Ashford Inc. Waives $17M in Fees, Buys AHT Shares in Support Deal

Ashford Hospitality Trust (NYSE: AHT) announced Monday that its external advisor, Ashford Inc., has agreed to waive roughly $17 million in advisory fees that would otherwise accrue over the next six months, while also committing to purchase 2.5% of the hotel real estate investment trust's shares, in a move that signals internal confidence in the company's financial trajectory.

The fee waiver represents a meaningful near-term cash relief for AHT, which, like many lodging REITs, has navigated persistent headwinds tied to debt costs and occupancy pressures since the pandemic-era disruption of the hospitality sector. By forgoing fees it was contractually entitled to receive, Ashford Inc. is effectively redirecting capital back into the REIT it manages.

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Alongside the fee and share commitments, the company also disclosed the termination of its at-the-market, or ATM, equity offering program. ATM programs allow companies to sell shares incrementally into the open market; discontinuing such a program typically signals that management does not wish to dilute existing shareholders further at current price levels, or that alternative financing mechanisms are being prioritized.

The coordinated announcement — fee waiver, share purchase, and ATM termination — suggests a deliberate effort by Ashford Inc. to shore up investor confidence in AHT at a time when hospitality-sector REITs remain under scrutiny from capital markets. The share purchase commitment aligns the advisor's financial interests more directly with those of AHT's common stockholders.

Ashford Hospitality Trust is headquartered in Dallas and focuses on upscale, full-service hotels. Continue reading at All Financial Services & Investing.