Service Properties Trust — Proxy Solicitation & Information Statement 2009

May 1, 2009

DEFA14A 1 a09-11616_2defa14a.htm DEFA14A

| UNITED
STATES | | |
| --- | --- | --- |
| SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION | | |
| Washington, D.C. 20549 | | |
| SCHEDULE 14A | | |
| SCHEDULE
14A INFORMATION | | |
| Proxy
Statement Pursuant to Section 14(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 | | |
| Filed by the Registrant x | | |
| Filed by a Party other than the
Registrant o | | |
| Check the appropriate box: | | |
| o | Preliminary Proxy Statement | |
| o | Confidential, for
Use of the Commission Only (as permitted by Rule 14a-6(e)(2)) | |
| o | Definitive Proxy Statement | |
| x | Definitive Additional Materials | |
| o | Soliciting Material Pursuant to
§240.14a-12 | |
| HOSPITALITY
PROPERTIES TRUST | | |
| (Name
of Registrant as Specified In Its Charter) | | |
| (Name
of Person(s) Filing Proxy Statement, if other than the Registrant) | | |
| Payment of Filing Fee (Check the
appropriate box): | | |
| x | No fee required. | |
| o | Fee computed on table below per
Exchange Act Rules 14a-6(i)(1) and 0-11. | |
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which transaction applies: |
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which transaction applies: |
| | (3) | Per unit price or other underlying
value of transaction computed pursuant to Exchange Act Rule 0-11 (set forth
the amount on which the filing fee is calculated and state how it was
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materials. | |
| o | Check box if any part of the fee is
offset as provided by Exchange Act Rule 0-11(a)(2) and identify the filing
for which the offsetting fee was paid previously. Identify the previous
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| | (1) | Amount Previously Paid: |
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| 400 Centre
Street, Newton, MA 02458-2076 |
| --- |
| May 1, 2009 |

To HPT Shareholders:

*VOTE AGAINST PROPOSAL #3*

On April 23, 2009, CalPERS, a public employee pension plan, distributed information about HPT’s historical performance we believe is materially misleading. CalPERS compared HPT’s stock market performance with companies in the Russell 1000 Index. As CalPERS knows, HPT’s investments are concentrated in hospitality real estate; and investments in hospitality stocks are among the most likely to follow the business cycle. A proper basis to evaluate HPT’s performance is to compare it with the performance of all other real estate investment trusts with concentrated investments in the hospitality industry (as compiled by SNL Financial — a leading independent real estate research firm), as follows:

	Companies listed	HPT Rank by total return
Periods ending	As hotel REITs	to shareholders (#1 equals
March 31, 2009	by SNL Financial*	highest total return)
5 years	8 hotel REITs	#1
3 years	11 hotel REITs	#1
1 year	11 hotel REITs	#1

We do not know with certainty what has motivated CalPERS, but we are concerned that a vote to support their proposal will empower so called “activists” to take advantage of temporary market conditions to destroy a company with a proven record of performance.

*VOTE AGAINST PROPOSAL #3*

CalPERS’s Proposal #3 seeks to declassify HPT’s Board. However, CalPERS failed to disclose that its own elected trustees serve staggered terms expiring in different years. No one, including the HPT Board and management, is pleased with the recent stock market performance of our shares, but now is not the time to change the management structure which has produced consistently superior returns for shareholders.

*VOTE AGAINST PROPOSAL #3*

Sincerely,
●	For more information
contact
	HPT’S proxy solicitor
	INNISFREE (877)
825-8971
John G. Murray
President

*** / SNL classified hotel REITs include: Ashford Hospitality Trust, Diamond Rock Hospitality; Felcor Lodging Trust; Hersha Hospitality Trust; HPT; Host Hotels & Resorts; LaSalle Hotel Properties; MHI Hospitality; Supertel Hospitality; Sunstone Hotel Investors; and Strategic Hotels & Resorts.

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