Alexander Goldfarb's questions to Sotherly Hotels (SOHO) leadership • Q2 2025
Question
The analyst inquired about the specific reasons for underperformance in the Savannah market, the portfolio's exposure to government-related business, the assumptions behind the revised guidance, potential future asset sales for capital, and the persistent challenges in the hotel mortgage market.
Answer
Management explained that Savannah's weakness was due to both a crest in leisure demand and indirect impacts from government spending cuts on association groups. They noted that direct government business is in the high single digits, but the indirect impact is harder to track. The revised guidance assumes the current level of demand holds, with an expected rebound in group bookings in the second half of the year. They are considering various options for capital, including other ancillary asset sales or refinancing. The hotel mortgage market remains tough due to high debt yields and strict lender covenants, but conditions are slowly improving.