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RLJ Lodging Trust: Q2 FY2026 earnings call

What management said about Q2 FY2026, from the documents filed with the SEC on 6 August 2026: press release. Guidance figures: 6 raised, 2 kept. The quarter’s numbers.

Key takeaways

  • RevPAR rose 6.8% on rate and occupancy: Comparable ADR rose 4.9% to $217.18 and comparable occupancy reached 77.0%, which was up 1.8% from 75.6%. Six-month comparable RevPAR rose 5.8%. Source
  • Adjusted FFO per share up 8.3%: Adjusted FFO per diluted common share and unit was $0.52 against $0.48 a year earlier. The six-month figure was $0.85, up 7.6%. Source
  • Quarter ran above company expectations: Management said each month of the quarter exceeded the company's expectations, and the company described results as having exceeded its expectations. Source
  • Business travel and urban leisure growing: Management cited the continued acceleration of business travel and robust urban leisure trends as drivers of portfolio results across the quarter. Source
  • Senior notes repaid at maturity: On July 1, 2026 the company repaid the $500.0 million Senior Notes due 2026 at maturity, using delayed draw term loan proceeds and cash on hand. Source
  • Operating and earnings ranges raised: RevPAR growth, comparable hotel EBITDA, adjusted EBITDA and adjusted FFO per diluted share ranges were all raised for the full year 2026. Source

“The broad-based nature of the growth across markets and demand segments year-to-date give us confidence in the durability of the demand trends we are seeing.”

Leslie D. Hale, President and Chief Executive Officer

Guidance

AreaPeriodFigureAgainst last quarter
Comparable RevPAR growth SourceFY 2026+3.5% to +4.5%Raised from +1.5% to +3.5%
Comparable Hotel EBITDA SourceFY 2026$369M to $389MRaised from $356M to $380M
Adjusted EBITDA SourceFY 2026$336M to $356MRaised from $324M to $348M
Adjusted FFO per diluted share and unit SourceFY 2026$1.37 to $1.50Raised from $1.29 to $1.45
Net interest expense SourceFY 2026$101.0 million to $103.0 millionKept
Cash corporate G&A SourceFY 2026$33.5 million to $34.5 millionRaised from $32.5 million to $33.5 million
Capital expenditures related to renovations SourceFY 2026$80.0 million to $90.0 millionKept
Diluted weighted average common shares and units SourceFY 2026151.5 millionRaised from 150.8 million

What changed from last quarter

  • Guidance raised: Full-year comparable RevPAR growth range raised from +1.5% to +3.5% to +3.5% to +4.5%. Source
  • Guidance raised: Full-year comparable hotel EBITDA and adjusted EBITDA ranges both raised, with adjusted FFO per diluted share range raised from $1.29 to $1.45 to $1.37 to $1.50. Source
  • Guidance raised: Cash corporate G&A range raised by $1.0 million at both ends, to $33.5 million to $34.5 million. Source
  • New: Repayment of the $500.0 million Senior Notes due 2026 on July 1, 2026, funded by term loan draws and cash on hand. Source
  • New: One hotel in Fremont, California sold in the second quarter for $13.2 million; the portfolio count moved from 92 hotels to 91. Source

Results and growth drivers

  • RevPAR rose 6.8% on rate and occupancy: Comparable ADR rose 4.9% to $217.18 and comparable occupancy reached 77.0%, which was up 1.8% from 75.6%. Six-month comparable RevPAR rose 5.8%. Source
  • Adjusted FFO per share up 8.3%: Adjusted FFO per diluted common share and unit was $0.52 against $0.48 a year earlier. The six-month figure was $0.85, up 7.6%. Source
  • Quarter ran above company expectations: Management said each month of the quarter exceeded the company's expectations, and the company described results as having exceeded its expectations. Source
  • Net income and Adjusted EBITDA grew: Net income was $31.3 million, up 9.4%. Adjusted EBITDA was $110.4 million, up 6.1%, against $104.0 million a year earlier. Source

Products and customers

  • Non-room revenue grew faster than RevPAR: Comparable non-room revenues rose 7.1%, which is 30 basis points above comparable RevPAR growth. Management tied this to its return-on-investment initiatives. Source
  • Out-of-room spend contributed to results: Management said results benefited from continued success in driving out-of-room spend, alongside the ramp of recently completed renovations and conversions. Source
  • Renovated and converted hotels ramping: Management named the ramp of recently completed renovations and conversions as one reason for the quarter's results. Renovation capital for 2026 is guided at $80.0 million to $90.0 million. Source

“As a result, we are raising our full-year guidance to reflect our second quarter outperformance”

Leslie D. Hale, President and Chief Executive Officer

Demand and the order book

  • Business travel and urban leisure growing: Management cited the continued acceleration of business travel and robust urban leisure trends as drivers of portfolio results across the quarter. Source
  • Second half trends assumed to continue: The raised full-year guidance reflects management's expectation that the positive trends seen in the quarter continue through the second half of 2026. Source

Margins and costs

  • Comparable hotel margin reached 31.3%: Comparable hotel EBITDA margin was 31.3% in the quarter, 10 basis points above the prior year's 31.2%. The six-month margin was 29.0%, up 20 basis points. Source
  • Hotel EBITDA growth followed revenue: Management linked the 7.1% comparable hotel EBITDA growth and 6.1% adjusted EBITDA growth to the top-line performance of the quarter. Source

Capital, debt and dividends

  • Senior notes repaid at maturity: On July 1, 2026 the company repaid the $500.0 million Senior Notes due 2026 at maturity, using delayed draw term loan proceeds and cash on hand. Source
  • Liquidity and maturities after repayment: After the repayment the company reported $1.0 billion of total liquidity, $2.2 billion of debt, and no debt maturities until 2029, including extension options. Source
  • Delayed draw term loans fully drawn: On June 30, 2026 the company drew $344.0 million of its $569.0 million 2031 delayed draw term loan and the full $150.0 million 2033 delayed draw term loan, for $494.0 million in total. Source
  • Common and preferred dividends declared: The Board declared a $0.15 quarterly common dividend for the second quarter and a $0.4875 Series A Preferred dividend, both paid in July. Source
  • $250 million repurchase program approved: In April the Board approved a 2026 repurchase program of up to $250.0 million of common and preferred shares, effective May 9, 2026. The second quarter documents do not report repurchase activity under it.

Portfolio changes

  • Fremont hotel sold for $13.2 million: The sale was made opportunistically. The price represented 29.2 times trailing-twelve-month hotel EBITDA, including required capital expenditures. Source
  • Portfolio stands at 91 hotels: Comparable statistics now reflect 91 hotels owned as of June 30, 2026, after the Fremont sale. The March 31 portfolio was 92 hotels. Source
  • Future deals excluded from guidance: The full-year guidance excludes potential acquisitions, dispositions, financings or share repurchases, which could materially change it. Source

Full-year guidance

  • Operating and earnings ranges raised: RevPAR growth, comparable hotel EBITDA, adjusted EBITDA and adjusted FFO per diluted share ranges were all raised for the full year 2026. Source
  • Interest and renovation capex held: The net interest expense range of $101.0 million to $103.0 million and the renovation capital range of $80.0 million to $90.0 million are unchanged. Source
  • Diluted share count assumption increased: The diluted weighted average share and unit count assumed for 2026 rose from 150.8 million to 151.5 million. Source

Strategy and conversions

  • Pittsburgh Autograph Collection relaunched: Management said the company completed and relaunched its Autograph Collection hotel in Pittsburgh, adding to its lifestyle segment exposure. Source
  • Conversion pipeline advancing: Management said the company continued to advance its conversion pipeline during the quarter, in line with evolving consumer preferences. Source

Coming up, as management said on 6 August 2026

  • Quarterly report to be filed: The company's Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2026 is to be filed on August 7, 2026. Source

Figures management reported

FigureReported
Adjusted FFO per diluted share and unit Source$0.52
Occupancy Source77.0%
Dispositions SourceOne hotel sold for $13.2 million

Earlier plans management reported on

  • Met: The prior quarter stated this intent. The second quarter documents report that the notes were repaid on July 1, 2026 using these proceeds and cash on hand.

Other quarters

Summarised with AI from the documents the company filed with the SEC. Every point is checked against the filing before it is shown: management’s own words word for word, figures against the line or table row they come from. A point that fails the check is left out. Source opens the filing at that line.