Winston Hotels Reports Fourth Quarter and Full-Year 2002 Results

RALEIGH, N.C. - Winston Hotels, Inc. WXH, a real estate investment trust (REIT) and owner of premium limited-service, upscale extended-stay and full-service hotels, today announced results for the fourth quarter and full-year ended December 31, 2002.

Funds from operations (FFO) increased 27.4 percent to $4.8 million for the 2002 fourth quarter, compared to $3.7 million for the same period in 2001. On a per share basis, FFO increased 4.8 percent to $0.22 per share for the fourth quarter on 21.3 million weighted average shares of common stock outstanding, compared to $0.21 on 18.2 million weighted average shares outstanding for the same quarter a year ago.

"Occupancy improved more than 2 percentage points for the fourth quarter, offset partially by a 3.2 percent decline in room rate from the same period in 2001," said Bob Winston, chief executive officer. "We experienced a number of positive developments during 2002, which we believe have set the stage for positive long-term growth in the future. We:

  • Acquired leasehold interests--"Winston acquired the leasehold interests for 47 hotels from MeriStar Hotels & Resorts (now Interstate Hotels & Resorts) to better align our ownership with the financial interests of our operators."
  • Formed acquisition venture--"We formed a joint venture with Charlesbank Capital Partners, LLC to acquire in excess of $100 million of hotel assets and have placed two previously acquired hotel assets in the venture."
  • Continued mezzanine loan program--"We continued our mezzanine loan program to help finance selected development and renovation projects and issued, through a 50/50 joint venture with Hall Financial Group, a $3.5 million loan for conversion of a historic office building in Baltimore's Inner Harbor to a Hampton Inn & Suites."
  • Upgraded portfolio--"We sold four hotels for aggregate gross proceeds of $13.8 million, as we continued selectively pruning our portfolio of non-strategic assets."
  • Strengthened balance sheet--"Winston completed a 3.2 million share common stock offering at $9 per share, generating net proceeds of approximately $26.9 million, which were used to pay down debt and to purchase our leasehold interests from Interstate."

Operating Results

Due to the acquisition in July 2002 of the company's leasehold interests from Interstate Hotels and Resorts, the results of operations for the three and 12 months ended December 31, 2002, compared to the results of operations for the three and 12 months ended December 31, 2001, do not offer a meaningful comparison. This is due primarily to recording the operating results of the hotels on the company's statements of operations beginning in the third quarter of 2002.

In an effort to make a more meaningful comparison between periods, the company has provided below selected unaudited pro forma financial information for the three and 12 months ended December 31, 2002 and 2001, as if the acquisition of the leasehold interests from Interstate occurred on January 1, 2001. This information is shown for the 47 hotels that were open during the periods presented and does not include operating results for any hotels that have been sold.

          SELECTED UNAUDITED PRO FORMA FINANCIAL INFORMATION

                                   Three Months       Twelve Months
                                       Ended              Ended
                                    December 31,       December 31,
                                    2002    2001       2002     2001
                                  ------- -------   -------- 
Statistics
Average Daily Rate                $77.93  $80.53     $80.08   $83.30
Occupancy                           59.4%   57.3%      64.6%    64.5%
Revenue Per Available Room        $46.32  $46.18     $51.76   $53.70

Operating Results (in thousands)
Revenue:
Rooms                             25,597  25,380    114,137  116,102
Other hotel revenue                3,188   3,088     12,463   12,629
Percentage lease revenue           1,030   1,497      3,294    3,736
Interest, joint venture and other
 income                            1,657     939      2,630    2,689
Total revenue                     31,472  30,904    132,524  135,156
Hotel operating expenses:
Rooms                              6,165   5,550     26,260   25,802
Other hotel operating expenses     2,171   2,048      8,729    8,650
Undistributed operating expenses:
Property operating costs           5,795   5,696     23,980   23,756
Real estate taxes and property
 and casualty insurance            1,410   1,116      6,344    6,429
Other operating costs              4,013   3,685     17,337   16,861
Percentage lease expense           1,082     826      4,162    2,248
Depreciation and amortization      4,994   5,159     19,985   20,619
General and administrative           749   1,690      4,842    5,419
Total expenses                    26,379  25,770    111,639  109,784

Operating income                   5,093   5,134     20,885   25,372

Financial Highlights

  • Total debt to EBITDA multiple was 3.5 for the year
  • Annual interest coverage ratio multiple was 3.9 for the year
  • Closed the quarter with consolidated debt to total assets at cost of 29.7 percent
  • Generated an unleveraged return on investment of 9.5 percent on its hotel portfolio for the full year 2002. Based upon the company's leverage and borrowing costs, the company realized a leveraged return on investment of 10.6 percent for 2002
  • FFO payout ratio was 51.3 percent in 2002
  • For the 47 hotels that were open during both periods, excluding hotels that have been sold, operating margins declined from 42.6 percent in the fourth quarter of 2001 to 39.5 percent in the fourth quarter of 2002, and from 43.9 percent to 42.2 percent for the 12 months ended December 31, 2001 and 2002, respectively
  • Based on information provided by Smith Travel Research, the 2002 RevPAR yield through December 31, 2002, for Winston's portfolio was 108 percent

"In addition to acquiring our leasehold interests from Interstate, we made significant strides in implementing our growth strategies," said Joe Green, chief financial officer. "The most noteworthy achievement was the joint venture we formed with Charlesbank to acquire hotels. We already have placed two assets in the joint venture and currently are looking at a number of properties for possible acquisition.

"We also continued our mezzanine loan program, a second important avenue of growth for us," he noted. "We issued one loan and have a pipeline of candidates. We are reviewing a number of quality projects and are being highly selective in the process.

"We believe we have positive momentum in all our strategic initiatives as we move into 2003," he said.

Dividend Performance

During the fourth quarter, Winston Hotels declared a regular cash dividend of $0.15 per common share, which is equivalent to $0.60 per common share on an annualized basis. Also in the fourth quarter, the company declared a regular quarterly cash dividend to preferred shareholders of $0.578125 per share. "We do not anticipate any change in our current dividend policy in 2003," Green added.

Guidance and Outlook

"Providing meaningful guidance, considering the threat of war and other geopolitical developments, is difficult," Green remarked. "As a result, we only are providing guidance for the first quarter and full-year 2003. Based on our operators' forecasts, we currently are targeting RevPAR of negative 4 percent to negative 1 percent for the first quarter 2003 compared to the first quarter 2002, and for the full year 2003, we are targeting RevPAR of flat to positive 2 percent. We are targeting FFO per share of $0.17 to $0.20 for the first quarter 2003 and $1.03 to $1.14 for the full year 2003."

"2002 was a year of transition," Winston said. "We continued to work hard to improve returns on our existing assets and to prepare to capitalize on the long-anticipated recovery. The current economic recovery scenario is a fragile one, and we will have to wait to see if it has staying power. In the meantime, we will continue to seek viable joint ventures with strong partners to acquire hotels selectively on an accretive basis, to provide mezzanine loans for new development, hotel renovations and to improve owner liquidity, and to enhance the operations of the properties currently in our portfolio. New room supply continues to decline, setting the stage for a rebound when the recovery does arrive and demand increases."

Winston Hotels' fourth quarter investor conference call is scheduled for 10 a.m. ET today. The call also will be simulcast over the Internet via the company's web site, www.winstonhotels.com. The replay will be available on the company's web site for 30 days and via telephone for seven days by calling 800/475-6701, access code 673982.

Raleigh, North Carolina-based Winston Hotels, Inc., is a real estate investment trust specializing in the development, acquisition, repositioning and active asset management of premium limited-service, upscale extended-stay and full-service hotels, with a portfolio increasingly weighted toward the leading brands in the lodging industry's upscale segment. The Company currently owns or is invested in 52 hotels with 7,200 rooms in 17 states, which includes: 44 wholly-owned properties with 6,141 rooms; a 49 percent ownership interest in three joint venture hotels with 453 rooms; a 13.05 percent ownership interest in two joint venture hotels with 215 rooms; and a mezzanine financing interest in three hotels with 391 rooms. For more information about Winston Hotels, visit the Winston Hotels Web site, www.winstonhotels.com.

In addition to historical information, this press release contains forward-looking statements including, but not limited to statements referring to strategic initiatives, our mezzanine loan program, acquisition program, and dividend policy, and the estimated RevPAR and FFO per share for the 2003 first quarter and the year. The reader can identify these statements by use of words like "may," "will," "expect," "target," "project," "anticipate," "estimate," "believes," or "continue" or similar expressions. These statements represent the Company's judgment and are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual operating results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in the forward looking statements including, but not limited to, changes in general economic conditions, lower occupancy rates, lower average daily rates, acquisition risks, development risks including risk of construction delay, cost overruns, occupancy and other governmental permits, zoning, the increase of development costs in connection with projects that are not pursued to completion, the risk of non-payment of mezzanine loans, or the failure to make additional mezzanine debt investments and investments in distressed or other hotel opportunities. Other risks are discussed in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including but not limited to its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2001, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and its other periodic reports.

                         WINSTON HOTELS, INC.
                     CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS
              ($ in thousands, except per share amounts)

                                ASSETS
                                           December 31,   December 31,
                                                2002           2001
                                           -------------- 
                                            (unaudited)

Land                                             $39,348        $41,114
Buildings and improvements                       345,511        359,024
Furniture and equipment                           44,332         44,376
                                           -------------- 
Operating properties                             429,191        444,514
Less accumulated depreciation                    109,152         96,343
                                           -------------- 
                                                 320,039        348,171
Properties under development                       1,800          1,916
                                           -------------- 
       Net investment in hotel properties        321,839        350,087

Corporate FF&E, net                                  735          1,033
Cash                                               1,510            887
Lease revenue receivable                               -          4,786
Accounts receivable                                1,958              
Notes receivable                                   5,016          3,516
Investment in joint ventures                       9,117          8,173
Deferred expenses, net                             2,949          3,405
Prepaid expenses and other assets                  6,993          5,017
Deferred tax asset                                 7,325              
                                           -------------- 
 Total assets                                   $357,442       $376,904
                                           ============== ==============

                 LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY

Long-term debt                                   $66,406        $67,684
Due to banks                                      72,300        102,900
Deferred percentage lease revenue                      -          1,226
Accounts payable and accrued expenses             11,623          8,175
Accrued lease payable                                 56              
Distributions payable                              4,951          4,468
Minority interest in Partnership                   7,591          8,246
                                           -------------- 
Total liabilities                                162,927        192,699
                                           -------------- 

Shareholders' equity:
Preferred stock, $.01 par value,
 10,000,000 shares authorized,
  3,000,000 shares issued and outstanding
   (liquidation preference of $76,734)                30             30
Common stock, $.01 par value, 50,000,000
 shares authorized,
 20,148,334 and 16,924,533 shares issued
  and outstanding                                    201            169
Additional paid-in capital                       256,720        230,109
Unearned compensation                               (596)          (542)
Accumulated other comprehensive income
 (loss)                                                -         (1,844)
Distributions in excess of earnings              (61,840)       (43,717)
                                           -------------- 
Total shareholders' equity                       194,515        184,205
                                           -------------- 
Total liabilities and shareholders' equity      $357,442       $376,904
                                           ============== ==============


                         WINSTON HOTELS, INC.
            UNAUDITED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS
               (in thousands, except per share amounts)

                                        Three Months     Three Months
                                             Ended           Ended
                                        December 31,     December 31,
                                             2002            2001
                                        --------------   
Revenue:
   Rooms                                      $25,597             $
   Food and beverage                            2,052              
   Other operating departments                  1,135              
   Percentage lease revenue                     1,030         19,298
   Interest, joint venture and other
    income                                      1,657            941
                                        --------------   
        Total revenue                          31,471         20,239
Hotel operating expenses:
   Rooms                                        6,165              
   Food and beverage                            1,436              
   Other operating departments                    735              
Undistributed operating expenses:
   Property operating costs                     5,793              
   Real estate taxes and property and
    casualty insurance                          1,410          1,115
   Franchise costs                              1,824              
   Maintenance and repair                       1,585              
   Management fees                                604              
   Percentage lease expense                     1,082              
   Depreciation                                 4,758          4,868
   Amortization                                   219            272
   General and administrative                     749          1,690
                                        --------------   
        Total operating expenses               26,360          7,945
                                        --------------   
Operating income                                5,111         12,294
   Interest expense                             2,477          2,893
                                        --------------   
Income before allocation to minority
 interest and income taxes                      2,634          9,401
        Income allocation to minority
         interests                                107            576
        Income tax expense (benefit)             (249)             
                                        --------------   
Income from continuing operations               2,776          8,825
Discontinued operations:
        Income (loss) from discontinued
         operations, net                          (71)           423
        Gain on sale of discontinued
         operations                               688              
                                        --------------   
        Net income                              3,393          9,248
Preferred stock distribution                   (1,734)        (1,734)
                                        --------------   
Net income applicable to common
 shareholders                                  $1,659         $7,514
                                        ==============   ============

Income per common share:
Basic and diluted:
   Income from continuing operations            $0.05          $0.42
                                        ==============   ============
   Income from discontinued operations          $0.03          $0.02
                                        ==============   ============
   Net income per common share                  $0.08          $0.44
                                        ==============   ============
   Weighted average number of common
    shares                                     20,049         16,925
   Weighted average number of common
    shares assuming dilution                   21,348         18,223



                         WINSTON HOTELS, INC.
                  UNAUDITED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS
               (in thousands, except per share amounts)

                                             Year Ended    Year Ended
Revenue:                                    December 31,  December 31,
                                                2002           2001
                                            ------------  
   Rooms                                        $55,416             $
   Food and beverage                              3,898              
   Other operating departments                    2,329              
   Percentage lease revenue                      29,243         52,856
   Interest, joint venture and other income       2,630          2,689
                                            ------------  
        Total revenue                            93,516         55,545
Hotel operating expenses:
   Rooms                                         13,254              
   Food and beverage                              2,873              
   Other operating departments                    1,535              
Undistributed operating expenses:
   Property operating costs                      12,189              
   Real estate taxes and property and
    casualty insurance                            6,345          6,444
   Franchise costs                                3,945              
   Maintenance and repair                         3,224              
   Management fees                                1,247              
   Percentage lease expense                       2,168              
   Depreciation                                  19,149         19,762
   Lease acquisition                             17,668              
   Amortization                                     836            955
   General and administrative                     4,842          5,419
                                            ------------  
        Total operating expenses                 89,275         32,580
                                            ------------  
Operating income                                  4,241         22,965
   Interest expense                              10,478         12,170
                                            ------------  
Income (loss) before loss on sale of
 property, allocation to minority interest
 and income taxes                                (6,237)        10,795
   Loss on sale of property                           -           (682)
   Income (loss) allocation to minority
    interest                                       (414)           272
   Income tax expense (benefit)                  (7,325)             
                                            ------------  
Income from continuing operations                 1,502          9,841
Discontinued operations:
        Income from discontinued
         operations, net                            164            644
        Income (loss) on sale of
         discontinued operations                   (764)             
                                            ------------  
        Net income                                  902         10,485
Preferred stock distribution                     (6,938)        (6,938)
                                            ------------  
        Net income (loss) applicable to
         common shareholders                    $(6,036)        $3,547
                                            ============  =============

Income (loss) per common share:
Basic and diluted:
   Income (loss) from continuing operations      $(0.28)         $0.17
                                            ============  =============
   Income (loss) from discontinued
    operations                                   $(0.03)         $0.04
                                            ============  =============
   Net income (loss) per common share            $(0.31)         $0.21
                                            ============  =============

   Weighted average number of common shares      19,308         16,926
   Weighted average number of common shares
    assuming dilution                            19,308         18,239



WINSTON HOTELS, INC.
CALCULATION OF FFO AND EBITDA
(in thousands, except per share data)

                        For the Quarter Ended     For the Year Ended
                               December 31,             December 31,
                       ----------------------- 
                             2002        2001        2002        2001
                       ----------- ----------- ----------- 
Funds from operations: (unaudited) (unaudited) (unaudited) (unaudited)

Net Income                 $3,393      $9,248        $902     $10,485
Minority interest
 allocation                   107         576        (414)        272
Preferred stock
 dividend                  (1,734)     (1,734)     (6,938)     (6,938)
Depreciation                4,758       4,868      19,149      19,762
Depreciation from
 discontinued
 operations                    89         257         636       1,030
Depreciation from
 joint ventures               207         135         801         563
Deferred revenue             (204)     (9,234)     (1,226)        727
Deferred revenue from
 joint ventures              (919)       (380)          -           
(Gain) Loss on sale of
 property                    (688)          -         764         682
Lease acquisition
 expense                        -           -      17,668           
Income tax expense
 (benefit)                   (249)          -      (7,325)          
                       ----------- ----------- ----------- 
  Funds from
   operations              $4,760      $3,736     $24,017     $26,583
                       =========== =========== =========== ===========

Weighted average
 common shares
 assuming dilution         21,348      18,223      20,607      18,239

FFO per share               $0.22       $0.21       $1.17       $1.46



Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization
 (EBITDA):

FFO                        $4,760      $3,736     $24,017     $26,583
Interest expense            2,477       2,893      10,478      12,170
Interest expense from
 joint ventures               129         141         637         680
Amortization expense          219         272         836         955
Amortization expense
 from discontinued
 operations                     1           3           9          13
Dividend on preferred
 stock                      1,734       1,734       6,938       6,938
                       ----------- ----------- ----------- 
  EBITDA                   $9,320      $8,779     $42,915     $47,339
                       =========== =========== =========== ===========



Winston Hotels, Inc.
QTD and YTD RevPAR Summary
47 Hotels Reporting

                          December QTD             December YTD
                          2001    2002  % CH       2001    2002  % CH
                          ------------  ----       ------------  
Combined Brands

  Comfort Inn/Suites &
   Quality Suites       $32.72  $31.18  -4.7%    $39.44  $38.19  -3.2%
  Courtyard/Fairfield/
   Residence Inns       $45.32  $45.36   0.1%    $53.46  $51.03  -4.5%
  Hampton Inns          $44.71  $44.60  -0.2%    $52.25  $49.98  -4.3%
  Hilton Garden Inns    $59.06  $63.15   6.9%    $65.08  $66.14   1.6%
  Homewood Suites       $55.96  $56.83   1.6%    $64.13  $62.48  -2.6%
  Holiday
   Inn/Express/Selects  $49.74  $48.66  -2.2%    $60.06  $53.75 -10.5%
Region

  South Atlantic        $41.61  $41.47  -0.3%    $49.02  $47.28  -3.5%
  East North Central    $53.23  $60.82  14.3%    $59.83  $64.42   7.6%
  Middle Atlantic       $73.91  $72.64  -1.7%    $84.53  $79.47  -6.0%
  West South Central    $41.56  $41.20  -0.9%    $48.12  $44.44  -7.7%
  Mountain              $37.32  $41.03   9.9%    $46.43  $42.26  -9.0%
  New England           $62.90  $54.47 -13.4%    $67.94  $64.42  -5.2%
Segment

  Mid-scale w/o F&B     $39.22  $38.29  -2.4%    $46.66  $44.25  -5.2%
  Upscale               $53.46  $55.16   3.2%    $60.73  $59.74  -1.6%
  Mid-scale w/ F&B      $52.71  $52.46  -0.5%    $62.30  $58.52  -6.1%
Service

  Limited-service       $39.22  $38.29  -2.4%    $46.66  $44.25  -5.2%
  Full-service          $53.86  $55.19   2.5%    $61.44  $60.07  -2.2%
  Extended-stay         $52.17  $53.28   2.1%    $60.45  $58.26  -3.6%

Total                   $46.18  $46.32   0.3%    $53.70  $51.76  -3.6%
                        --------------   ---     --------------  
Finance Finance

Winston Hotels, Inc. is a real estate investment trust specializing in the development, acquisition and rehabilitation of premium limited-service, high-end extended-stay and full-service hotel properties, with a portfolio increasingly weighted toward the leading brands in the lodging industry’s upscale segment. The Company currently owns or is invested in 53 hotels with 7,452 rooms in 14 states, which include 48 wholly-owned properties with...