal income tax purposes generally is disregarded as an entity separate from its owner for federal income tax purposes. All assets, liabilities, and items of income, deduction, and credit of the QRS or disregarded entity will be treated as assets, liabilities, and items of income, deduction, and credit of its owner. If we own a QRS or a disregarded entity, neither will be subject to federal corporate income taxation, although such entities may be subject to state and local taxation in some states.
Taxation of the Operating Partnership
Our operating partnership currently is a disregarded entity because we own 100% of the interests in it, directly or through other disregarded entities. If we admit other limited partners, our operating partnership will be treated as a partnership for tax purposes, as described below.
Under the Code, a partnership is not subject to federal income tax, but is required to file a partnership tax information return each year. In general, the character of each partner’s share of each item of income, gain, loss, deduction, credit, and tax preference is determined at the partnership level. Each partner is then allocated a distributive share of such items in accordance with the partnership agreement and is required to take such items into account in determining the partner’s income. Each partner includes such amount in income for any taxable year of the partnership ending within or with the taxable year of the partner, without regard to whether the partner has received or will receive any cash distributions from the partnership. Cash distributions, if any, from a partnership to a partner generally are not taxable unless and to the extent they exceed the partner’s basis in its partnership interest immediately before the distribution. Any amounts in excess of such tax basis will generally be treated as a sale of such partner’s interest in the partnership.
If and when our operating partnership becomes taxable as a partnership, rather than a disregarded entity, we generally will be treated for federal income tax purposes as contributing our properties to the operating partnership at such time. If our properties are appreciated at such time, we could recognize a smaller share of tax depreciation,
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and a larger share of tax gain on sale, from such properties subsequent to that deemed contribution, as compared to our percentage interest in the operating partnership. This deemed contribution also could trigger tax gain in some circumstances, but we expect to structure the admission of outside partners in a manner that should avoid any such gain.
As noted above, for purposes of the REIT income and asset tests, we are treated as holding or receiving our proportionate share of our operating partnership’s income and assets, respectively. We control, and intend to continue to control, our operating partnership and intend to operate it consistently with the requirements for our qualification as a REIT.
We may use our operating partnership to acquire hotels in exchange for operating partnership units, in order to permit the sellers of such properties to defer recognition of their tax gain. In such a transaction, our initial tax basis in the hotels acquired generally will be less than the purchase price of the hotels. Consequently, our depreciation deductions for such properties may be less, and our tax gain on a sale of such properties may be more, than the deductions or gain, respectively, that we would have if we acquired these properties in taxable transactions. In addition, we may issue equity compensation to employees in the form of interests in our operating partnership that provides for capital gain treatment to the employees but does not generate a corresponding deduction for our operating partnership.
The discussion above assumes that our operating partnership will be treated as a “partnership” for federal income tax purposes once it is no longer treated as a disregarded entity. Generally, a domestic unincorporated entity such as our operating partnership with two or more partners is treated as a partnership for federal income tax purposes unless it affirmatively elects to be treated as a corporation. However, certain “publicly traded partnerships” are treated as corporations for federal income tax purposes. Once our operating partnership is no longer a disregarded entity for federal income tax purposes, we intend to comply with one or more exceptions from treatment as a corporation under the publicly traded partnership rules. Failure to qualify for such an exception would prevent us from qualifying as a REIT.
Investments in Taxable REIT Subsidiaries
We and each subsidiary intended to qualify as a TRS have made (or will make, as applicable) a joint election for such subsidiary to be treated as our taxable REIT subsidiary. A domestic TRS (or a foreign TRS with income from a U.S. business) pays federal, state, and local income taxes at the full applicable corporate rates on its taxable income prior to payment of any dividends. Thus, for example, Bloodstone TRS, Inc. generally will pay U.S. corporate tax on key money and yield support when it is paid, notwithstanding the treatment of key money and yield support payments for accounting purposes. A TRS owning or leasing a hotel outside of the U.S., such as DiamondRock Frenchman’s Owner, Inc., may pay foreign taxes. The taxes owed by our TRSs could be substantial. To the extent that our TRSs are required to pay federal, state, local, or foreign taxes, the cash available for distribution by us will be reduced accordingly.
A TRS is permitted to engage in certain kinds of activities that cannot be performed directly by us without jeopardizing our REIT status. A TRS is subject to limitations on the deductibility of payments made to us which could materially increase its taxable income and also is subject to prohibited transaction taxes on certain other payments made, directly or indirectly, to us. We will be subject to a 100% tax on the amounts of any rents from real property, deductions, or excess interest received from a TRS that would be reduced through reapportionment under Section 482 of the Code in order to more clearly reflect the income of the TRS. In particular, this 100% tax would apply to our share of any rent paid by a TRS lessee that was determined to be in excess of a market rate rent.
As discussed above in “— Qualification as a REIT — Income Tests,” Bloodstone TRS, Inc., through our TRS lessees, leases qualified lodging facilities from our operating partnership (or its affiliates) and a TRS may own hotels (such as DiamondRock Frenchman’s Owner, Inc. that owns Frenchman’s Reef & Morning Star Marriott Beach Resort). However, a TRS may not directly or indirectly operate or manage any hotel or provide rights to any brand name under which any hotel is operated. Specifically, rents paid by a TRS lessee can qualify as rents from real property only so long as the property is operated and managed on behalf of the TRS lessee by an “eligible independent contractor,” which is a person (or entity) that satisfies the following requirements: (i) such person is, or is related to a person who is, actively engaged in the trade or business of operating qualified lodging facilities for any person unrelated to us or the TRS lessee; (ii) such person does not own, directly or indirectly, more than 35% of our stock; and (iii) not more than 35% of such person is owned, directly or indirectly, by one or more persons
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owning 35% or more of our stock. For purposes of determining whether these ownership limits are satisfied, actual ownership as well as constructive ownership under the rules of Section 318 of the Code (with certain modifications) is taken into account. For example, (a) interests owned by a partnership are also treated as owned proportionately by its partners, (b) interests held by a partner with a 25% or greater share of partnership capital interests or profits interests are also treated as owned by the partnership, (c) interests held by a 10% or greater stockholder are also treated as held by the corporation, and (d) interests held by a corporation are also treated as held by a 10% or greater stockholder (in the proportion that such stockholder’s stock bears to all the stock of the corporation). However, if any class of our stock or the stock of a person attempting to qualify as an eligible independent contractor is regularly traded on an established securities market, only persons who own, directly or indirectly, more than 5% of such class of stock shall be taken into account as owning any of the stock of such class for purposes of applying the 35% limitation described in clause (iii) above. In addition, the IRS has ruled to the effect that an advisor or similar fiduciary to a REIT cannot also qualify as an eligible independent contractor with respect to the REIT.
Each TRS lessee (and any other of our TRSs that owns an interest in our hotels) has hired (or will hire) a hotel management company that we believe qualifies as an eligible independent contractor to manage and operate the hotels leased by (or owned through) the TRS. We believe that Marriott has qualified, and Marriott intends to continue to qualify, as an eligible independent contractor. In that regard, constructive ownership under Section 318 of the Code resulting, for example, from relationships between Marriott and our other stockholder could impact Marriott’s ability to satisfy the applicable ownership limit. Because of the broad scope of the attribution rules of Section 318 of the Code, it is possible that not all prohibited relationships will be identified and avoided. The existence of such a relationship would disqualify Marriott (or another hotel management company) as an eligible independent contractor, which would in turn disqualify us as a REIT. Our charter restricts ownership and transfer of our shares in a manner intended to facilitate continuous qualification of Marriott (or another hotel management company) as an eligible independent contractor, but no assurances can be given that such transfer and ownership restrictions have or will ensure that Marriott (or another hotel management company), in fact, has been or will be an eligible independent contractor. As noted above, Goodwin Procter LLP’s opinion as to REIT qualification is based upon our representations and covenants as to the absence of such relationships. Marriott’s failure to qualify as an eligible independent contractor does not give us the right to terminate the management agreement.
State, Local, and Foreign Tax
We may be subject to state, local and foreign tax in states, localities and foreign countries in which we do business or own property. The tax treatment applicable to us and our stockholders in such jurisdictions may differ from the federal income tax treatment described above.
Stockholders should consult the applicable prospectus supplement, as well as their own tax advisers, for further information about federal, state, local, and other tax consequences of investing in the securities offered by the applicable prospectus supplement.
We may sell the securities offered by means of this prospectus domestically or abroad, in one or more transactions, including block transactions and transactions on the NYSE or on a delayed or continuous basis:
| • | | through underwriters or dealers; |
| • | | directly to one or more purchasers, including our affiliates; |
| • | | directly to stockholders; |
| • | | through a combination of any of these methods of sales; or |
| • | | in any manner, as provided in the applicable prospectus supplement. |
In addition, we may issue the securities as a dividend or distribution to our existing securities holders. The prospectus supplement relating to the offer and sale of such securities will include:
| • | | the name or names of any underwriters, dealers or agents and the amounts of securities underwritten or purchased by each of them; |
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| • | | the initial public offering price of the securities and the proceeds to us and any discounts, commissions, or concessions allowed or reallowed or paid to dealers; and |
| • | | any securities exchange on which the securities may be issued. |
The securities may be sold at (i) a fixed price or prices which may be changed, (ii) market prices prevailing at the time of sale, (iii) prices related to the prevailing market prices at the time of sale, or (iv) negotiated prices. The consideration may be cash or another form negotiated by the parties.
If we use underwriters for a sale of securities, the securities will be acquired by the underwriters for their own account and may be resold from time to time in one or more transactions. The securities may be offered to the public through underwriting syndicates represented by managing underwriters, or directly by the underwriters. Generally, the underwriters’ obligation to purchase the securities will be subject to certain conditions precedent. The underwriters will be obligated to purchase all of the securities if they purchase any of the securities. In connection with the sale of securities, underwriters may receive compensation from us or from purchasers of securities for whom the underwriters may acts as agents. Their compensation may be in the form of discounts, concessions or commissions.
Underwriters may sell the securities to or through dealers, and such dealers may receive compensation in the form of discounts, concessions or commissions (which may be changed from time to time) from the underwriters and/or from the purchasers for whom they act as agent.
We may agree to sell the securities to an underwriter for a delayed public offering and may further agree to adjustments before the public offering to the underwriters’ purchase price for the securities based on changes in the market value of the securities.
Offers to purchase the securities may be solicited by agents designated by us from time to time. Any such agent involved in the offer or sale of securities will be set forth in the prospectus supplement, and any commission payable by us to such agent will be set forth in the prospectus supplement. Unless otherwise indicated in the prospectus supplement, any such agent will be acting on a best efforts basis for the period of its appointment. Any such agent may be deemed to be an underwriter, as that term is defined in the Securities Act, of the securities so offered and sold.
Offers to purchase securities may be solicited directly by us and sales thereof may be made by us directly to institutional investors or others. The terms of any such sales, including the terms of any bidding or auction prices, if utilized, will be described in the proxy supplement related thereto.
We may from time to time engage a firm to act as our agent for one or more offerings of our securities. We sometimes refer to this agent as our “offering agent.” If we reach agreement with an offering agent with respect to a specific offering, including the number of securities and any minimum price below which sales may not be made, than the offering agent will try to sell such securities on the agreed terms. The offering agent could make sales in privately negotiated transactions or any other method permitted by law, including sales deemed to be an “at-the-market” offering as defined in Rule 415 promulgated under the Securities Act, including sales made directly on the NYSE, or sales made to or through a market maker other than on an exchange. The offering agent will be deemed to be an “underwriter” within the meaning of the Securities Act with respect to any sales effected through an “at the market” offering.
If so indicated in a prospectus supplement, we will authorize agents, underwriters or dealers to solicit offers by certain institutional investors to purchase offered securities for payment and delivery on a future date specified in such prospectus supplement. There may be limitations on the minimum amount which may be purchased by any such institutional investor or on the portion of the aggregate principal amount of the particular offered securities which may be sold pursuant to such arrangements. Institutional investors to which such offers may be made, when authorized, include commercial and savings banks, insurance companies, pension funds, investment companies, educational and charitable institutions and such other institutions as may be approved by us. The obligations of any purchaser under these contracts will be subject to the condition that the purchase of the offered securities shall not at the time of delivery be prohibited under the laws of the jurisdiction to which the purchaser is subject.
Unless we specify otherwise in the applicable prospectus supplement, any series of securities issued hereunder will be a new issue with no established trading market (other than our common stock, which is listed on the NYSE). If we sell any shares of our common stock pursuant to a prospectus supplement, such shares will be listed on the
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NYSE, subject to official notice of issuance. We may elect to list any other securities issued hereunder on any exchange, but we are not obligated to do so. Any underwriters or agents to or through whom such securities are sold by us for public offering and sale may make a market in such securities, but such underwriters or agents will not be obligated to do so and may discontinue any market making at any time without notice. We cannot assure you as to the liquidity of the trading market for any such securities.
To facilitate the offering of securities, certain persons participating in the offering may engage in transactions that stabilize, maintain or otherwise affect the price of the securities. This may include over-allotments or short sales of the securities, which involves the sale by persons participating in the offering of more securities than we sold to them. In these circumstances these persons would cover the over-allotments or short positions by making purchases in the open market or by exercising their over-allotment option. In addition, these persons may stabilize or maintain the prices of the securities by bidding for or purchasing securities in the open market or by imposing penalty bids whereby selling concessions allowed to dealers participating in the offering may be reclaimed if securities sold by them are repurchased in connection with stabilization transactions. The effect of these transactions may be to stabilize or maintain the market price of the securities at a level above that which might otherwise prevail in the open market. These transactions may be discontinued at any time.
Underwriters, dealers and agents participating in the distribution of the offered securities may be deemed to be underwriters, and any discounts or commissions received by them and any profit realized by them upon the resale of the offered securities may be deemed to be underwriting discounts and commissions, under the Securities Act. If such dealers or agents were deemed to be underwriters, they may be subject to statutory liabilities under the Securities Act. Underwriters, dealers and agents may be entitled, under agreements entered into with us, to indemnification against and contribution toward certain civil liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act.
Certain of the underwriters, dealers or agents and their affiliates and associates may engage in transactions with and perform services for us in the ordinary course of their business for which they receive compensation.
The validity of the securities offered hereby will be passed upon for us by Goodwin Procter LLP. Goodwin Procter llp has also issued an opinion to us regarding certain tax matters described under “Federal Income Tax Considerations Related to Our REIT Election.”
The consolidated financial statements and schedule of DiamondRock Hospitality Company as of December 31, 2008 and 2007, and for each of the years in the three-year period ended December 31, 2008, and management’s assessment of the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2008 have been incorporated by reference herein and in the registration statement in reliance upon the reports of KPMG LLP, independent registered public accounting firm, incorporated by reference herein, and upon the authority of said firm as experts in accounting and auditing.
WHERE YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION We file annual, quarterly and special reports, proxy statements and other information with the SEC. You may read and copy any document we file with the SEC at the SEC’s public reference room at 100 F Street, N.E. Room 1580, Washington, D.C. 20549. Please call the SEC at 1-800-SEC-0330 for further information about the public reference room. The SEC also maintains a website that contains reports, proxy and information statements and other information regarding registrants that file electronically with the SEC at http://www.sec.gov. You can inspect reports and other information we file at the offices of the NYSE, 20 Broad Street, New York, NY 10005. In addition, we maintain a website that contains information about us at www.drhc.com. The information found on, or otherwise accessible through, our website is not incorporated into, and does not form a part of, this prospectus or any other report or documents we file with or furnish to the SEC.
We have filed with the SEC a “shelf” registration statement on Form S-3 under the Securities Act relating to the securities that may be offered by this prospectus. This prospectus is a part of that registration statement, but does not contain all of the information in the registration statement. We have omitted parts of the registration statement in accordance with the rules and regulations of the SEC. For more detail about us and any securities that
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may be offered by this prospectus, you may examine the registration statement on Form S-3 and the exhibits filed with it at the locations listed in the previous paragraph.
INCORPORATION OF CERTAIN DOCUMENTS BY REFERENCE The SEC allows us to “incorporate by reference” in this prospectus certain information we file with the SEC, which means that we may disclose important information in this prospectus by referring you to the document that contains the information. The information incorporated by reference is considered to be a part of this prospectus, and the information we file later with the SEC will automatically update and supersede this information. We incorporate by reference the documents listed below that we filed with the SEC:
| • | | our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2008; |
| • | | our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 27, 2009; |
| • | | our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 19, 2009; |
| • | | our Definitive Proxy Statement on Schedule 14A filed on March 4, 2009, as amended by additional definitive proxy materials filed on March 6, 2009; |
| • | | our Current Reports on Form 8-K filed on April 15, 2009 and July 27, 2009; |
| • | | The description of our common stock, $0.01 par value per share, contained in our Registration Statement on Form 8-A filed on May 25, 2005, including any amendment or report filed for the purpose of updating such description (file number 001-32514); and |
| • | | all documents filed by us with the SEC pursuant to Section 13(a), 13(c), 14 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act from the date of this prospectus and prior to the termination of the offering of the underlying securities; provided, however, that we are not incorporating by reference any additional documents or information furnished and not filed with the SEC. |
You may request a copy of these documents, and any exhibits we have specifically incorporated by reference as an exhibit in this prospectus, at no cost by writing us at the following address or calling us at the telephone number listed below or via the Internet at the website listed below:
DiamondRock Hospitality Company
6903 Rockledge Drive, Suite 800
Bethesda, MD 20817
Attention: Investor Relations
(240) 744-1150
Internet Website: www.dhrc.com
Readers should rely on the information provided or incorporated by reference in this prospectus or in the applicable supplement to this prospectus. Readers should not assume that the information in this prospectus and the applicable supplement is accurate as of any date other than the date on the front cover of the document.
The information contained on our website does not constitute a part of this prospectus, and our website address supplied above is intended to be an inactive textual reference only and not an active hyperlink.
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DiamondRock Hospitality Company
20,000,000 Shares
Common Stock
PROSPECTUS SUPPLEMENT
July 9, 2012
