Pebblebrook Hotel Trust submits revised higher offer to acquire LaSalle Hotel

Pebblebrook Hotel Trust has submitted a revised merger proposal for a strategic combination with LaSalle Hotel Properties.

This offer was unanimously approved by Pebblebrook’s board of trustees.

The offer for 100 percent of LaSalle’s outstanding common shares represents an implied price of $37.80 per LaSalle common share based on a fixed exchange ratio of 0.92 Pebblebrook common share for each LaSalle common share and Pebblebrook’s 5-day VWAP as of June 8, 2018. The offer provides a premium of 13 percent over the $33.50 per share price in LaSalle’s agreement with Blackstone. Pebblebrook’s offer takes into account the $112 million cost of the termination fee LaSalle agreed to pay to Blackstone.

“The Board of Pebblebrook remains convinced that a strategic combination with LaSalle represents a value-maximizing opportunity for the shareholders of both LaSalle and Pebblebrook,” said Jon Bortz, chairman, president and CEO of Pebblebrook Hotel Trust. “The performance of both LaSalle’s and Pebblebrook’s shares since LaSalle’s May 21st announcement of its sale agreement with Blackstone at $33.50 per share is evidence that the investment community and both LaSalle’s and Pebblebrook’s shareholders wholeheartedly agree with us. In fact, we are not aware of any listed equity REIT M&A transactions since 2006 in which a target has agreed to a cash offer at a discount of greater than 1 percent compared to a competing share or share/cash offer.”

Pebblebrook’s offer provides LaSalle’s common shareholders with the option for each share to elect to receive $37.80 per share in cash instead of Pebblebrook shares, subject to a cap of 20 percent of LaSalle shares receiving cash and customary pro ration if the number of LaSalle holders electing to receive cash instead of stock is oversubscribed. The per share cash amount is fixed at $37.80 and was calculated by multiplying the fixed exchange ratio of 0.92 and Pebblebrook’s 5-day VWAP of $41.09 as of June 8, 2018.

“Our offer is without a doubt a superior proposal to the sale agreement LaSalle executed with Blackstone,” continued Bortz. “It provides both immediate and long-term value for LaSalle shareholders who will be able to benefit from the improving industry fundamentals in this already strong travel environment. In addition, the stock consideration offers LaSalle’s shareholders a more attractive opportunity from a tax perspective, and for those shareholders who want cash, the market has demonstrated that there is substantial liquidity at prices significantly above the Blackstone offer.”