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Ashford Hospitality Completes Sale of Seven Select Service Hotels for $57.5 Million.


DALLAS -- Ashford Hospitality Trust, Inc. (NYSE NYSE

See: New York Stock Exchange
: AHT AHT Animal Health Trust (Suffolk, England)
AHT American Hairless Terrier (dog breed)
AHT After Hours Trading
AHT Animal Health Technician
AHT Anchor Handling Tug
):

Highlights:

* First phase of asset sales nears completion

* Sales price equates to $82,500 per key and 8.5% trailing 12 month NOI NOI Net Operating Income
NOI Notice of Intent
NOI Nation of Islam
NOI Notice of Inquiry
NOI Neuro Orthopaedic Institute
NOI New Organizing Institute
NOI Notice of Interest
NOI No Offense Intended
NOI National Olympiad in Informatics
 cap rate

Ashford Hospitality Trust, Inc. (NYSE: AHT) today announced that it has completed the sale of seven Towne Place Suites for $57.5 million. The sale is expected to generate a net gain of $17.2 million during the second quarter of 2007, which is expected to be deferred through a section 1031 tax-free exchange tax-free exchange

An exchange of assets between taxpayers in which any gain or loss is not recognized in the period during which the exchange takes place. Rather, taxpayers are required to adjust the basis of assets exchanged.
. The pricing equates to $82,500 per key and a 8.5% trailing 12-month NOI cap rate.

The Company has now sold $147.3 million of the estimated $170 million of Phase 1 assets, resulting in a net gain of $34.0 million, or $0.24 per diluted share. The 16 hotels and two office buildings in Phase 1 were originally acquired within larger portfolio transactions and were considered non-core. Two hotels are currently under contract and expected to be sold around June 30, 2007, with one hotel and one office building remaining to be sold.

The seven Towne Place Suites are located in: Tewksbury, Massachusetts; Ft. Worth, Texas; Miami, Florida; Miami Lakes, Florida Miami Lakes is an incorporated town and former census-designated place in Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States. The population was 22,676 at the 2000 census. As of 2004, the population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau is 22,688. ; Mt. Laurel, New Jersey; Scarborough, Maine; and, Newark, California.

Monty J. Bennett, President and Chief Executive Officer of Ashford, commented, "With a few more assets left to sell in the first phase of our asset sales strategy, we are ahead of our initial projection in terms of gross proceeds and net gain. Combined with our recent equity raise, completing the Phase I asset sales process will reduce our net debt to total enterprise value to approximately 58%. Paring down our non-core assets has also further concentrated our portfolio in upper-upscale hotels in strong, growing metropolitan and coastal markets. We continue to evaluate potential capital recycling opportunities and expect the benefits of this repositioned portfolio to continue to be evident in our strong operating performance. Our efforts remain focused on internal growth and extracting the maximum value out of our operating performance in our portfolio."

Ashford Hospitality Trust is a self-administered real estate investment trust focused on investing in the hospitality industry across all segments and at all levels of the capital structure, including direct hotel investments, first mortgages, mezzanine loans and sale-leaseback transactions. Additional information can be found on the Company's web site at www.ahtreit.com.

Certain statements and assumptions in this press release contain or are based upon "forward-looking" information and are being made pursuant to the safe harbor Safe Harbor

1. A legal provision to reduce or eliminate liability as long as good faith is demonstrated.

2. A form of shark repellent implemented by a target company acquiring a business that is so poorly regulated that the target itself is less attractive.
 provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 (PSLRA) implemented several significant substantive changes affecting certain cases brought under the federal securities laws, including changes related to pleading, discovery, liability, class representation and awards fees and  of 1995. These forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties. When we use the words "will likely result," "may," "anticipate," "estimate," "should," "expect," "believe," "intend," or similar expressions, we intend to identify forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, the timing for closing, the impact of the transaction on our business and future financial condition, our business and investment strategy, our understanding of our competition and current market trends and opportunities and projected capital expenditures. Such statements are subject to numerous assumptions and uncertainties, many of which are outside Ashford's control.

These forward-looking statements are subject to known and unknown risks and uncertainties, which could cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated, including, without limitation: general volatility of the capital markets and the market price of our common stock; changes in our business or investment strategy; availability, terms and deployment of capital; availability of qualified personnel; changes in our industry and the market in which we operate, interest rates or the general economy; and the degree and nature of our competition. These and other risk factors are more fully discussed in Ashford's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. EBITDA (Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation and Amortization) A metric used to show a company's profitability, but not its cash flow. EBITDA became popular in the 1980s to show the potential profitability of leveraged buyouts, but has become  is defined as net income before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization. EBITDA yield is defined as trailing twelve month EBITDA divided by the purchase price. A capitalization rate is determined by dividing the property's annual net operating income by the purchase price. Net operating income is the property's funds from operations Funds From Operations (FFO)

Used by real estate and other investment trusts to define the cash flow from trust operations; earnings with depreciation and amortization added back.
 minus a capital expense reserve of either 4% or 5% of gross revenues. Funds from operations ("FFO FFO

See: Funds from operations
"), as defined by the White Paper on FFO approved by the Board of Governors of the National Association of Real Estate Investment Trusts ("NAREIT NAREIT National Association of Real Estate Investment Trusts ") in April 2002, represents net income (loss) computed in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles The standard accounting rules, regulations, and procedures used by companies in maintaining their financial records.

Generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) provide companies and accountants with a consistent set of guidelines that cover both broad accounting
 ("GAAP GAAP

See: Generally Accepted Accounting Principles


GAAP

See generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP).
"), excluding gains (or losses) from sales or properties and extraordinary items as defined by GAAP, plus depreciation and amortization of real estate assets, and net of adjustments for the portion of these items related to unconsolidated entities and joint ventures.

The forward-looking statements included in this press release are only made as of the date of this press release. Investors should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. We are not obligated ob·li·gate  
tr.v. ob·li·gat·ed, ob·li·gat·ing, ob·li·gates
1. To bind, compel, or constrain by a social, legal, or moral tie. See Synonyms at force.

2. To cause to be grateful or indebted; oblige.
 to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or circumstances, changes in expectations or otherwise.
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No portion of this article can be reproduced without the express written permission from the copyright holder.
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Publication:Business Wire
Date:May 21, 2007
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