RLJ Lodging Trust

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Board Qualifications, Attributes, Skills and Background

Trustee Selection Process

For all trustees, we require integrity, personal and professional ethics, business judgment, and the ability and willingness to commit sufficient time to the Board. Our Board considers many factors in evaluating the suitability of individual trustee candidates, including their general understanding of global business, sales and marketing, finance, and other disciplines relevant to the success of a large, publicly traded company; understanding of our business and technology; educational and professional background; personal accomplishments; and gender, age and ethnic diversity. The Board is committed to actively seeking highly qualified women and individuals from minority groups to include in the pool from which new trustee candidates are selected.

To further the Company’s goal of ensuring that our Board consists of a diversified group of qualified individuals who function effectively as a group and will drive shareholder value, our Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee seeks trustee candidates that possess a reputation, both personal and professional, consistent with the image and reputation of the Company, as well as a willingness and ability to devote adequate time and resources to perform Board duties diligently.

In addition to our Corporate Governance Guidelines that emphasize the minimum standards to be used in considering potential trustee candidates, the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee also has approved a written policy regarding qualification and nomination of trustee candidates. Among other things, the policy sets forth certain additional qualities and skills that, while not a prerequisite for nomination, are considered by the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee when evaluating a particular trustee candidate. These additional qualities and skills include the following:

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Whether the person possesses specific industry knowledge, expertise or contacts, including in the commercial real estate industry and has familiarity with the general issues affecting the Company’s business

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The importance of a diversified Board membership, in terms of both individuals involved and their various experiences and expertise

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Whether the person would qualify as an “independent trustee” under the NYSE’s listing standards and our Corporate Governance Guidelines

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The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee will seek to identify trustee candidates based on input provided by several sources, including:

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Other members of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee

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Other members of the Board

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Shareholders of the Company

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The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee also has the authority to consult with or retain advisors or search firms to assist in the identification of qualified trustee candidates and has engaged a search firm in prior searches; however, we do not currently employ a search firm, or pay a fee to any other third party, to locate qualified trustee candidates.

As part of the candidate identification process, the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee evaluates the skills, expertise and diversity possessed by the current Board, and whether there are additional skills, expertise or diversity that should be added to complement the composition of the existing Board. The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee considers whether existing trustees have indicated a willingness to continue to serve as trustees if re-nominated. Once trustee candidates have been identified, the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee will then evaluate each candidate in light of his or her qualifications and credentials, and any additional factors the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee deems necessary or appropriate.

Existing trustees who are being considered for re-nomination will be re-evaluated as part of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee’s process of recommending trustee candidates. All candidates submitted by shareholders will be evaluated in the same manner, provided that advance notice and other requirements set forth in our bylaws have been followed.

After completing the identification and evaluation process described above, the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee recommends to the Board the nomination of candidates equal to the number of trustee positions to be filled at the Annual Meeting of Shareholders. The Board selects the Board’s trustee nominees for shareholders to consider and vote upon at the Annual Meeting of Shareholders.

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Board Refreshment

Our Board believes that a fully engaged Board is a strategic asset of the Company, and that knowledgeable and fresh viewpoints and perspectives are important for informed decision-making. The Board also believes appropriate tenure can facilitate trustees developing greater institutional knowledge and deeper insight into the Company’s operations across a variety of economic and competitive environments.

Prior to Board vacancies, the Board periodically evaluates whether it collectively has the right balance of skills, experience, attributes and diverse viewpoints necessary for it to drive shareholder value. The results of this evaluation help inform the Board of the desirable skills preferred for potential Board nominees and to screen trustee candidates.

As part of planning for Board refreshment and trustee succession, the practice of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee has been to periodically consider potential trustee candidates. As a result of this ongoing review, in the last nine years the Board has appointed five new trustees.

With the Board’s recommended slate of nine nominees, the Board believes it has an appropriately balanced board and will continue to consider opportunities to strengthen the Board’s composition over time. As a group, the average tenure of the nominees for election to the Board is approximately ten years.

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Board Diversity

Our Corporate Governance Guidelines list the various characteristics the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee should consider in reviewing candidates for the Board. In addition to relevant business experience, qualifications, attributes, skills and willingness to devote sufficient time to the Board and its committees, our Corporate Governance Guidelines enumerate personal characteristics that should be considered, including reputation, high integrity, ability to exercise sound judgment and an adherence to the highest ethical standards.

To ensure the Board benefits from diverse perspectives, our Board and Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee seek qualified nominees from a variety of backgrounds, including candidates of age, gender and ethnic diversity. The Board and Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee consider our Board’s diversity as a strength. To that end, we evaluate such characteristics in concert with the business and personal

characteristics described above. The result is a slate of trustee nominees where 67% of our trustee nominees contribute to gender/ethnic diversity.

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