Neil Brown and Simon Turner, two independent directors of ESH Hospitality issued the following letter to Extended Stay Shareholders:
May 17, 2021
Dear Extended Stay Shareholders,
As the two independent directors of ESH Hospitality’s Board of Directors who voted against the sale of Extended Stay America, Inc. to Blackstone and Starwood Capital, our opposition to this transaction has been highlighted by Tarsadia Capital, LLC in a manner that inaccurately reflects the Board’s deliberative process.
Tarsadia’s statement that the Boards “ignored” and “brushed aside” our perspectives is simply not true. At no point were we “ignored” or “brushed aside.” There were robust discussions of the transaction and all board members shared their views in a manner that was comprehensive. We simply came to a different conclusion than our colleagues.
Our experience in the Extended Stay boardroom has been marked by thoughtful and robust discussion with a board culture that encourages dissenting opinions. Our votes on this transaction represented normal board deliberations. While we had differing views, the majority of our fellow directors, for whom we have tremendous respect, ultimately chose a different path. Frankly, an absence of unanimity, in our opinions, is a testament to the rigorous debate and process of the discussions of the Boards, as well as clear indication of the independence of the various directors. Our votes against the sale were not some grandstanding “insistence” that our “voices be heard”. Our votes were our votes; an expression of our opinions on an extraordinarily complex matter at an extraordinary time in history.
Our dissenting votes at the ESH Hospitality Board have been mischaracterized by Tarsadia. Independent-minded directors will often disagree, but when they do, it does not mean that their voices were ignored. Nine other thoughtful, experienced, and qualified directors reviewed the same facts we did, considered various outcomes for the future and came to a different conclusion. We respect their views, just as they respect ours.
Sincerely,
| | | | |
 | |  | | |
Neil Brown | | Simon Turner | | |