Strong Expense Control and Margins
Q4 GOP margin of 40.2% (only down ~30 bps YoY in Q4) and hotel EBITDA margin of 33.2% in Q4 (up ~70 bps driven partly by $550k property tax refunds); full-year GOP margin decline was limited to ~40 bps despite revenue pressure, reflecting tight cost control and productivity gains.
Operational Outperformance vs. Industry
For the fourth consecutive year Chatham's RevPAR performance beat the industry, and management reclaimed the highest operating margins in the lodging REIT peer group—re-establishing a top-ranking they previously held from 2010–2019.
Labor Productivity Improvements
Headcount for 33 comparable hotels decreased ~13% YoY, labor and benefits costs were managed tightly (labor & benefits up modestly on a per-occupied-room basis; some measures showed slight declines), and wage pressure moderated with a stated hotel wage increase of ~2% in the second half, supporting margin resilience.
Share Repurchase Activity
Repurchased ~1,800,000 shares (~4% of outstanding) at an average price of $6.87 per share for ~ $13.0M (about half of the $25.0M plan); repurchases were described as accretive (approximate 9.5% implied cap rate vs. 2026 NOI guidance).
Balance Sheet Strength and Deleveraging
Completed a record financing with total capacity of $5.0B while reducing overall borrowing costs; used asset sale proceeds and free cash flow to reduce net debt by ~$70.0M and lower leverage to ~20% (vs ~35% in 2019), providing liquidity and flexibility.
Asset Sales and Capital Recycling
Completed four asset sales in 2025 totaling ~$71.4M (including Homewood Billerica sale of $17.4M in Dec 2025), using proceeds to reduce debt and/or fund buybacks; management plans opportunistic further dispositions to recycle capital.
Increased Shareholder Returns
Raised the common dividend by 28% in 2025 and, combined with repurchases and preferred dividends, returned approximately $35.0M to shareholders in 2025.
Q4 and LTM Financial Metrics
Q4 hotel EBITDA $22.4M, adjusted EBITDA $20.2M and adjusted FFO of $0.21 per share; 2025 quarterly RevPAR cadence showed Q1 +4.4%, Q2 -0.4%, Q3 -0.9%, Q4 -1.8% (full-year context provided for comparability).
Growth Initiatives and Sustainability
Converted excess meeting space to add 10 rooms, expected to increase returns; continued GRESB participation with a ranking of 29th out of 95 listed companies; planned Portland, Maine development (opening before summer 2028) to expand pipeline where development economics justify it.