Xenia Disposes of Hilton Garden Inn DC For $128M

WASHINGTON, DC–The Orlando, FL-based Xenia Hotels & Resorts has sold another Washington DC area-holding: the 300-room Hilton Garden Inn Washington DC Downtown for $128 million, or approximately $427,000 per key. The sale price represents a 15.2x multiple and a 5.8% capitalization rate on the hotel’s trailing twelve month Hotel EBITDA and net operating income as of October 31, 2018, respectively, according to the REIT.

The sale is part of the REIT’s larger strategy of pruning its portfolio to focus on luxury and upper upscale hotels in 25 top US lodging markets, says Marcel Verbaas, Xenia’s Chairman and Chief Executive Officer.

Xenia has sold other properties in the DC area over the years. Two years ago it sold the 220-room DoubleTree by Hilton for $65 million and the Embassy Suites Hunt Valley, located in a Baltimore submarket, for $20 million.

At the same time the REIT is making acquisitions to fill out other parts of its portfolio. In August, it completed the acquisition of The Ritz-Carlton, Denver, a 202 room luxury hotel located in downtown Denver, CO, for $100 million. In September it completed a $30 million acquisition of Fairmont, Pittsburgh, a 185 room luxury hotel located in the city’s downtown.

With this sale, Xenia’s portfolio now consists of 40 hotels.

The REIT remains bullish on the DC area though, particularly the Northern Virginia market, Verbaas says, who points to its 2017 acquisition of The Ritz-Carlton, Pentagon City and its ownership of the recently renovated Lorien Hotel in Alexandria.