CHATHAM LODGING TRUST (Form: 8-K)  

 


UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

FORM 8-K

CURRENT REPORT

Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934

     
Date of Report (Date of Earliest Event Reported):   December 16, 2010

CHATHAM LODGING TRUST
__________________________________________
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

     
Maryland 001-34693 27-1200777
_____________________
(State or other jurisdiction
_____________
(Commission
______________
(I.R.S. Employer
of incorporation) File Number) Identification No.)
      
50 Cocoanut Row, Suite 216, Palm Beach, Florida   33480
_________________________________
(Address of principal executive offices)
  ___________
(Zip Code)
     
Registrant’s telephone number, including area code:   (561) 802-4477

Not Applicable
______________________________________________
Former name or former address, if changed since last report

 

Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions:

[  ]  Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)
[  ]  Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)
[  ]  Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))
[  ]  Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))


Top of the Form

Item 7.01 Regulation FD Disclosure.

On December 16, 2010, Chatham Lodging Trust (the "Company") issued a press release announcing that its board of trustees had declared a dividend of $0.175 per common share of beneficial interest for the quarter ending December 31, 2010. A copy of such press release is furnished as Exhibit 99.1 to this report.





Item 8.01 Other Events.

The Company declared a dividend of $0.175 per common share of beneficial interest for the quarter ending December 31, 2010. The third quarter dividend will be paid on January 14, 2011 to common shareholders of record on December 31, 2010.





Item 9.01 Financial Statements and Exhibits.

(d) Exhibits.


Exhibit
Number/Description
99.1/Press release dated December 16, 2010





The information contained in the press release attached as Exhibit 99.1 to this report shall not be deemed “filed” for the purposes of Section 18 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 or otherwise subject to the liabilities of that section. Furthermore, the information contained in the press release attached as Exhibit 99.1 to this report shall not be deemed to be incorporated by reference in the filings of the registrant under the Securities Act of 1933.


Top of the Form

SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.

         
    CHATHAM LODGING TRUST
          
December 16, 2010   By:   Dennis M. Craven
       
        Name: Dennis M. Craven
        Title: Chief Financial Officer


Top of the Form

Exhibit Index


     
Exhibit No.   Description

 
99.1
  Press release dated December 16, 2010
EX-99.1

Exhibit 99.1

         
For Immediate Release    
Contact:   Jerry Daly, Carol McCune   Dennis Craven
    Daly Gray Public Relations   Chief Financial Officer
    (Media)   (Company)
   
jerry@dalygray.com
  dcraven@cl-trust.com
   
 
   
   
(703) 435-6293
  (561) 227-1386

Chatham Lodging Announces Dividend, Provides Business Update

PALM BEACH, Fla., December 16, 2010—Chatham Lodging Trust (NYSE: CLDT), a hotel real estate investment trust (REIT) focused on upscale extended-stay hotels and premium branded select-service hotels, today announced that its board of trustees has declared a common share dividend of $0.175 for the 2010 fourth quarter. Based on the company’s common share closing price of $17.19 at the close of business on December 15, the annualized dividend represents a yield of approximately 4.1 percent. The common dividend is payable January 14, 2011, to shareholders of record on December 31, 2010.

“Our initial 13 hotels are producing strong unleveraged yields that average approximately 8 percent, so our dividend is well covered by free cash flow from our hotels,” said Jeffrey H. Fisher, Chatham’s chief executive officer. “We believe we are in the early stages of a lodging cycle recovery and that our unleveraged yields will continue to expand in 2011 as the industry rebound gains traction. The completion of renovations at six of our 13 hotels in 2011 will position us to gain market share and will drive earnings and dividend growth.”

Year-end Outlook

Pro forma revenue per available room (RevPAR) at the company’s 13 hotels was up approximately 5 percent for the fourth quarter through November had the company owned all the hotels for the entire period. “We are encouraged about the industry’s prospects for 2011 and beyond, due to forecasts for continued economic growth and limited new supply on the horizon,” Fisher commented. “Our pipeline remains strong and at pricing that is consistent with our expectations.”

The company accelerated the renovations that were scheduled to be completed on three of its Homewood Suites hotels, located in Billerica, Mass., Brentwood, Tenn. and Farmington, Conn. “Given the strong forward outlook for the industry, we expedited those renovations where it made sense to accelerate displacement,” remarked Dennis Craven, Chatham’s chief financial officer. “While this will have a slight impact on RevPAR in the 2010 fourth quarter, we expect it to translate into even better performance in 2011.”

About Chatham Lodging Trust

Chatham Lodging Trust is a self-advised real estate investment trust that was organized to invest in upscale extended-stay hotels and premium-branded select-service hotels. The company currently owns 13 hotels with an aggregate of 1,650 rooms/suites in nine states. Additional information about Chatham may be found at www.chathamlodgingtrust.com.

This press release may contain “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 about Chatham Lodging Trust, including those statements regarding acquisitions, capital expenditures, future operating results and the timing and composition of revenues, among others, and statements containing words such as “expects,” “believes” or “will,” which indicate that those statements are forward-looking. Except for historical information, the matters discussed in this press release are forward-looking statements that are subject to certain risks and uncertainties that could cause the actual results or performance to differ materially from those discussed in such statements. Additional risks are discussed in the company’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.