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Hersha Hospitality Adds Two Hotels to Its New York City Portfolio

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^{Published in Business and Finance on Wednesday, April 20th 2011 at 5:21 GMT by Market Wire}  

PHILADELPHIA--([ BUSINESS WIRE ])--Hersha Hospitality Trust (NYSE: HT), owner of select service and upscale hotels in major metropolitan markets, announced that it has purchased the 112 room Holiday Inn Express Wall Street and the 81 room Hampton Inn Financial District for approximately $69.1 million, or $358,000 per key, plus closing costs and fees. Additionally, the Company closed on its previously announced acquisition of the 152 room Capitol Hill Suites in Washington, D.C. for $47.5 million, or $310 thousand per key excluding closing costs.

Jay H. Shah, Chief Executive Officer stated, aThe opportunity to add to the Companya™s growing presence in the strongest hotel markets in the country has been a stated objective for Hersha, and we are pleased with our progress in executing on this strategy as we now will own interests in 15 hotels in New York City and eight in Washington, D.C. Downtown New York City is an attractive hotel market with one of the countrya™s largest office markets, as well a thriving tourist destination, and these two new hotels complement our existing presence in the area. There remains robust demand for limited service hotels throughout the market, and we expect the dynamics of the market will result in very strong revenue per available room and EBITDA growth over time. Furthermore, with the acquisition of the Hampton Inn, the Company has further refined its strategic direction by eliminating an additional development loan.a

The Holiday Inn Express Wall Street is located at 126 Water Street at the corner of Wall and Water streets and is just six blocks from Hershaa™s Hampton Inn Seaport and Holiday Inn Wall Street hotels. The newly constructed hotel was opened in July 2010 and the Company has closed on this acquisition at the end of the first quarter.

The Hampton Inn Downtown is located at 32 Pearl Street and is the Companya™s fourth downtown New York City hotel. It is a re-development project which was begun in 2008. The Company is acquiring the building for cash and converting its $8.0 million mezzanine loan on the project to equity. Completion of the project, including FF&E upfit and full conversion to a Hampton Inn, is expected to cost approximately $4.5 million and be completed by the first quarter of 2012. The acquisition is subject to customary due diligence and closing conditions and the Company anticipates closing on this acquisition in the second quarter.

Both of the fee simple New York assets were acquired in separate off-market transactions from third party developers and are being purchased unencumbered of debt. The total purchase price on the assets represents a first year economic capitalization rate of 8.1% and an EBITDA multiple of 11.8x. The Company estimates that on a stabilized basis the assets are being purchased at a stabilized capitalization rate of approximately 10.1% or an EBITDA multiple of 9.1x. The assets will be managed by Hersha Hospitality Management, L.P.

The Capitol Hill Suites, an all-suite boutique hotel with rooms among the largest in the city, is centrally located in the Capitol Hill district and is the Companya™s eighth hotel in the D.C. region. The purchase price represents a forward capitalization rate of approximately 7.3% on the hotela™s projected 2011 net operating income, stabilizing at approximately 10%. The acquisition was funded by assuming $32.5 million of existing debt with a 5.81% interest rate and cash on hand.

About Hersha Hospitality Trust

Hersha Hospitality Trust is a self-advised real estate investment trust, which owns interests in 78 hotels, totaling 10,443 rooms, primarily along the Northeast Corridor from Boston, MA to Washington DC Hersha also owns hotels in Northern California and Scottsdale, Arizona. Hersha focuses on upscale, mid-scale and extended stay hotels in major metropolitan markets.

Forward Looking Statement

Certain matters within this press release are discussed using aforward-looking statementsa within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, and, as such, may involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results or performance to differ from those projected in the forward-looking statement. For a description of these factors, please review the information under the heading aRisk Factorsa in Hersha Hospitality Trusta™s filings with the SEC, including its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2010.