HOST HOTELS & RESORTS, INC. Notes to Financial Information Reporting Periods for Statement of Operations The results we report in our consolidated statements of operations are based on results of our hotels reported to us by our hotel managers. Our hotel managers use different reporting periods. Marriott International, Inc., or Marriott, the manager of the majority of our properties, uses a fiscal year ending on the Friday closest to December 31 and reports twelve weeks of operations for the first three quarters and sixteen or seventeen weeks for the fourth quarter of the year for its Marriott-managed hotels. In contrast, other managers of our hotels, such as Starwood and Hyatt, report results on a monthly basis. Additionally, Host, as a REIT, is required by tax laws to report results on a calendar year. As a result, we elected to adopt the reporting periods used by Marriott except that our fiscal year always ends on December 31 to comply with REIT rules. Our first three quarters of operations end on the same day as Marriott but our fourth quarter ends on December 31 and our full year results, as reported in our consolidated statement of operations, always includes the same number of days as the calendar year. Two consequences of the reporting cycle we have adopted are: (1) quarterly start dates will usually differ between years, except for the first quarter which always commences on January 1, and (2) our first and fourth quarters of operations and year-to-date operations may not include the same number of days as reflected in prior years. For example, the third quarter of 2007 ended on September 7, and the third quarter of 2006 ended on September 8, though both quarters reflect twelve weeks of operations. In contrast, the September 7, 2007 year-to-date operations included 250 days of operations, while the September 8, 2006 year-to-date operations included 251 days of operations. While the reporting calendar we adopted is more closely aligned with the reporting calendar used by the manager of a majority of our properties, one final consequence of our calendar is that we are unable to report the month of operations that ends after our fiscal quarter-end until the following quarter because our hotel managers using a monthly reporting period do not make mid- month results available to us. Hence, the month of operation that ends after our fiscal quarter-end is included in our quarterly results of operations in the following quarter for those hotel managers (covering approximately 40% of our hotels). As a result, our quarterly results of operations include results from hotel managers reporting results on a monthly basis as follows: first quarter (January, February), second quarter (March to May), third quarter (June to August) and fourth quarter (September to December). While this does not affect full-year results, it does affect the reporting of quarterly results. Reporting Periods for Hotel Operating Statistics and Comparable Hotel Results In contrast to the reporting periods for our consolidated statement of operations, our hotel operating statistics (i.e., RevPAR, average daily rate and average occupancy) and our comparable hotel results are always reported based on the reporting cycle used by Marriott for our Marriott-managed hotels. This facilitates year-to-year comparisons, as each reporting period will be comprised of the same number of days of operations as in the prior year (except in the case of fourth quarters comprised of seventeen weeks (such as fiscal year 2002) versus sixteen weeks). This means, however, that the reporting periods we use for hotel operating statistics and our comparable hotels results may differ slightly from the reporting periods used for our statements of operations for the first and fourth quarters and the full year. Results from hotel managers reporting on a monthly basis are included in our operating statistics and comparable hotels results consistent with their reporting in our consolidated statement of operations herein: -- Hotel results for the third quarter of 2007 reflect 12 weeks of operations for the period from June 16, 2007 to September 7, 2007 for our Marriott-managed hotels and results from June 1, 2007 to August 31, 2007 for operations of all other hotels which report results on a monthly basis. -- Hotel results for the third quarter of 2006 reflect 12 weeks of operations for the period from June 17, 2006 to September 8, 2006 for our Marriott-managed hotels and results from June 1, 2006 to August 31, 2006 for operations of all other hotels which report results on a monthly basis. -- Hotel results for year-to-date 2007 reflect 36 weeks for the period from December 30, 2006 to September 7, 2007 for our Marriott-managed hotels and results from January 1, 2007 to August 31, 2007 for operations of all other hotels which report results on a monthly basis. -- Hotel results for year-to-date 2006 reflect 36 weeks for the period from December 31, 2005 to September 8, 2006 for our Marriott-managed hotels and results from January 1, 2006 to August 31, 2006 for operations of all other hotels which report results on a monthly basis. Comparable Hotel and Comparable Hotel plus the Starwood Portfolio Operating Statistics We present certain operating statistics (i.e., RevPAR, average daily rate and average occupancy) and operating results (revenues, expenses, adjusted operating profit and adjusted operating profit margin) for the periods included in this report on a comparable hotel basis. We define our comparable hotels as properties (i) that are owned or leased by us and the operations of which are included in our consolidated results, whether as continuing operations or discontinued operations, for the entirety of the reporting periods being compared, and (ii) that have not sustained substantial property damage or business interruption or undergone large-scale capital projects during the reporting periods being compared. Of the 121 hotels that we owned as of September 7, 2007, 94 hotels have been classified as comparable hotels. The operating results of the following hotels that we owned as of September 7, 2007 are excluded from comparable hotel results for these periods: -- 24 consolidated hotels that we acquired from Starwood on April 10, 2006; -- The Westin Kierland Resort & Spa (acquired in September 2006); -- Atlanta Marriott Marquis (major renovation started in August 2005); and -- New Orleans Marriott (property damage and business interruption from Hurricane Katrina in August 2005). The operating results of the 14 hotels we disposed of in 2007 and 2006 are also not included in comparable hotel results for the periods presented herein. Moreover, because these statistics and operating results are for our hotel properties, they exclude results for our non-hotel properties and other real estate investments. In addition to comparable hotel RevPAR, we also have presented comparable hotel plus the Starwood portfolio RevPAR. This represents our comparable hotels (described above) plus the 24 hotels acquired from Starwood on April 10, 2006 that we own as of September 7, 2007. Accordingly, we have included the results of the Starwood portfolio for periods prior to our ownership in 2006 in the determination of the comparable hotel plus Starwood portfolio RevPAR. As properties managed by Starwood report results on a monthly basis, the third quarter RevPAR reflects the results of these hotels from June 1 through August 31 consistent with our treatment of reporting periods discussed previously. Given the significance of the Starwood portfolio to our operating results, we believe this supplemental presentation provides useful information to investors. Non-GAAP Financial Measures Included in this press release are certain "non-GAAP financial measures," which are measures of our historical or future financial performance that are not calculated and presented in accordance with GAAP, within the meaning of applicable SEC rules. They are as follows: (i) FFO per diluted share of Host, (ii) EBITDA of Host LP, (iii) Adjusted EBITDA of Host LP and (iv) Comparable Hotel Operating Results of Host. The following discussion defines these terms and presents why we believe they are useful supplemental measures of our performance. FFO per Diluted Share We present FFO per diluted share as a non-GAAP measure of our performance in addition to our earnings per share (calculated in accordance with GAAP). We calculate FFO per diluted share for a given operating period as our FFO (defined as set forth below) for such period divided by the number of fully diluted shares outstanding during such period. The National Association of Real Estate Investment Trusts (NAREIT) defines FFO as net income (calculated in accordance with GAAP) excluding gains (losses) from sales of real estate, the cumulative effect of changes in accounting principles, real estate-related depreciation and amortization and adjustments for unconsolidated partnerships and joint ventures. We present FFO on a per share basis after making adjustments for the effects of dilutive securities and the payment of preferred stock dividends, in accordance with NAREIT guidelines. We believe that FFO per diluted share is a useful supplemental measure of our operating performance and that the presentation of FFO per diluted share, when combined with the primary GAAP presentation of earnings per share, provides beneficial information to investors. By excluding the effect of real estate depreciation, amortization and gains and losses from sales of real estate, all of which are based on historical cost accounting and which may be of lesser significance in evaluating current performance, we believe such measures can facilitate comparisons of operating performance between periods and with other REITs, even though FFO per diluted share does not represent an amount that accrues directly to holders of our common stock. Historical cost accounting for real estate assets implicitly assumes that the value of real estate assets diminishes predictably over time. As noted by NAREIT in its April 2002 "White Paper on Funds From Operations," since real estate values have historically risen or fallen with market conditions, many industry investors have considered presentation of operating results for real estate companies that use historical cost accounting to be insufficient by themselves. For these reasons, NAREIT adopted the definition of FFO in order to promote an industry-wide measure of REIT operating performance. EBITDA Earnings before Interest Expense, Income Taxes, Depreciation and Amortization (EBITDA) is a commonly used measure of performance in many industries. Management believes EBITDA provides useful information to investors regarding our results of operations because it helps us and our investors evaluate the ongoing operating performance of our properties and facilitates comparisons between us and other lodging REITs, hotel owners who are not REITs and other capital-intensive companies. Management uses EBITDA to evaluate property-level results and as one measure in determining the value of acquisitions and dispositions and, like FFO per diluted share, it is widely used by management in the annual budget process. Adjusted EBITDA As of October 9, 2007, Host owns approximately 97% of the partnership interest of Host LP and is its sole general partner. We conduct all of our operations through Host LP, and Host LP is the obligor on our senior notes and on our credit facility. Historically, management has adjusted EBITDA when evaluating our performance because we believe that the exclusion of certain additional recurring and non-recurring items described below provides useful supplemental information to investors regarding our ongoing operating performance and that the presentation of Adjusted EBITDA, when combined with the primary GAAP presentation of net income, is beneficial to an investor's complete understanding of our operating performance. In addition, the Adjusted EBITDA of Host LP is presented because we believe it is a relevant measure in calculating certain credit ratios, since Host LP is the owner of all of our hotels and is the obligor on our debt noted above. We adjust EBITDA for the following items, which may occur in any period, and refer to this measure as Adjusted EBITDA: -- Gains and Losses on Dispositions -- We exclude the effect of gains and losses recorded on the disposition of assets in our consolidated statement of operations because we believe that including them in EBITDA is not consistent with reflecting the ongoing performance of our remaining assets. In addition, material gains or losses from the depreciated value of the disposed assets could be less important to investors given that the depreciated asset often does not reflect the market value of real estate assets (as noted above for FFO). -- Consolidated Partnership Adjustments -- We exclude the minority interest in the income or loss of our consolidated partnerships as presented in our consolidated statement of operations because we believe that including these amounts in EBITDA does not reflect the effect of the minority interest position on our performance because these amounts include our minority partners' pro-rata portion of depreciation, amortization and interest expense. However, we believe that the cash distributions paid to minority partners are a more relevant measure of the effect of our minority partners' interest on our performance, and we have deducted these cash distributions from Adjusted EBITDA. -- Equity Investment Adjustments -- We exclude the equity in earnings (losses) of unconsolidated investments in partnerships and joint ventures as presented in our consolidated statement of operations because our percentage interest in the earnings (losses) does not reflect the impact of our minority interest position on our performance and these amounts include our pro-rata portion of depreciation, amortization and interest expense. However, we believe that cash distributions we receive are a more relevant measure of the performance of our investment and, therefore, we include the cash distributed to us from these investments in the calculation of Adjusted EBITDA. -- Cumulative effect of a change in accounting principle -- Infrequently, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) promulgates new accounting standards that require the consolidated statement of operations to reflect the cumulative effect of a change in accounting principle. We exclude these one-time adjustments because they do not reflect our actual performance for that period. -- Impairment Losses -- We exclude the effect of impairment losses recorded because we believe that including them in EBITDA is not consistent with reflecting the ongoing performance of our remaining assets. In addition, we believe that impairment charges are similar to gains (losses) on dispositions and depreciation expense, both of which are also excluded from EBITDA. Limitations on the Use of FFO per Diluted Share, EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA We calculate FFO per diluted share in accordance with standards established by NAREIT, which may not be comparable to measures calculated by other companies who do not use the NAREIT definition of FFO or calculate FFO per diluted share in accordance with NAREIT guidance. In addition, although FFO per diluted share is a useful measure when comparing our results to other REITs, it may not be helpful to investors when comparing us to non-REITs. EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA, as presented, may also not be comparable to measures calculated by other companies. This information should not be considered as an alternative to net income, operating profit, cash from operations or any other operating performance measure calculated in accordance with GAAP. Cash expenditures for various long-term assets (such as renewal and replacement capital expenditures), interest expense (for EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA purposes only) and other items have been and will be incurred and are not reflected in the EBITDA, Adjusted EBITDA and FFO per diluted share presentations. Management compensates for these limitations by separately considering the impact of these excluded items to the extent they are material to operating decisions or assessments of our operating performance. Our consolidated statement of operations and cash flows include interest expense, capital expenditures, and other excluded items, all of which should be considered when evaluating our performance, as well as the usefulness of our non-GAAP financial measures. Additionally, FFO per diluted share, EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA should not be considered as a measure of our liquidity or indicative of funds available to fund our cash needs, including our ability to make cash distributions. In addition, FFO per diluted share does not measure, and should not be used as a measure of, amounts that accrue directly to stockholders' benefit. Comparable Hotel Operating Results We present certain operating results for our hotels, such as hotel revenues, expenses, adjusted operating profit (and the related margin) and food and beverage adjusted profit (and the related margin), on a comparable hotel, or "same store," basis as supplemental information for investors. Our comparable hotel results present operating results for hotels owned during the entirety of the periods being compared without giving effect to any acquisitions or dispositions, significant property damage or large scale capital improvements incurred during these periods. We present these comparable hotel operating results by eliminating corporate-level costs and expenses related to our capital structure, as well as depreciation and amortization. We eliminate corporate-level costs and expenses to arrive at property-level results because we believe property-level results provide investors with supplemental information into the ongoing operating performance of our hotels. We eliminate depreciation and amortization because, even though depreciation and amortization are property-level expenses, these non-cash expenses, which are based on historical cost accounting for real estate assets, implicitly assume that the value of real estate assets diminishes predictably over time. As noted earlier, because real estate values have historically risen or fallen with market conditions, many industry investors have considered presentation of operating results for real estate companies that use historical cost accounting to be insufficient by themselves. As a result of the elimination of corporate-level costs and expenses and depreciation and amortization, the comparable hotel operating results we present do not represent our total revenues, expenses, operating profit or operating profit margin and should not be used to evaluate our performance as a whole. Management compensates for these limitations by separately considering the impact of these excluded items to the extent they are material to operating decisions or assessments of our operating performance. Our consolidated statements of operations include such amounts, all of which should be considered by investors when evaluating our performance. We present these hotel operating results on a comparable hotel basis because we believe that doing so provides investors and management with useful information for evaluating the period-to-period performance of our hotels and facilitates comparisons with other hotel REITs and hotel owners. In particular, these measures assist management and investors in distinguishing whether increases or decreases in revenues and/or expenses are due to growth or decline of operations at comparable hotels (which represent the vast majority of our portfolio) or from other factors, such as the effect of acquisitions or dispositions. While management believes that presentation of comparable hotel results is a "same store" supplemental measure that provides useful information in evaluating our ongoing performance, this measure is not used to allocate resources or to assess the operating performance of each of these hotels, as these decisions are based on data for individual hotels and are not based on comparable hotel results. For these reasons, we believe that comparable hotel operating results, when combined with the presentation of GAAP operating profit, revenues and expenses, provide useful information to investors and management. DATASOURCE: Host Hotels & Resorts, Inc.

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