Ashford Hospitality Trust (NYSE: AHT) details strategy, debt cuts and 2026 proxy agenda
Ashford Hospitality Trust is asking stockholders to vote at its 2026 annual meeting on May 12, 2026 on six director nominees, advisory approval of executive pay, ratification of BDO USA as auditor, and Amendment No. 6 to its 2021 Stock Incentive Plan.
At year-end 2025, the company owned 68 hotels with about 16,500 rooms. Despite industry pressure and modestly lower comparable RevPAR, comparable total revenue rose slightly, comparable Hotel EBITDA grew 2.4%, and hotel-level margins expanded by more than 40 basis points.
The company completed a $580 million refinancing on 16 hotels, using about $72 million of excess proceeds to eliminate all corporate-level debt, extended key mortgage maturities, and sold nine hotels for roughly $421 million at a 6.0% trailing cap rate, reducing over $105 million of future capital spending. Its “GRO AHT” cost and revenue program generated an estimated $40 million+ of EBITDA improvement in 2025 toward a $50 million goal.
In December 2025, the Board formed a Special Committee to evaluate strategic alternatives to address what it sees as a gap between portfolio value and the stock price. To preserve liquidity ahead of 2026 loan maturities, the company terminated Series L and M non-traded preferred offerings, suspended preferred stock redemptions, and later suspended preferred dividends.
Positive
- Elimination of corporate-level debt: A $580 million refinancing secured by 16 hotels generated approximately $72 million in excess proceeds, which the company used to fully repay its remaining strategic financing, removing all corporate-level debt and extending key mortgage maturities.
- Material operating and efficiency gains: Despite industry-wide RevPAR pressure, comparable Hotel EBITDA increased 2.4%, margins widened by over 40 basis points, and the “GRO AHT” program produced an estimated $40 million-plus of EBITDA improvement, including more than $13 million of corporate G&A savings in 2025.
Negative
- Suspension of preferred stockholder economics: As part of a liquidity-preservation strategy ahead of 2026 loan maturities, the company terminated Series L and M non-traded preferred offerings, suspended preferred stock redemptions, and subsequently suspended preferred dividends, significantly affecting preferred investors’ income and exit options.
Insights
Ashford Trust is aggressively deleveraging while preserving liquidity, with consequences for preferred holders.
Ashford Hospitality Trust reports that 2025 RevPAR softened, yet comparable Hotel EBITDA still grew by 2.4% and margins expanded over 40 basis points. Management attributes this to its “GRO AHT” initiative, which delivered an estimated $40M+ EBITDA uplift, including more than $13M of corporate G&A savings.
The company refinanced $580M of debt on 16 hotels, used about $72M of excess proceeds to eliminate all corporate-level debt, and extended mortgage maturities to July 2026 and March 2027. Since early 2025, it has sold nine hotels for roughly $421M at a 6.0% trailing cap rate while trimming over $105M of future capital obligations.
To protect liquidity ahead of 2026 maturities, the Board formed a Special Committee in December 2025 to evaluate strategic alternatives and terminated non-traded preferred offerings, suspended preferred redemptions, and later suspended preferred dividends. These steps favor balance-sheet resilience and optionality but materially impact preferred investors’ income and liquidity. Future filings may detail outcomes of the strategic review.
Key Figures
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Meeting Date: | Tuesday, May 12, 2026 |
Meeting Time: | 9:00 A.M., Central Daylight Time |
Location: | Ashford Hospitality Trust, Inc. |
14185 Dallas Parkway, Suite 1200 | |
Dallas, Texas 75254 |

SUMMARY | 1 |
Annual Meeting of Stockholders | 2 |
Voting Matters | 2 |
Board Nominees | 2 |
Summary of Director Diversity and Experience | 3 |
Corporate Governance Highlights | 3 |
PROPOSAL NUMBER ONE-ELECTION OF DIRECTORS | 5 |
Nominees for Election as Directors | 6 |
Summary of Director Qualifications, Skills, Attributes and Experience | 10 |
CORPORATE GOVERNANCE | 11 |
Code of Business Conduct and Ethics | 11 |
Board Leadership Structure | 12 |
Board Role | 12 |
Board Refreshment | 13 |
Director Nomination Procedures by the Company | 13 |
Stockholder Nominations | 13 |
Stockholder and Interested Party Communication with our Board of Directors | 13 |
Director Orientation and Continuing Education | 14 |
Director Change in Occupation | 14 |
Hedging and Pledging Policies | 14 |
BOARD OF DIRECTORS AND COMMITTEES | 15 |
Board Member Independence | 15 |
Board Committees and Meetings | 15 |
Current Committee Membership | 16 |
Attendance at Annual Meeting of Stockholders | 19 |
EXECUTIVE OFFICERS AND COMPENSATION | 20 |
Executive Officers | 20 |
EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION | 22 |
Compensation Discussion and Analysis | 22 |
2025 and 2026 Incentive Compensation Grant Decisions | 24 |
Summary Compensation Table | 27 |
Outstanding Equity Awards at 2025 Fiscal Year-End | 28 |
Potential Payments Upon Termination of Employment or Change of Control | 28 |
PROPOSAL NUMBER TWO-ADVISORY APPROVAL OF EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION | 33 |
PROPOSAL NUMBER THREE-RATIFICATION OF THE APPOINTMENT OF BDO USA, P.C. AS OUR INDEPENDENT AUDITORS | 34 |
Audit Committee Report | 34 |
Auditor Fees | 35 |
PROPOSAL NUMBER FOUR-APPROVAL OF AMENDMENT NO. 6 TO THE ASHFORD HOSPITALITY TRUST, INC. 2021 STOCK INCENTIVE PLAN | 36 |
General | 36 |
Summary of the 2021 Plan, as Amended by the Plan Amendments | 37 |
SECURITY OWNERSHIP OF MANAGEMENT AND CERTAIN BENEFICIAL OWNERS | 42 |
Security Ownership of Management and Directors | 42 |
Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners | 43 |
Delinquent Section 16(a) Reports | 43 |
CERTAIN RELATIONSHIPS AND RELATED PERSON TRANSACTIONS | 44 |
Conflict of Interest Policies | 44 |
Our Relationship and Agreements with Ashford Inc. and its Subsidiaries | 44 |
Our Relationship and Agreements with Braemar | 53 |
Exit Agreement with Mr. Hays | 54 |
OTHER PROPOSALS | 55 |
GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT VOTING | 56 |
Solicitation of Proxies | 56 |
Electronic Availability of Proxy Materials | 56 |
Voting Securities | 56 |
Voting | 56 |
Counting of Votes | 56 |
Right to Revoke Proxy | 57 |
Multiple Stockholders Sharing the Same Address | 57 |
Annual Report | 57 |
Other Matters | 57 |
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION | 58 |
ANNEX A-INFORMATION REGARDING NON-GAAP FINANCIAL MEASURE | A-1 |
2025 Adjusted EBITDAre | A-1 |
ANNEX B-2021 STOCK INCENTIVE PLAN, AS PROPOSED TO BE AMENDED | B-1 |
IMPORTANT NOTICE REGARDING THE AVAILABILITY OF PROXY MATERIALS FOR THE 2026 ANNUAL MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS TO BE HELD ON MAY 12, 2026. |
The Company's Proxy Statement for the 2026 Annual Meeting of Stockholders and the Annual Report to Stockholders for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2025, including the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2025, are available at www.ahtreit.com by clicking the "Investor" tab, then the "SEC Filings" tab and then the "Annual Meeting Material" link. |
Time and Date | Record Date | |
9:00 A.M., Central Daylight Time, May 12, 2026 | March 16, 2026 |
Number of Common Shares Eligible to Vote at the Annual Meeting as of March 16, 2026 | ||
6,476,491 |
Matter | Board Recommendation | Page Reference (for more detail) | ||
Election of Directors | ✔ For each director nominee | 5 | ||
Advisory Approval of Our Executive Compensation | ✔ For | 33 | ||
Ratification of Appointment of BDO USA, P.C. | ✔ For | 34 | ||
Approval Of Amendment No. 6 To The Ashford Hospitality Trust, Inc. 2021 Stock Incentive Plan | ✔ For | 35 |
Name, Age | Director Since | Principal Occupation | Committee Memberships* | Other U.S. Public Company Boards | |||||||||||
A | NCG | CC | RC | ||||||||||||
Monty J. Bennett, 60 | 2003 | Chairman of Ashford Trust; Chairman and CEO of Ashford Inc.; Chairman of Braemar | Braemar Hotels & Resorts, Inc. | ||||||||||||
Amish Gupta, 46 (L) | 2014 | Vice Chairman of Ashford Trust; Co- Founder and Managing Member of Montfort Capital Partners, LLC | ✔ (C) | ||||||||||||
David W. Johnson, 64 (F) | 2024 | Co-Founder and Managing Director at Horizon Capital Partners LLC | ✔ | ✔ | Hilton Grand Vacations Inc. | ||||||||||
Frederick J. Kleisner, 81 (F) | 2016 | Retired CEO of Morgans Hotel Group Co. | ✔ | ✔ (C) | ✔ (C) | ||||||||||
Sheri L. Pantermuehl, 69 (F) | 2018 | Chief Financial Officer of Alan Ritchey Inc. | ✔ (C) | ✔ | ✔ | ||||||||||
Stephen Zsigray, 40 | 2025 | President and Chief Executive Officer of Ashford Trust | |||||||||||||

Board Independence | |||
• | All directors except our Chairman and Mr. Zsigray are independent | ||
Board Committees | ||||||
• | We have four standing Board committees: | |||||
• | Audit Committee | |||||
• | Compensation Committee | |||||
• | Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee | |||||
• | Related Party Transactions Committee | |||||
• | All committees are composed entirely of independent directors | |||||
• | All of our three Audit Committee members are "financial experts" | |||||
Leadership Structure | |||
• | Chairman of the Board separate from CEO | ||
• | Independent and empowered Vice Chairman and Lead Director with broadly-defined authority and responsibilities | ||
Risk Oversight | |||
• | Regular Board review of enterprise risk management and related policies, processes and controls | ||
• | Board committees exercise oversight of risk for matters within their purview | ||
Open Communication | |||
• | We encourage open communication and strong working relationships among the Vice Chairman and Lead Director, Chairman, CEO and other directors and officers | ||
• | Our directors have direct access to our officers and management and employees of our advisor | ||
Stock Ownership | ||||||
• | Stock ownership and equity award retention guidelines for directors and executives | |||||
• | Our directors should own shares of our common stock in excess of 3x his or her annual board retainer fee in effect at the time of such director's election to the Board | |||||
• | Our CEO should own shares of our common stock in excess of 3x his annual base salary from our advisor in effect at the time of his appointment as CEO | |||||
• | Our other executive officers should own shares of our common stock in excess of 1.5x his or her annual base salary in effect at the time of his or her appointment to such office | |||||
• | Our directors and executive officers may not sell any stock granted to them for service to the Company until the required ownership levels described above are met | |||||
• | ||||||
• | Prohibitions on hedging and pledging transactions | |||||
Accountability to Stockholders | |||
• | Directors elected by majority vote in uncontested director elections | ||
• | We have a non-classified Board and elect every director annually | ||
• | We do not have a stockholder rights plan | ||
• | We have opted out of the Maryland Control Share Acquisition Act (which provides certain takeover defenses) | ||
• | We have not elected to be subject to the provisions of the Maryland Unsolicited Takeover Act, which would permit our Board to classify itself without a stockholder vote | ||
• | Stockholders holding a stated percentage of our outstanding voting shares may call special meetings of stockholders | ||
• | Board receives regular updates from management regarding interaction with stockholders and prospective investors | ||
Board Practices | |||
• | Robust annual Board and committee self-evaluation process | ||
• | Balanced and diverse Board composition | ||
• | Limits on outside public company board service | ||
Conflicts of Interest | |||
• | Matters relating to our advisor or any other related party are subject to the approval of our independent directors or Related Party Transactions Committee | ||
MONTY J. BENNETT | |
![]() Age: 60 Director since 2003 Chairman of the Board | Mr. Bennett was first appointed to our Board in May 2003 and has served as Chairman of our Board since January 2013. He previously served as our Chief Executive Officer from May 2003 to February 2017. Mr. Bennett is also the Founder, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Ashford Inc. and is the Founder and Chairman of Braemar. Mr. Bennett has over 26 years of experience in the hotel industry and has experience in virtually all aspects of the hospitality industry, including hotel ownership, finance, operations, development, asset management and project management. In addition to his roles at Ashford, over his career Mr. Bennett has been a member and leader in numerous industry associations. Mr. Bennett is a lifelong advocate of civic engagement and takes pride in giving back to the Dallas- Fort Worth community. Together with the Ashford companies, he supports numerous charitable organizations including Alzheimer's Association, Habitat for Humanity, North Texas Food Bank, the S.M. Wright Foundation and the Special Olympics. He holds a Master's degree in Business Administration from Cornell's S.C. Johnson Graduate School of Management and received a Bachelor of Science degree with distinction from the School of Hotel Administration also at Cornell. He is a life member of the Cornell Hotel Society. Mr. Bennett's extensive industry experience as well as the strong and consistent leadership qualities he has displayed in his prior role as the Chief Executive Officer and a director of the Company and his experience with, and knowledge of, the Company and its operations gained in those roles and in his role as Chief Executive Officer and director of Ashford Inc. since its inception, are vital qualifications and skills that make him uniquely qualified to serve as a director of the Company and as the Chairman of our Board. |
AMISH V. GUPTA | |
![]() Age: 46 Director since 2014 Vice Chairman of the Board and Independent Lead Director Committees: • Related Party Transactions (chair) | Mr. Gupta was first elected to our Board in May 2014 and currently serves as Vice Chairman of the Board, our lead independent director and chair of our Related Party Transactions Committee. Mr. Gupta is the co-founder of Montfort Capital Partners, LLC, an asset management firm specializing in value-add real estate investments throughout the southern United States and has served as Montfort’s Managing Member since 2021. During this time, Montfort has acquired or is under development for over $275 million in assets and secured a programmatic partnership with a national private equity firm. Previously, Mr. Gupta served as a Managing Partner for RETC, LLC from 2010 to 2023, a property tax advisory firm that has represented over $40 billion in asset value nationally, where he was responsible for overall operations and strategy. In March 2023, Mr. Gupta guided RETC through a successful sale to Ryan, a global tax services and software provider that is the largest firm in the world dedicated exclusively to business taxes. Prior to joining RETC, Mr. Gupta served as a real estate associate at the Carlyle Group, a private equity firm headquartered in Washington D.C. with more than $189 billion in assets under management, a position he held for three years. Mr. Gupta received his MBA from the Kellogg School of Management and his B.A. from Emory University. Mr. Gupta’s extensive real estate knowledge, stemming from his experiences with Montfort, RETC, and the Carlyle Group, combined with his business acumen, will generate valuable insights into the economic environment of the real estate industry for the Board. |
DAVID W. JOHNSON | |
![]() Age: 64 Director since 2024 Independent Committees: • Audit • Compensation Audit Committee Financial Expert | Mr. Johnson was appointed to our Board in May 2024 and currently serves as a member of our Audit Committee and Compensation Committee. Mr. Johnson is the Co-Founder and Managing Director at Horizon Capital Partners LLC, a commercial, residential, and mixed-use land acquisition and development company located in McKinney, Texas. Prior to Horizon Capital, Mr. Johnson founded Aimbridge Hospitality, Inc. and served as its Chief Executive Officer from 2003 to 2021. Earlier, he spent 17 years at Wyndham International, as the President of Wyndham Hotels, among other senior- level operations, sales and marketing positions. Mr. Johnson currently serves on the U.S. Travel Association ("USTA") board as a member of the Chairman’s Circle and as a member of USTA’s CEO Roundtable. Mr. Johnson has served as a director of Hilton Grand Vacations Inc. (NYSE: HGV) since 2017. Mr. Johnson previously served on several boards of directors, including Strategic Hotel (NYSE: BEE), where he was also a member of its audit committee and corporate governance committee from 2012 to 2016. From 2009 to 2012, Mr. Johnson served as a director of Gaylord Entertainment (NYSE: GET). He also serves on several nonprofit boards, including the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation and the Plano YMCA. Mr. Johnson received his undergraduate degree in business economics from Northeastern Illinois University, graduating with highest honors. The Company believes that Mr. Johnson’s extensive experience at premier hotel management companies as well as his marketing background, will provide our Board with valuable insights. |
FREDERICK J. KLEISNER | |
![]() Age: 81 Director since 2016 Independent Committees: • Nominating and Corporate Governance (chair) • Compensation (chair) • Audit Audit Committee Financial Expert | Mr. Kleisner was appointed to our Board in September 2016 and currently serves as the chair of our Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee, the chair of our Compensation Committee and as a member of our Audit Committee. Mr. Kleisner held a long illustrious career in the industry, serving as President and a director of Hard Rock Hotel Holdings, LLC, a destination casino and resort company, from October 2007 to March 2011. From December 2007 until March 2011, Mr. Kleisner also served as Chief Executive Officer of Morgans Hotel Group Co. (NASDAQ: MHGC), or Morgans, a hospitality company, and as President and Chief Executive Officer (including interim President and Chief Executive Officer) of Morgans from September 2007 until March 2009. Mr. Kleisner also served as a director of Morgans from February 2006 until March 2011. From January 2006 to September 2007, Mr. Kleisner was the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Rex Advisors, LLC, a hotel advisory firm. From August 1999 to December 31, 2005, Mr. Kleisner served as President, Chief Operating Officer and, from March 2000 to August, 2005, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of Wyndham International, Inc., a global hotel company. Mr. Kleisner also served as Chairman of Wyndham International’s Board from October 2000 to August 2005. From January 1998 to August 1999, he served as President and Chief Operating Officer of The Americas for Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. Hotel Group. He has held senior positions with Westin Hotels and Resorts Worldwide, where he served as President and Chief Operating Officer from 1995 to 1998,Interstate Hotels Company, where he served as Executive Vice President and Group President of Operations from 1990 to 1995, the ITT Sheraton Corporation, where he served as Senior Vice President, Director of Operations, North America Division-East from 1985 to 1990, and Hilton Hotels, Corp. where for 16+ years he served as General Manager or Managing Director of several landmark hotels. Mr. Kleisner served as a director of Caesars Entertainment Corporation (NASDAQ: CZR) from 2013 to October 2017, Kindred Healthcare, Inc. (NYSE: KND) from 2009 to July 2018, and Apollo Residential Mortgage, Inc. (formerly NYSE: AMTG), a real estate investment trust, from July 2011 to August 2016. From November 2007 to August 2010, Mr. Kleisner served as a director of Innkeepers USA Trust, a subsidiary of Apollo Investment Corporation (NASDAQ: AINV). He is currently a director of Athora Holdings, Ltd., a specialist solutions provider for the European insurance and reinsurance market, European Gtd. Life & Reinsurance Co, Playtime, LLC, and previously served as a director at Playtime, LLC, a manufacturer of antibacterial and antimicrobial playground equipment and play systems from 2018 to 2021, and Aimbridge Hospitality, Inc., a hotel investment and management firm from 2017 to 2019. Mr. Kleisner graduated from Michigan State University with a B.A. in Hotel Management, and currently serves as a Real Estate Investment Management Advisory Board member of Michigan State University's Eli Broad College of Business, School of Hospitality Business. He also completed advanced studies at the University of Virginia, Darden School of Business and attended the Catholic University of America. Mr. Kleisner's extensive, impressive experience in the management and operation of companies in the hospitality industry enables him to provide the Board with a wealth of knowledge regarding operational issues facing companies in the hospitality industry and a business acumen essential to guiding the Company's strategy. |
SHERI L. PANTERMUEHL | |
![]() Age: 69 Director since 2018 Independent Committees: • Audit (chair) • Nominating and Corporate Governance • Related Party Transactions Audit Committee Financial Expert | Ms. Pantermuehl was first elected to our Board in May 2018 and currently serves as the chair of our Audit Committee, as a member of our Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee and our Related Party Transactions Committee. Ms. Pantermuehl has served as the Chief Financial Officer of Alan Ritchey, Inc. since May 2015, which has operations in the transportation and agriculture segments. From February 2011 to April 2015, Ms. Pantermuehl performed back office functions and acted as the Chief Financial Officer for a number of small to medium size firms, including a software development/document imaging firm and a bio-technology firm. From April 2007 to January 2011, Ms. Pantermuehl served as Controller and Chief Financial Officer of Riptide Worldwide, Inc. Prior to that, Ms. Pantermuehl served as the Chief Financial Officer of Intrametrics Corporation and Vertical Computer Systems, Inc., and as Director of Finance of Blockbuster, Inc. Ms. Pantermuehl is a former Treasurer and member of the board of directors of the Arthritis Foundation. Ms. Pantermuehl received a bachelor's degree in Business Administration with an emphasis in Accounting and Finance from Texas A&M University and graduated magna cum laude. As a financial executive with over 30 years of experience as chief financial officer/controller of different companies and an innovative leader with significant successes in reducing operational costs and implementing effective strategies for business growth, Ms. Pantermuehl brings a valuable perspective on financial and related matters to the Board. |
STEPHEN ZSIGRAY | |
![]() Age: 40 Director since 2025 President & Chief Executive Officer of Ashford Trust | Please see "Executive Officers and Compensation–Executive Officers" for Mr. Zsigray's biography. |

Audit | Compensation | Nominating and Corporate Governance | Related Party Transactions Committee | ||||||
Amish Gupta | ![]() | ||||||||
David W. Johnson | ![]() | ![]() | |||||||
Frederick J. Kleisner | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ||||||
Sheri L. Pantermuehl | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() |
Audit Committee | ||||
Current Members: | Sheri L. Pantermuehl (chair), David W. Johnson and Frederick J. Kleisner | |||
Independence | All of the members of the Audit Committee have been determined by our Board to be independent at all pertinent times, including under the heightened independence standards for members of audit committees of boards of directors. | |||
Number of Meetings in 2025: | Four | |||
Key Responsibilities | • | Evaluate the performance, qualifications and independence of the independent auditors; | ||
• | review with the independent auditors and the Chief Financial Officer and Chief Accounting Officer the audit scope and plan; | |||
• | approve in advance all audit and non-audit engagement fees; | |||
• | if necessary, to appoint or replace our independent auditors; | |||
• | meet to review with management and the independent auditors the annual audited and quarterly financial statements; | |||
• | recommend to our Board whether the Company's financial statements should be included in the Annual Report on Form 10-K; | |||
• | prepare the audit committee report that the SEC rules and regulations require to be included in the Company's annual proxy statement; | |||
• | discuss with management the Company's major financial risk exposures and management's policies on financial risk assessment and risk management, including steps management has taken to monitor and control such exposures; | |||
• | annually review the effectiveness of the internal audit function; | |||
• | review with management the Company's disclosure controls and procedures and internal control over financial reporting, and review the effectiveness of the Company's system for monitoring compliance with laws and regulations, including the Company's code of conduct and cybersecurity; and | |||
• | evaluate its own performance and deliver a report to the Board setting forth the results of such evaluation. | |||
Compensation Committee | ||||
Current Members: | Frederick J. Kleisner (chair) and David W. Johnson | |||
Independence | All of the members of the Compensation Committee have been determined by our Board to be independent at all pertinent times, including under the heightened standards for members of the compensation committees of boards of directors. | |||
Number of Meetings in 2025: | One | |||
Key Responsibilities | • | Review the Company's equity compensation programs to ensure the alignment of the interests of key leadership with the long-term interests of stockholders; | ||
• | either as a committee or together with the other independent directors (as directed by our Board), determine and approve the Chief Executive Officer's and Chairman of our Board's equity compensation; | |||
• | make recommendations to our Board with respect to the equity compensation of other executive officers; | |||
• | review the performance of our officers; | |||
• | review and approve the officer compensation plans, policies and programs; | |||
• | annually review the compensation paid to non-executive directors for service on our Board and make recommendations to our Board regarding any proposed adjustments to such compensation; | |||
• | prepare an annual report on executive compensation for the Company's annual proxy statement; and | |||
• | administer the Company's equity incentive plan. | |||
Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee | ||||
Current Members: | Frederick J. Kleisner (chair) and Sheri L. Pantermuehl | |||
Independence | All of the members of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee have been determined by our Board to be independent at all pertinent times. | |||
Number of Meetings in 2025: | Two | |||
Key Responsibilities | • | Assess, develop and communicate with our Board for our Board's approval the appropriate criteria for nominating and appointing directors; | ||
• | recommend to our Board the director nominees for election at the next annual meeting of stockholders; | |||
• | identify and recommend candidates to fill vacancies on our Board occurring between annual stockholder meetings; | |||
• | when requested by our Board, recommend to our Board director nominees for each committee of our Board; | |||
• | develop and recommend to our Board our Corporate Governance Guidelines and periodically review and update such Corporate Governance Guidelines as well as make recommendations concerning changes to the charters of each committee of our Board; | |||
• | perform a leadership role in shaping our corporate governance policies and procedures; and | |||
• | oversee a self-evaluation of our Board. | |||
Related Party Transactions Committee | ||||
Members: | Amish Gupta (chair) and Sheri L. Pantermuehl | |||
Number of Meetings in 2025: | None | |||
Key Responsibilities | • | Review any transaction in which our officers, directors, Ashford Inc. or Braemar or their officers, directors or respective affiliates have an interest, including any other related party and their respective affiliates, before recommending approval by a majority of our independent directors. The Related Party Transactions Committee can deny a new proposed transaction or recommend for approval to the independent directors. Also, the Related Party Transactions Committee periodically reviews and reports to our independent directors on past approved related party transactions. | ||
Capacity | Additional Annual Retainer ($) | |
Lead Director | $25,000 | |
Audit Committee Chair | $12,500 | |
Compensation Committee Chair | $7,500 | |
Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee Chair | $7,500 | |
Related Party Transactions Committee Chair | $5,000 | |
Committee Member (Non-Chair) | $2,500 |
Name | Fees Earned or Paid in Cash | Stock Awards/ LTIP (1) | All Other Compensation | Total | ||||
Monty J. Bennett | $— | $— | $3,563,822 | (2) | $3,563,822 | |||
Amish Gupta | $127,834 | $— | $— | $127,834 | ||||
David W. Johnson | $102,833 | $— | $— | $102,833 | ||||
Frederick J. Kleisner | $104,917 | $— | $— | $104,917 | ||||
Sheri L. Pantermuehl | $112,834 | $— | $— | $112,834 | ||||
Davinder “Sonny” Sra (3) | $109,917 | $— | $— | $109,917 | ||||
Kamal Jafarnia (4) | $120,000 | $— | $— | $120,000 | ||||
Name | Age | Title | ||
Stephen Zsigray | 40 | Chief Executive Officer and President | ||
Justin Coe | 42 | Chief Accounting Officer | ||
Jim Plohg | 51 | Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary |
STEPHEN ZSIGRAY | ||
![]() Chief Executive Officer and President Age: 40 Executive since 2024 | Mr. Zsigray has served as our Chief Executive Officer and President since June 2024. Before his current role, Mr. Zsigray served as Senior Vice President of Corporate Finance & Strategy and helped the Ashford platforms raise more than $1.3 billion in common and preferred equity, secure over $1.1 billion in new corporate and property-level debt financing and negotiate maturity extensions on over $3.3 billion in mortgage debt. Mr. Zsigray also headed Ashford’s cash management platform and oversaw corporate hedging strategy. Mr. Zsigray joined Ashford in 2014 as a trader and portfolio manager in Ashford's investment management division, and subsequently served as President and Chief Operating Officer of OpenKey, an Ashford-affiliated hospitality technology company that provides digital guest key and access control solutions to hotels worldwide. Prior to joining the Company, Mr. Zsigray was with UBS Investment Bank in New York, where he traded and helped clients structure derivatives across equity, fixed income, and commodity markets. He began his career with Deloitte Consulting in St. Louis, where he advised Fortune 500 clients on issues related to mergers and acquisitions, business transformation, and process improvement. Mr. Zsigray earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Saint Louis University, and graduated from Indiana University's Kelley School of Business with an MBA in Finance. He currently serves on the Advisory Council for the North Texas Food Bank and has advised a number of non-profit organizations in the Dallas metroplex. Mr. Zsigray previously served as an Executive Board Member of the Dallas Security Traders Association. | |
JUSTIN COE | ||
![]() Chief Accounting Officer Age: 42 Executive since 2024 | Mr. Coe has served as our Chief Accounting Officer since January 2024 and has served in that capacity for Ashford Inc. and for Braemar since January 2024, and has served as our principal financial officer since March 31, 2026. Prior to serving as Chief Accounting Officer, Mr. Coe served as the Senior Vice President of Accounting of Ashford Inc. since July 2015. As Senior Vice President of Accounting, Mr. Coe was responsible for overseeing most of the accounting functions for Ashford Inc. and each of its advised platforms, including the Company and Braemar. Such functions include tax, financial reporting, corporate controller, portfolio accounting, internal audit, information systems, acquisitions and special projects. Prior to joining Ashford Inc., Mr. Coe was a Senior Manager at Ernst & Young LLP and served since 2006 in various Assurance and Advisory roles for public and private companies in the airline, real estate, medical device and other industries domestically and internationally. Mr. Coe holds Bachelor of Business Administration and Master of Accountancy degrees from Texas State University - San Marcos and is a licensed certified public accountant (CPA) in the state of Texas. | |
JIM PLOHG | ||
![]() Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary Age: 51 Executive since 2025 | Jim Plohg has served as the Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary of Ashford Inc., Ashford Hospitality Trust, Inc., and Braemar Hotels & Resorts Inc. since December 2025. He leads the legal and compliance functions across a portfolio of public real estate investment trusts, an alternative asset manager, real estate private equity funds and multiple operating companies in the U.S. and internationally. Mr. Plohg fosters strong relationships and collaboration across the organization and utilizes his expertise in securities, capital markets, financing, mergers and acquisitions, governance, and risk management to protect the organization, develop business strategies and deliver practical executable solutions that support the organization’s innovation, growth and profitability. Prior to his current role, Mr. Plohg held progressively senior legal positions at Ashford since 2014, including as Associate General Counsel and Chief Compliance Officer and, beginning in 2021, as Division General Counsel. Prior to joining Ashford Inc., Mr. Plohg served in leadership roles at multi- billion dollar investment firms and family offices including MeehanCombs, LP, Alden Global Capital, Smith Family Office LLC, and Highland Capital Management, L.P., where he managed legal, operations, compliance, and strategic and financial investment transactions. He began his career as a corporate and litigation associate at the international law firm of Norton Rose Fulbright. Mr. Plohg serves on the Advisory Board of Brighter Children and various private business boards. He holds a J.D. from Baylor University School of Law and a B.B.A. from Texas A&M University and is admitted to practice law in the State of Texas. Mr. Plohg has been featured in several industry publications and writes and speaks frequently at industry, professional and community publications and events. | |
What We Do | What We Don't Do | |
Pay for Performance. A substantial portion of our incentive compensation grants are tied to rigorous incentive compensation performance goals. | No Hedging/Pledging. We do not allow hedging or pledging of Company securities. | |
Equity Ownership Guidelines. We impose robust stock ownership guidelines on our executive officers. | Equity Ownership Guidelines. We do not count unearned, unvested performance shares toward our stock ownership guidelines. | |
Clawback Policy. We must recover incentive compensation in various circumstances. | No Dividends on Unvested Performance Shares. We do not pay dividends on unearned, unvested performance shares unless the shares actually vest. | |
Independent Compensation Consultant. Our Compensation Committee uses the consulting firm of Gressle & McGinley, which is independent and provides no other services to the Company. | No Stock Options. We do not grant stock options. | |
Compensation Risk Assessment. We conduct an annual compensation risk assessment. | No Evergreen Provision. We have no evergreen provisions in our stock incentive plan. | |
External Advisor Compensation. We provide detailed disclosure of compensation paid by our advisor to our named executive officers. | No Perquisites. We do not provide our executive officers with any perquisites or retirement programs. |
Business Objective | Performance Target | 2025 Performance | ||||||
Target | Actual(2) | Achieved? | ||||||
Revenue1 | Budget | $1,094.2M | $1,101.8M | Yes | ||||
Adjusted EBITDAre1,2 | Budget | $196.1M | $225.0M | Yes | ||||
2025 P&L improvement from initiative, "GRO AHT" | At Least $25M | $25.0M | $44.6M | Yes | ||||
Sell at least 4 hotels to deleverage/generate liquidity | By December 31 | 12/31 | Sold: CY Boston (Q1) Nassau Bay (Q3) RI Evansville (Q3) RI Sorrento Mesa (Q4) Le Pavillon (Q4) | Yes | ||||
Complete repayment of Oaktree | By December 31 | 12/31 | Q1'25 | Yes | ||||
Maintain liquidity3 | At Least $50M | $50.0M | $241.4M | Yes | ||||
Investor/Analyst Interactions | At Least 400 | 400 | 608 | Yes | ||||
Executive | Deferred Cash Amount ($) | |
Stephen Zsigray | $— | |
Deric S. Eubanks (1) | $531,869 | |
Alex Rose (1) | $— | |
Justin Coe | $53,363 |
Name and Principal Position | Year | Bonus | Stock Awards/ LTIPs(2) | All Other Compensation(3) | Total | |||||
Stephen Zsigray (1) | 2025 | $4,250,000 | $— | $772,605 | $5,022,605 | |||||
President and Chief Executive Officer | 2024 | $— | $305,400 | $553,348 | $858,748 | |||||
Deric S. Eubanks (4) | 2025 | $— | $— | $1,449,279 | $1,449,279 | |||||
Former Chief Financial Officer | 2024 | $— | $— | $898,294 | $898,294 | |||||
Alex Rose (4) | 2025 | $— | $— | $1,056,783 | $1,056,783 | |||||
Former Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary | 2024 | $— | $— | $587,018 | $587,018 | |||||
Justin Coe | 2025 | $— | $— | $100,584 | $100,584 | |||||
Chief Accounting Officer | 2024 | $— | $— | $67,590 | $67,590 |
Name | Number of Service- Based Equity Awards That HaveNot Vested | Market Value of Service-Based Equity Awards That Have Not Vested (1) | Equity Incentive Plan Awards: Number of Unearned PSUs and Performance LTIPs That Have Not Vested | Equity Incentive Plan Awards: Market Value or Payout Value of PSUs and Performance LTIPs That Have Not Vested (1) | ||||||||||
Stephen Zsigray | 33,934 | (2) | $144,559 | — | $— | |||||||||
Deric S. Eubanks (3) | — | $— | — | $— | ||||||||||
Alex Rose (3) | — | $— | — | $— | ||||||||||
Justin Coe | — | $— | — | $— | ||||||||||
Year | Summary Compensation Table Total for First PEO(1) | Summary Compensation Table Total for Second PEO(1) | Compensation Actually Paid (3) to First PEO (1) | Compensation Actually Paid (3) to Second PEO (1) | Average Summary Compensation Table Total for Non-PEO NEOs(2) | Average Compensation Actually Paid (3) to Non-PEO NEOs | Value of Initial Fixed $100 Investment Based on Total Stockholder Return | Net Income (Loss) Attributable to Common Stockholders in thousands) | ||||||||
(a) | (b) | (c) | (d) | (e) | (f) | (g) | (h) | (i) | ||||||||
2025 | $— | $ | $— | $ | $ | $ | $ | $( | ||||||||
2024 | $ | $ | $ | $ | $ | $ | $ | $( | ||||||||
2023 | $ | $— | $ | $— | $ | $ | $ | $( |
PEO | Non-PEO NEOs | |||
2025 | 2025 | |||
Summary Compensation Table Total | $ | $ | ||
Less:New awards made during year | $ | $ | ||
Plus: New awards unvested at end of year | $ | $ | ||
Plus: Change in value of prior-year awards unvested at end of year | $( | $ | ||
Plus: New awards vested during the year | $ | $ | ||
Plus: Change in value of prior-year awards vested at end of year | $( | $( | ||
Less: Forfeitures | $ | $( | ||
Plus: Dividends | $ | $ | ||
Compensation Actually Paid | $ | $ |


AUDIT COMMITTEE | ||
Sheri L. Pantermuehl, Chair | ||
David W. Johnson | ||
Frederick J. Kleisner |
Year Ended December 31, | Year Ended December 31, | |||
2025 | 2024 | |||
Audit Fees | $1,053,000 | $965,000 | ||
Audit-Related Fees | $— | $— | ||
Tax Fees | $— | $— | ||
All Other Fees | $45,000 | $— | ||
Total | $1,098,000 | $965,000 |
Performance-Based Awards | # of PSUs @ Target | # of Performance LTIPs @ Target | # of Performance LTIPs @ Max | ||
Non-Vested at Dec. 31, 2022 | 13,572 | 52,705 | 131,761 | ||
Granted | 16,459 | 11,265 | 28,163 | ||
Vested of Earned | 7,602 | 1,466 | 3,664 | ||
Forfeited | 2,534 | 3,420 | 8,550 | ||
Non-Vested at Dec. 31, 2023 | 19,895 | 59,084 | 147,710 | ||
Granted | — | — | — | ||
Vested of Earned | 2,337 | 13,008 | 32,519 | ||
Forfeited | 1,099 | 34,811 | 87,028 | ||
Non-Vested at Dec. 31, 2024 | 16,459 | 11,265 | 28,163 | ||
Granted | — | — | — | ||
Vested of Earned | 2,496 | 856 | 2,141 | ||
Forfeited | 13,963 | 10,409 | 26,022 | ||
Non-Vested at Dec. 31, 2025 | — | — | — |
Number of Securities to be Issued Upon Exercise of Outstanding Options, Warrants and Rights(1) | Weighted-Average Exercise Price of Outstanding Options, Warrants, and Rights | Number of Securities Remaining Available for Future Issuance (2) | ||||
Equity compensation plans approved by security holders | — | N/A | 190,000 | |||
Equity compensation plans not approved by security holders | None | N/A | None | |||
Total | — | N/A | 190,000 | |||
Name of Beneficial Owner | Amount and Nature of Beneficial Ownership (1) | Percent of Class (2) | |||
Monty J. Bennett | 16,134 | (3) | * | ||
Amish Gupta | 2,480 | * | |||
David W. Johnson | 2,000 | * | |||
Frederick J. Kleisner | 2,347 | * | |||
Sheri L. Pantermuehl | 2,365 | * | |||
Stephen Zsigray | 44,332 | * | |||
Deric S. Eubanks (4) | 3,934 | * | |||
Alex Rose (4) | 1,767 | * | |||
Justin Coe | 239 | * | |||
All directors, nominees and executive officers as a group (9 persons) | 73,839 | 1.1% | |||
Title of Securities | Name of Stockholder | Number of Shares Beneficially Owned | Percent of Class(1) | |||
Common Stock | CastleKnight Master Fund LP | 410,894 (2) | 6.34% |
Company | Product or Service | Amounts Paid by/ (Retained by) Us for Products or Services in 2024 | Ashford Inc. Interest | Ashford Inc. Board Seats/Board Seats Available | ||||
OpenKey(1) | Mobile key app | $78,000 | 77% | 1/3 | ||||
Pure Wellness(2) | Hypoallergenic premium rooms | $1,135,000 | 100% | 2/3 | ||||
Lismore Capital(3) | Debt placement and related services | $2,439,000 | 100% | N/A | ||||
INSPIRE(4) | Audio visual commissions | $(9,240,000) | 100% | N/A | ||||
Ashford LLC | Insurance claims services | $11,000 | 100% | N/A | ||||
Premier(5) | Design and construction services | $17,933,000 | 100% | N/A | ||||
Remington Hospitality | Hotel management services | $49,430,000 | 100% | N/A | ||||
Real Estate Advisory Holdings LLC(6) | Debt placement/real estate brokerage | $— | 30% | 1/3 | ||||
Ashford Securities LLC(7) | Capital raise services/Dealer manager fees | $8,819,000 | 100% | 2/2 | ||||
Ashford LLC(8) | Casualty insurance | $8,199,000 | 100% | N/A |
Net income (loss) | $(188,159) | |
Interest expense and amortization of discounts and loan costs | 256,229 | |
Interest expense associated with hotels in receivership | 39,038 | |
Depreciation and amortization | 141,295 | |
Income tax expense (benefit) | (143) | |
Equity in (earnings) loss of unconsolidated entities | 325 | |
Company's portion of EBITDA of unconsolidated entities | 1,208 | |
EBITDA | 249,793 | |
Impairment charges on real estate | 67,648 | |
(Gain) loss on consolidation of VIE and disposition of assets and hotel properties | (79,799) | |
(Gain) loss on derecognition of assets | (39,054) | |
EBITDAre | 198,588 | |
Amortization of unfavorable contract liabilities | (122) | |
Transaction and conversion costs | 9,549 | |
Write-off of premiums, loan costs and exit fees | 8,853 | |
Realized and unrealized (gain) loss on derivatives | 5,346 | |
Stock/unit-based compensation | (760) | |
Legal, advisory and settlement costs | 1,871 | |
(Gain) loss on insurance settlements | (2,950) | |
(Gain) loss on extinguishment of debt | (335) | |
Severance | 1,228 | |
Adjusted EBITDAre | $221,268 |


FAQ
What key items will Ashford Hospitality Trust (AHT) stockholders vote on at the 2026 annual meeting?
How did Ashford Hospitality Trust’s hotel portfolio perform in 2025 amid weaker U.S. lodging demand?
What balance sheet actions did Ashford Hospitality Trust take to reduce leverage and extend debt maturities?
How much capital has Ashford Hospitality Trust raised from hotel sales since the beginning of 2025?
What is the “GRO AHT” initiative mentioned in Ashford Hospitality Trust’s 2026 proxy statement?
Why did Ashford Hospitality Trust suspend preferred stock redemptions and dividends?











