Comfort Inn 2004 Annual Report Download - page 36

CHOICE HOTELS INTERNATIONAL, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS—(Continued)
5. Receivable-Marketing and Reservation Fees
The Company’s franchise agreements require the payment of franchise fees, which include marketing and
reservation fees. The Company is obligated to use the marketing and reservation fees it assesses against the
current franchisees comprising its various hotel brand systems to provide marketing and reservation services
appropriate for the successful operation of the systems. In discharging its obligation to provide sufficient and
appropriate marketing and reservation services, the Company has the right to expend funds in an amount
reasonably necessary to ensure the provision of such services, whether or not such amount is currently available
to the Company for reimbursement. The franchise agreements provide the Company the right to advance monies
to the franchise system when the needs of the system surpass the balances currently available.
Under the terms of these agreements, the Company has the legally enforceable right to assess and collect
from its current franchisees fees sufficient to pay for the marketing and reservation services the Company has
procured for the benefit of the franchise system, including fees to reimburse the Company for past services
rendered. The Company has the contractual authority to require that the franchisees in the system at any given
point repay any deficits related to marketing and reservation activities. The Company’s current franchisees are
legally obligated to pay any assessment the Company imposes on its franchisees to obtain reimbursement of such
deficit regardless of whether those constituents continue to generate gross room revenue. The Company has no
present intention to accelerate repayment of the deficit from current franchisees.
The marketing and reservation fees receivable at December 31, 2004 and 2003 was $21.7 million and $32.4
million, respectively. Depreciation and amortization expense attributable to marketing and reservation activities
for the years ended December 31, 2004, 2003 and 2002 was $9.1 million, $12.1 million and $13.0 million,
respectively. Interest expense attributable to reservation activities was $1.5 million, $1.3 million and $1.4 million
for the years ended December 31, 2004, 2003 and 2002, respectively.
6. Transactions with Sunburst
Effective October 15, 1997, Choice Hotels International, Inc. (“CHI”), which at that point included both the
franchising business and owned hotel business, separated the businesses via spin-off of the Company. CHI
changed its name to Sunburst Hospitality Corporation (referred to hereafter as “Sunburst”). As part of the spin-
off, Sunburst and the Company entered into a strategic alliance agreement. Among other things, the strategic
alliance agreement, as amended, provided for (i) certain commitments by Sunburst for the development of
MainStay Suites hotels; (ii) the determination of liquidated damages related to termination of Choice branded
Sunburst properties; and (iii) certain franchise fee credits. The Mainstay development commitments expired in
October 2002. The liquidated damage provisions extend through the life of existing franchise agreements. The
franchise fee credit provisions expired in October 2003. Other revenues for the year ended December 31, 2003
includes $1.7 million of liquidated damages received from Sunburst for the termination of franchises. As of
December 31, 2004, Sunburst operates 27 hotels under franchise with the Company.
In January 2001, the Company received certain consideration including a $35 million seven-year senior
subordinated note bearing interest at 11
3
⁄ 8 % (the “New Note”) in conjunction with the restructuring and
cancellation of a subordinated term note from Sunburst received pursuant to the spin-off. The New Note accrued
interest up until June 2002, at which point interest became payable semi-annually in arrears.
On September 4, 2003, the Company and Sunburst entered into an agreement to amend certain terms of the
New Note. At the time of the agreement, the principal amount of the New Note was approximately $41.3 million.
Pursuant to the agreement, as an incentive for Sunburst to accelerate repayment of the New Note, the Company
agreed to modify the redemption provisions of the New Note. Pursuant to the agreement, at any time prior to
January 31, 2004, upon Sunburst’s election to redeem the Note, Choice agreed to amend the existing optional
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