RHP - Ryman Hospitality Properties Inc. Reports Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2022 Results

NASHVILLE, Tenn., Feb. 23, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Ryman Hospitality Properties, Inc. (NYSE: RHP), a leading lodging and hospitality real estate investment trust (“REIT”) that specializes in upscale convention center resorts and leading entertainment experiences, today reported financial results for the three months and year ended December 31, 2022.

Fourth Quarter 2022 Highlights and Recent Developments:

• The Company generated net income of $61.4 million and net income available to common shareholders of $58.1 million or $1.03 per diluted share, which represents an increase of 28.4% compared to net income available to common shareholders for Q3 2022, achieving three consecutive quarters of profitability.
• Despite 3.0 fewer points of occupancy compared to Q4 2019, the Company’s Hospitality segment achieved revenue of $484.5 million, a record for any quarter, driven by continued strength in leisure room rate, which was aided by the return of holiday ICE! programming.
• The Hospitality segment reported a record for any fourth quarter in operating income of $105.8 million and Adjusted EBITDAre of $150.7 million.
• Achieved an all-time record in total RevPAR of almost $506, an increase of 49.9% compared to Q4 2021.
• During the fourth quarter, the Company booked over 1 million Gross Definite Room Nights for all future years, at an ADR of nearly $254, an increase of 11.0% over Q4 2021 ADR for future bookings.
• The Company declared its first quarter 2023 dividend of $0.75 per share; intends to pay aggregate minimum dividends for 2023 of $3.00 per share subject to the Board’s future determinations.

Full Year 2022 Highlights:

• Reported consolidated revenue of $1.8 billion, an all-time record for the Company.
• The Company reported a full year record in operating income of $327.2 million and reported operating income margin of 18.1% in 2022.
• Net income available to common shareholders was $129.0 million in 2022, as compared to a net loss available to common shareholders of $177.0 million in 2021.
• The Company reported healthy net income of $134.9 million in 2022, and a record Adjusted EBITDAre of $555.9 million.
• Gross Definite Room Nights Booked in full year 2022 of nearly 2.7 million room nights for all future years, represents a 6.8% increase over 2021.
  

Colin Reed, Executive Chairman of Ryman Hospitality Properties, said, “In the early days of the pandemic we signaled that we would act as we have in the past when faced with unexpected challenges – by investing in our people and our business. Since the beginning of 2020, we have strategically invested over half a billion dollars to expand the Gaylord Palms, renovate the rooms and upgrade the food & beverage outlets at the Gaylord National, fully acquire Gaylord Rockies, broaden our reach on the entertainment side of our business and upgrade the guest experience across our portfolio. The strength of our fourth quarter and full year 2022 results supports our investment thesis and underscores the power of these unique assets to attract and retain loyal customers.”

Mark Fioravanti, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Company, added, “Our strong full year results were achieved despite the omicron variant’s impact on our financial results in the first quarter of 2022. The robust return of our core convention customers and the continued strength in our leisure business during the remaining three quarters drove healthy net income and generated record revenue, operating income and Adjusted EBITDA re for the year. Our Gaylord Hotels delivered a tremendous holiday season, aided by the return of ICE! programming for the first time since 2019. We continue to believe that our hotels offer a one-of-a-kind holiday experience through our exclusive programming and amenities, setting us apart from our competition and ensuring a more memorable and enjoyable stay for our leisure guests, which contributed to all-time total revenue, operating income, and Adjusted EBITDA re records in the fourth quarter for the brand.”

Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2022 Results (as compared to Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2021):

Note: For the Company’s definitions of Adjusted EBITDA re , Adjusted EBITDA re margin, Adjusted EBITDA re , excluding noncontrolling interest in consolidated joint venture, Adjusted EBITDA re , excluding noncontrolling interest in consolidated joint venture margin, FFO available to common shareholders and unit holders, and Adjusted FFO available to common shareholders and unit holders, as well as a reconciliation of the non-GAAP financial measure Adjusted EBITDA re to Net Income/(Loss) and a reconciliation of the non-GAAP financial measure Adjusted FFO available to common shareholders and unit holders to Net Income/(Loss), see “Non-GAAP Financial Measures,” “EBITDA re , Adjusted EBITDA re and Adjusted EBITDA re , Excluding Noncontrolling Interest in Consolidated Joint Venture Definition,” “Adjusted EBITDA re , Excluding Noncontrolling Interest in Consolidated Joint Venture Margin Definition” “FFO, Adjusted FFO, and Adjusted FFO available to common shareholders and unit holders Definition” and “Supplemental Financial Results” below.

Hospitality Segment

Note: For the Company’s definitions of Revenue Per Available Room (RevPAR) and Total Revenue Per Available Room (Total RevPAR), see “Calculation of RevPAR, Total RevPAR, and Occupancy” below. Property-level results and operating metrics for fourth quarter 2022 are presented in greater detail below and under “Supplemental Financial Results—Hospitality Segment Adjusted EBITDA re Reconciliations and Operating Metrics,” which includes a reconciliation of the non-GAAP financial measures Hospitality Adjusted EBITDA re to Hospitality Operating Income/(Loss), and property-level Adjusted EBITDA re to property-level Operating Income/(Loss) for each of the hotel properties.

Hospitality Segment Highlights

• Hotel occupancy reached 72.8% in Q4 2022, compared to 53.0% in Q4 2021 and 75.8% in Q4 2019 as occupancy nears pre-pandemic levels.
• Four Gaylord Hotels generated strong operating income and set fourth quarter revenue and Adjusted EBITDAre records, which was aided by leisure travel and the strength of our ICE! programming, which had a record attendance of over 1 million ticketed customers.
• Strength in leisure demand supported an all-time record leisure ADR of $317 in Q4 2022, helping strong total ADR performance across our hotels of almost $255 in Q4 2022, an increase of 3.1% compared to Q4 2021 and 23.3% compared to Q4 2019.
• Gaylord Opryland led the portfolio in occupancy with 80.7% occupancy for the quarter, on notable leisure transient demand over the holidays.
• Gaylord Palms and Gaylord Rockies reported occupancy for the quarter of 77.9% and 69.9%, respectively, both above Q4 2019 levels.
• Despite occupancy of 60.5%, Gaylord National delivered operating income margin of 11.8%, with Adjusted EBITDAre margin in line with Q4 2019, as the reconcepting of food and beverage continues to drive operating efficiencies.

Gaylord Opryland

Gaylord Palms

Gaylord Texan

Gaylord National

Gaylord Rockies

Entertainment Segment

For the three and twelve months ended December 31, 2022, and 2021, the Company reported the following:

Fioravanti continued, “Our Entertainment segment continued to deliver strong results in 2022, including record-setting full year revenue, operating income and Adjusted EBITDA re . We remain excited about the integration of Block 21 into our entertainment portfolio, which we look to position as a destination for music lovers across the globe as part of Austin’s rich music environment. We have also broken ground on our latest Ole Red location in the heart of the Las Vegas Strip, which will be the largest Ole Red asset to date. We look forward to collaborating with our partners, Atairos and NBCUniversal, on the next phase of growth for our portfolio of unique entertainment assets.”

Corporate and Other Segment

For the three and twelve months ended December 31, 2022, and 2021, the Company reported the following:

The primary factor in the increase in operating loss and decrease in Adjusted EBITDAre for the Corporate and Other segment for the full year as compared to the prior year was an increase in 2022 in administrative and employment costs associated with the hiring of additional employees and increased wages to support the Company’s growth.

Fioravanti concluded, “We entered 2023 in great shape despite continued macroeconomic uncertainty. We remain excited about the strength of our businesses and our unique portfolio of assets and believe we are well positioned to advance the strategic priorities we have set for the Hospitality and Entertainment segments. I am honored to be named as CEO of this truly one-of-a-kind business, and I look forward to working with Colin in his role as Executive Chairman, our capable and seasoned management team, and our dedicated employees to deliver value to our stakeholders.”

2023 Guidance
The following business performance outlook for 2023 is based on current information as of February 23, 2023. The Company does not expect to update the guidance provided below before next quarter’s earnings release. However, the Company may update its full business outlook or any portion thereof at any time for any reason.

Note: For reconciliations of Consolidated Adjusted EBITDA re guidance to Net Income and reconciliation of FFO available to common shareholders, and Adjusted FFO available to common shareholders guidance to Net Income available to common shareholders and reconciliations of segment Adjusted EBITDA re guidance to segment Operating Income, see “Reconciliations of Forward-Looking Statements,” below.

Dividend Update
On December 9, 2022, the Company announced that it declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.25 per common share, which was paid on January 17, 2023, to stockholders of record as of December 30, 2022. Including the fourth quarter cash dividend payment, the Company paid a total of $0.35 per share of dividends to its common shareholders for the full year 2022.

Today, the Company declared its first quarter 2023 cash dividend of $0.75 per share of common stock, payable on April 17, 2023, to stockholders of record on March 31, 2023. The Company’s interim dividend policy provides that we will make minimum dividends of 100% of REIT taxable income annually. It is the Company’s current plan to distribute aggregate minimum dividends for 2023 of $3.00 per share in cash, with quarterly dividends anticipated to be paid in April, July, and October of 2023 and in January of 2024. Future dividends are subject to the Board’s future determinations as to amount and timing.

Balance Sheet/Liquidity Update
As of December 31, 2022, the Company had total debt outstanding of $2,862.6 million, net of unamortized deferred financing costs, and unrestricted cash of $334.2 million. As of December 31, 2022, there were no amounts drawn under the revolving credit lines of the Company’s credit facility or the OEG credit facility, and the lending banks had issued $10.4 million in letters of credit, which left $754.6 million of availability for borrowing under the facilities.

On May 27, 2021, the Company entered into an at-the-market (ATM) equity distribution agreement that allows the Company to issue and sell up to 4 million shares of stock through sales agents. No shares were issued under the ATM agreement during the three and twelve months ended December 31, 2022.

Earnings Call Information
Ryman Hospitality Properties will hold a conference call to discuss this release tomorrow, February 24, 2023, at 10 a.m. EST. Investors can listen to the conference call over the Internet at www.rymanhp.com. To listen to the live call, please go to the Investor Relations section of the website (Investor Relations Home/Events and Webcasts) at least 15 minutes prior to the call to register and download any necessary audio software. For those who cannot listen to the live broadcast, a replay will be available shortly after the call and will be available for at least 30 days.

About Ryman Hospitality Properties, Inc.
Ryman Hospitality Properties, Inc. (NYSE: RHP) is a leading lodging and hospitality real estate investment trust that specializes in upscale convention center resorts and leading entertainment experiences. RHP’s core holdings, Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center; Gaylord Palms Resort & Convention Center; Gaylord Texan Resort & Convention Center; Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center; and Gaylord Rockies Resort & Convention Center, are five of the top ten largest non-gaming convention center hotels in the United States based on total indoor meeting space. Our Hospitality segment is comprised of these convention center resorts operating under the Gaylord Hotels brand, along with two adjacent ancillary hotels, which are managed by Marriott International and represent a combined total of 10,412 rooms and more than 2.8 million square feet of total indoor and outdoor meeting space in top convention and leisure destinations across the country. RHP also owns a 70% controlling ownership interest in Opry Entertainment Group (OEG), which is composed of entities owning a growing collection of iconic and emerging country music brands, including the Grand Ole Opry, Ryman Auditorium, WSM 650 AM, Ole Red and Circle, a country lifestyle media network RHP owns in a joint venture with Gray Television, Nashville-area attractions, and Block 21, a mixed-use entertainment, lodging, office and retail complex, including the W Austin Hotel and the ACL Live at Moody Theater, located in downtown Austin, Texas. RHP operates OEG as its Entertainment segment, in a taxable REIT subsidiary, and its results are consolidated in the Company’s financial results. Visit RymanHP.com for more information.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains statements as to the Company’s beliefs and expectations of the outcome of future events that are forward-looking statements as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. You can identify these statements by the fact that they do not relate strictly to historical or current facts. Examples of these statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding the future performance of the Company’s business, anticipated business levels and anticipated financial results for the Company during future periods, the Company’s expected cash dividend, and other business or operational issues. These forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from the statements made. These include the risks and uncertainties associated with the effects of COVID-19 on us and the hospitality and entertainment industries generally, the geographic concentration of the Company’s hotel properties, business levels at the Company’s hotels, the effects of inflation on the Company’s business and on its customers, including group business at its hotels, the Company’s ability to remain qualified as a REIT for federal income tax purposes, the Company’s ability to execute its strategic goals as a REIT, the Company’s ability to generate cash flows to support dividends, our Board of Directors’ ability to modify our dividend policy, including the frequency and amount of any dividend we may pay, and the Company’s ability to borrow funds pursuant to its credit agreements. Other factors that could cause operating and financial results to differ are described in the filings made from time to time by the Company with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and include the risk factors and other risks and uncertainties described in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2021, and its Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and subsequent filings. The Company does not undertake any obligation to release publicly any revisions to forward-looking statements made by it to reflect events or circumstances occurring after the date hereof or the occurrence of unanticipated events.

Additional Information
This release should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and notes thereto included in our most recent annual report on Form 10-K. Copies of our reports are available on our website at no expense at www.rymanhp.com and through the SEC’s Electronic Data Gathering Analysis and Retrieval System (“EDGAR”) at www.sec.gov.

Calculation of RevPAR, Total RevPAR, and Occupancy
We calculate revenue per available room (“RevPAR”) for our hotels by dividing room revenue by room nights available to guests for the period. Room nights available to guests include nights the hotels are closed. We calculate total revenue per available room (“Total RevPAR”) for our hotels by dividing the sum of room revenue, food & beverage, and other ancillary services revenue by room nights available to guests for the period. Rooms out of service for renovation are included in room nights available. For the three and twelve months ended December 31, 2022, and 2021, the calculation of RevPAR and Total RevPAR in our tabular presentations has not been changed as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting hotel closures and is consistent with prior periods. The closure of Gaylord National, which reopened July 1, 2021, resulted in significantly lower performance for periods of closure. Occupancy figures reflect an additional 302 rooms available at Gaylord Palms beginning in June 2021. Hospitality metrics do not include the results of the W Austin, which is included in the Entertainment segment.

Calculation of GAAP Margin Figures
We calculate Net Income/(Loss) available to common shareholders margin by dividing GAAP consolidated Net Income available to common shareholders by GAAP consolidated Total Revenue. We calculate consolidated, segment or property-level Operating Income Margin by dividing consolidated, segment or property-level GAAP Operating Income/(Loss) by consolidated, segment or property-level GAAP Revenue.

Non-GAAP Financial Measures
We present the following non-GAAP financial measures we believe are useful to investors as key measures of our operating performance:

EBITDAre , Adjusted EBITDAre and Adjusted EBITDAre , Excluding Noncontrolling Interest in Consolidated Joint Venture Definition
We calculate EBITDA re, which is defined by the National Association of Real Estate Investment Trusts (“NAREIT”) in its September 2017 white paper as Net Income (calculated in accordance with GAAP) plus interest expense, income tax expense, depreciation and amortization, gains or losses on the disposition of depreciated property (including gains or losses on change in control), impairment write-downs of depreciated property and of investments in unconsolidated affiliates caused by a decrease in the value of depreciated property or the affiliate, and adjustments to reflect the entity’s share of EBITDA re of unconsolidated affiliates.

Adjusted EBITDA re is then calculated as EBITDA re , plus to the extent the following adjustments occurred during the periods presented:

• preopening costs;
• non-cash lease expense;
• equity-based compensation expense;
• impairment charges that do not meet the NAREIT definition above;
• credit losses on held-to-maturity securities;
• any transaction costs of acquisitions;
• interest income on bonds;
• loss on extinguishment of debt;
• pension settlement charges;
• pro rata Adjusted EBITDA re from unconsolidated joint venture; and
• any other adjustments we have identified herein.
  

We then exclude noncontrolling interests in consolidated joint venture to calculate Adjusted EBITDA re , Excluding Noncontrolling Interest in Consolidated Joint Venture.

We use EBITDA re , Adjusted EBITDA re and Adjusted EBITDA re , Excluding Noncontrolling Interest in Consolidated Joint Venture and segment or property-level EBITDA re and Adjusted EBITDA re to evaluate our operating performance. We believe that the presentation of these non-GAAP metrics provides useful information to investors regarding our operating performance and debt leverage metrics, and that the presentation of these non-GAAP metrics, when combined with the primary GAAP presentation of Net Income or Operating Income, as applicable, is beneficial to an investor’s complete understanding of our operating performance. We make additional adjustments to EBITDA re when evaluating our performance because we believe that presenting Adjusted EBITDA re and Adjusted EBITDA re , Excluding Noncontrolling Interest in Consolidated Joint Venture provides useful information to investors regarding our operating performance and debt leverage metrics.

Adjusted EBITDAre Margin and Adjusted EBITDAre, Excluding Noncontrolling Interest in Consolidated Joint Venture Margin Definition
We calculate consolidated Adjusted EBITDA re , Excluding Noncontrolling Interest in Consolidated Joint Venture Margin by dividing consolidated Adjusted EBITDA re , Excluding Noncontrolling Interest in Consolidated Joint Venture by GAAP consolidated Total Revenue. We calculate consolidated, segment or property-level Adjusted EBITDA re Margin by dividing consolidated, segment-, or property-level Adjusted EBITDA re by consolidated, segment-, or property-level GAAP Revenue. We believe Adjusted EBITDA re , Excluding Noncontrolling Interest in Consolidated Joint Venture Margin is useful to investors in evaluating our operating performance because this non-GAAP financial measure helps investors evaluate and compare the results of our operations from period to period by presenting a ratio showing the quantitative relationship between Adjusted EBITDA re , Excluding Noncontrolling Interest in Consolidated Joint Venture and GAAP consolidated Total Revenue or segment or property-level GAAP Revenue, as applicable.

FFO, Adjusted FFO, and Adjusted FFO available to common shareholders and unit holders Definition
We calculate FFO, which definition is clarified by NAREIT in its December 2018 white paper as Net Income (calculated in accordance with GAAP) excluding depreciation and amortization (excluding amortization of deferred financing costs and debt discounts), gains and losses from the sale of certain real estate assets, gains and losses from a change in control, impairment write-downs of certain real estate assets and investments in entities when the impairment is directly attributable to decreases in the value of depreciated real estate held by the entity, income (loss) from consolidated joint venture attributable to noncontrolling interest, and pro rata adjustments for unconsolidated joint venture.

To calculate Adjusted FFO available to common shareholders and unit holders, we then exclude, to the extent the following adjustments occurred during the periods presented:

• right-of-use asset amortization;
• impairment charges that do not meet the NAREIT definition above;
• write-offs of deferred financing costs;
• amortization of debt discounts or premiums and amortization of deferred financing costs;
• (gains) losses on extinguishment of debt
• non-cash lease expense;
• credit loss on held-to-maturity securities;
• pension settlement charges;
• additional pro rata adjustments from unconsolidated joint venture;
• (gains) losses on other assets;
• transaction costs on acquisitions;
• deferred income tax expense (benefit); and
• any other adjustments we have identified herein.
  

To calculate Adjusted FFO available to common shareholders and unit holders (excluding maintenance capex), we then exclude FF&E reserve for managed properties and maintenance capital expenditures for non-managed properties. FFO available to common shareholders and unit holders and Adjusted FFO available to common shareholders and unit holders and Adjusted FFO available to common shareholders and unit holders (excluding maintenance capex) exclude the ownership portion joint ventures not controlled or owned by the Company.

We believe that the presentation of these non-GAAP financial measures provides useful information to investors regarding the performance of our ongoing operations because each presents a measure of our operations without regard to specified non-cash items such as real estate depreciation and amortization, gain or loss on sale of assets and certain other items, which we believe are not indicative of the performance of our underlying hotel properties. We believe that these items are more representative of our asset base than our ongoing operations. We also use these non-GAAP financial measures as measures in determining our results after considering the impact of our capital structure.

We caution investors that non-GAAP financial measures we present may not be comparable to similar measures disclosed by other companies, because not all companies calculate these non-GAAP measures in the same manner. The non-GAAP financial measures we present, and any related per share measures, should not be considered as alternative measures of our Net Income (Loss), operating performance, cash flow or liquidity. These non-GAAP financial measures may include funds that may not be available for our discretionary use due to functional requirements to conserve funds for capital expenditures and property acquisitions and other commitments and uncertainties. Although we believe that these non-GAAP financial measures can enhance an investor’s understanding of our results of operations, these non-GAAP financial measures, when viewed individually, are not necessarily better indicators of any trend as compared to GAAP measures such as Net Income (Loss), Operating Income (Loss), or cash flow from operations.