Final Results

RNS Number : 9366V
Safestay PLC
15 August 2022
 

 

Safestay plc

("Safestay", the "Company" or the "Group")

Final Results for the year Ended 31 December 2021

Safestay (AIM: SSTY), the owner and operator of an international brand of contemporary hostels, is pleased to announce its Final Results for the 12 months to 31 December 2021.

2021 Financial highlights

 

· Covid-19 meant the Group's hostels were only open for 44% of 2021 (2020: 43%) and international travel was both restricted and significantly reduced

· Reflecting this challenging environment, total revenues were £6.4 million, an increase on 2020 (2020: £4.8 million) but still significantly below 2019

· Adjusted EBITDA loss of £1.0 million (2020 loss: £1.9 million). Adjusted EBITDA is earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation with non-recurring items and removes the profit on disposal of the properties

· EBITDA of £7.2 million including profit on property disposals (2020: loss of £3.0 million)

· Profit before tax of £0.7 million (2020: loss of £9.9 million)

· Loss per share of 0.93p (2020: loss of 11.88p)

· Available cash balances of £4.5 million, as at 31 December 2021, to support the ongoing recovery of the Group to pre-covid trading levels

· Completed the sale of Edinburgh and Barcelona Sea for £16.7 million and Safestay used this to reduce HSBC debt on 6 July 2021 by £10.2 million decreasing the debt to £12.7 million. The Group also has a £5.0 million government backed CBILS loan secured for 6 years on 16 December 2020, with repayment commencing 16 April 2022. Overall borrowings including property loans are £25 million as at 31 December 2021 (£40 million 31 December 2020)

· The gearing ratio (the ratio of debt to equity and is exclusive of lease liabilities) has decreased from 99% in 2020 to 56% in 2021 following the reduction in loans and property financing of £10.2 and £4.8 million respectively, plus the £3.3 million increase in equity. £3.6 million of this increase relates to property revaluations, £0.1 million to share based charges and £0.2 million to foreign exchange translation

2021 Operational highlights

· Beginning in April and by the end of July, all 16 hostels had re-opened as restrictions lifted and overall showed improved trading with demand initially focused on domestic customers but also gradually beginning to welcome back international visitors

· Throughout the portfolio the Company has maintained high levels of hygiene and sanitation to protect both staff and guests

· Organic and acquisition capital investment projects were on hold through 2021

Post-year end - 2022 year to date highlights

· Completed strategic review of the business and refocused the operational team on returning the business to pre-pandemic revenue levels. This has been achieved through improved marketing and revenue management strategies coupled with returning customer service to pre-pandemic levels

· Steady start over first 5 months of the year with revenue running at around 81% of pre-pandemic levels in-line with management's expectations

· Balance sheet remains strong with sufficient cash to support the business through to recovery

 

Larry Lipman, Chairman of the Company, commenting on the results said:

"We are seeing the steady recovery of our market with young travellers and schools once again visiting Europe's major cities. From our perspective, we always believed this would happen and that our hostels would again demonstrate their appeal to our target customers. Occupancy is increasing at an encouraging pace and at strong average bed rates with bookings for the summer ahead of our internal budget plans. We expect momentum to increase as travel returns to normal conditions."

Enquiries:

Safestay   plc   Tel: +44 (0) 20 8815 1600

Larry Lipman

Liberum (Nomad & Joint Broker)        Tel: +44 (0) 20 3100 2000

Andrew Godber / Edward Thomas / Miquela Bezuidenhoudt

Novella    Tel: +44 (0) 20 3151 7008

Tim Robertson / Safia Colebrook

 

 

CHAIRMAN'S STATEMENT

Introduction

2021 was another year of significant disruption. The year started with the global travel industry at a near standstill, it wasn't until April our hostels began to re-open, however the year ended with the new Omicron variant appearing, leading to further restrictions to trading, which meant our hostels were only able to open for 44% of the year.

These challenges were reflected in the Company's results for the year. However, unlike 2020, we entered 2021 with a much lower cost base and took the opportunity in the first half of the year to reduce debt and create liquidity with the disposal of our Edinburgh and Barcelona Sea hostels, which placed us in a good financial position to reset and prepare for when we were allowed to trade.

Our 2021 results show an improvement compared to 2020, but given the impact of the global pandemic, neither year reflects the true trading potential of the portfolio, and as such, for comparison, we have provided 2019 comparators to where appropriate.

Through the second half of 2021 the Board took the opportunity to review all strategic options with the business, including the potential for a sale, and whilst bids were received at a significant premium to share price at the time, they were conditional on our largest shareholders supporting an offer which they were not prepared to do as they are strong believers in the longer-term prospects of the Company. Consequently, the management are pleased to now focus solely on supporting the ongoing recovery of the business to pre-Covid levels and beyond.

The first five months of 2022, indicate Group trading is continuing to improve, in line with increasing demand and that bookings for the summer are in-line with management's expectations.

Financial Results

Revenue

Group revenue for the financial year ended 31 December 2021, increased by 33% to £6.4 million, although this was still significantly below pre covid levels (2020: £4.8m; 2019: 18.4 million).

The revenue in 2021 does not include £0.9 million (2020: £0.8 million) of grants received from governments and local authorities. These are reported separately, in administrative expenses for the £0.4 million payroll grants and as exceptional income for the £0.5 million other grants. 62% of the revenue came from non-UK properties (2020: 49%). The increase in revenue was in the non-UK properties 68% and the decrease in revenue was in the UK properties 1%.

Room revenue grew by 37% to £4.9 million (2020: £3.6 million) and food & beverage revenue as well as ancillary revenue were up 48%, to £1.3 million (2020: £0.9 million). Rental income has reduced to £0.2 million (2020: £0.4 million) due to the disposal of the Edinburgh hostel.

Historically, management focus has been the sale of beds and drive accommodation revenue, with all other income streams significantly lower. In a bid to maximise the revenue potential beyond beds, we have outsourced, on a revenue share basis, our Madrid food and beverage operations to Casa Suecia, who are steadily investing in the customer proposition and experience. Safestay receives the higher of a minimum guaranteed rent or an agreed % of the food and beverage revenue in return for Casa Suecia receiving the profit from this income stream by managing this part of the operation with its own staff.

Adjusted EBITDA

The Directors consider that an adjusted EBITDA provides a key measure of performance since it removes the impact of the profit on disposal of the properties, which is not a trading activity, along with the benefit of rent concessions received. Adjusted EBITDA for the year to December 2021 was a £1.0 million loss (2020: £1.9m loss; 2019: £6.1 million profit). Adjusted EBITDA represents earnings before interest, tax, depreciation, amortisation, profit on disposal and rent charges in the period.

 

 

 

 

 

Adjusted EBITDA is as follows:

 

2021

£'000

 

2020

As Restated

£'000

Operating Profit after exceptional expenses

3,393

(7,176)

Add back:



Depreciation

1,434

1,541

Right of Use Depreciation

2,243

2,459

Amortisation

96

199

Actual EBITDA

7,166

(2,977)

Impairment

-

1,491

Profit on disposal - Edinburgh

(7,511)

-

Loss on disposal - Barcelona Sea

554

-

Exceptional expenses

-

261

Rent concessions

(1,275)

(904)

Share based payment expense

72

279

Adjusted EBITDA

(994)

(1,850)

 

The exceptional expenses in 2020 totalled £0.3 million and included costs in relation to acquisitions made in 2020, and debt fees write off relating to re-financing.

Share-based provision was increased partly due to salary sacrifice being replaced with share options during COVID-19.

Finance Costs

Finance costs in 2021 were £2.7 million (2020: £2.8 million) as follows:


2021

2020

Lease finance

1,741

1,558

Property financing costs

197

343

HSBC debt facility interests

695

625

Other finance charges

68

224

Finance costs

2,701

2,750

 

 

 


Following the sale of our Edinburgh hostel at the end of June, Safestay reduced its HSBC debt on 6 July 2021 by £10.2m reducing bank debt to £12.7 million. The Group also has a £5.0 million government backed CBILS loan secured for 6 years on 16 December 2020, with repayment commencing 16 April 2022.

In addition, the Company has two government backed loans in Germany (£0.2 million) and Austria (£0.2 million). Since the introduction of IFRS 16 from 1 January 2019, our hostel leases have been accounted for as lease liabilities. At the lease commencement date, the Group recognises a right-of-use asset and a lease liability on the balance sheet. The rental charge is replaced with interest and depreciation. In 2021, the finance costs include £1.7 million of lease interest (2020: £1.6 million). The £1.28 million (2020: £0.9 million) reduction negotiated with our landlords was treated as rent concessions in administrative expenses in full in both the current and prior year.

Earnings per Share

Basic loss per share for the year ended 31 December 2021 was 0.93p (2020: loss 11.88p) based on the weighted number of shares, 64,679,014 (2020: 64,679,014) in issue during the year.

The Group made a £0.6 million net loss in 2021 (2020 loss: £7.5 million; 2019 loss: £1.0 million).

Cash flow, capital expenditure and debt

Net cash generated from operations was (£1.3) million (2020: (£4.3) million).

The £1.6 million increase in income from the hostels resulted in additional operating profit of £3.4 million, excluding the profit on disposal, due to the drive to reduce the cost structure. The hostel and the majority of the central teams were furloughed during the lockdowns, and the head office cost structure has been significantly reduced since November 2020 when the directors and senior management agreed to reduce their salary by 40% in return for share options. The rental charge was reduced by £2 million via a mix of reduction (£1.3 million) and deferments (£0.9 million). In addition, all capital expenditure has been restricted from March 2020.

The Group had cash balances of £4.5 million at 31 December 2021 (2020: £2.1 million).

Following the measures implemented in 2020 to navigate the global pandemic to focus on preserving and managing cash, capital expenditure was restricted through 2021 to essential capital necessary to optimise revenues in our existing portfolio on re-opening, following a sustained period of being mothballed in line with legislative requirements.

Outstanding bank debt as at 31 December 2021 was £18 million (2020: £28 million). This includes a £12.7 million loan with HSBC (2020: £22.9 million), minus the £0.1 million amortised loan fees (2020: £0.3 million), the £5.0 million government backed CBILS loan received in December 2020, and the two government backed loans received via our local entities in Germany and Vienna for £0.2 million each.  The lease liabilities amount to £33 million (2020: £39 million).

The gearing ratio (exclusive of lease liabilities) has decreased from 99% in 2020 to 56% in 2021 following the reduction in loans and property financing of £10.4 and £5.2 million respectively, plus the £3.3 million increase in Equity.

The HSBC debt covenants were waived until June 2021, and then adjusted and waived covenants are agreed until December 2022.

Net asset value per share increased to 47p (2020: 42p) as a result of an improved net profit position in 2021.

The Directors believe the existing cash and facilities in place, the increase in occupancy forecast and the reduction in the cost base will allow them to continue as a going concern, despite the lingering impact of COVID-19 and travel restrictions. For these reasons, they continue to adopt the going-concern basis in preparing the Company's financial statements.

2020 Qualification Elimination

In 2020 Grant Thornton provided a qualified opinion on the financial statements because they were unable to obtain sufficient appropriate audit evidence to substantiate historic accounting entries on goodwill and reserves in relation to the acquisition of Edinburgh. This qualification became redundant following the sale of Edinburgh in June 2021, as the subsequent accounting treatment for the disposal pushes the final accounting entries through reserves which is consistent with the approach taken in 2020.

Operational Review

Like 2020, 2021 was another unusual year, operating under the restrictions for parts of the year imposed by the pandemic. The hospitality industry was more affected than most and Safestay was no exception.

We entered 2021 with all hostels closed, and at the end of April tentatively started to re-open initially in Edinburgh with all hostels finally open by the end of July.  Whilst hostels were allowed to be open, travel, although possible, was restricted and barriers to travel made it hard for customers to move outside of their own country.

Operational procedures were reset and fully adapted to the new safety protocols and standards to keep both customers and employees safe. Week after week, occupancy gradually increased with October and November seeing our hostels return to a positive hostel EBITDA before rent, before Omicron hit in December and a return to further travel restrictions and some countries into lockdown.

The travel restriction had a particular impact on group bookings, with the majority of schools and clubs deferring a return until 2022, but our policy of focusing our marketing activity in the digital space, our own web site investment and booking platforms meant that individual travellers have been attracted to our hostels.

Going into 2022, we are reverting to targeting a revenue split of 40% from a broad range of group bookings, 20% from direct individual bookings and 40% through Online Travel Agencies ('OTAs'). Thereby spreading our revenue generation beyond OTAs to the higher margin direct and group bookings.

Safestay continues to be positioned at the premium end of the hostel market. In 2019, the Group began a renovation programme to maintain these standards. Once the business returns to normal we expect to re-commence this programme which supports our ability to maintain the Company's premium positioning and high guest satisfaction scores.

The Group has a unique network in Europe which provides the opportunity to offer young travellers and groups visiting Europe, accommodation in multiple cities in one packaged deal. In addition, it provides Safestay with a natural hedge against currency and economic volatility.

The Board

Paul Hingston joined the board as CFO and Company secretary on 21 February 2022. Paul has extensive leisure and travel sector experience, most recently he was Group Finance Director for Starboard Hotels Ltd. Peter Harvey decided to step down from the position of Chief Financial Officer and Company Secretary on 21 February 2022 and I would like to thank him, on behalf of the Board, for his contribution through what we trust has been the final stages of the pandemic and the re-opening of our hostel estate. Additionally, Nuno Sacramento resigned from his position as Chief Operating Officer on 17 June 2022.

Outlook

Utilising our unique portfolio, our longer-term strategy remains focused on offering a comfortable and safe stay in beautiful, often iconic buildings that are centrally located, in well-known and popular cities but still with a bed rate representing outstanding value for money. Ultimately, we believe the appeal of our offer combined with the proven appeal of visiting Europe's ancient leading cities will underpin the full recovery of our business. Bookings for the summer period are ahead of our internal budgets and we are looking forward to delivering a much-improved summer trading period.

 

Larry Lipman

Chairman

12 August 2022

Strategic Report

Principal activity

The principal activity of the Group comprises the operation and development of high-quality traveller accommodation under the Safestay brand in properties that are either owned or occupied on leasehold.

The Business Model

The Safestay business model is to develop and operate a brand of contemporary hostels in the UK and key tourist cities in Europe. The Safestay brand is positioned at the premium end of the hostel spectrum appealing to a broad range of guests. Core elements of the model are:

· Development: Identifying potential properties in target cities, acquiring the leasehold or freehold in the properties and their contemporary, stylish refurbishment to fit with the brand

· Operational: Deploying a strong hostel expertise and cost control to achieve best in class operating margins

· Brand: Building the Safestay brand value

· Scale: Building the platform to efficiently add further hostels to the Group

· People: Investing in the right people where automation cannot be adopted

· Guest experience: Providing a comfortable, safe and enjoyable stay in our hostels for a reasonable price with a focus on customer satisfaction, a strong community experience and repeat stays.

Section 172(1) statement

 

The directors understand the importance of their section 172 duty and the need to act in a way the directors consider, in good faith, would be most likely to promote the success of the company for the benefit of its members, and in doing so have regard, amongst other matters to:

• the likely consequences of any decisions in the long term;

• the interests of employees;

• the need to foster business relationships with suppliers, customers and others;

• the impact of operations on the community and environment;

• the desirability of maintaining a reputation for high standards of business conduct; and

• the need to act fairly as between members of the Company.

This duty underpins the Board's decision-making processes and the Group's strategic direction, with due consideration given to the long-term impact of its decisions on shareholders, employees, customers and wider stakeholders. Practical measures that the Board takes to ensure the interests of these stakeholders are reflected in the Board's decision-making process are as follows:

Customers

Customer engagement levels is a key performance indicator of our business. We use this customer feedback to continuously improve our product and level of service in the hostels. The Company also directly engages with customers via social media to share information and collect further feedback. This communication channel was used throughout the pandemic to maintain a close connection with our customers when the hostels were closed during the Pandemic.

As a result of engagement with customers, due to the impact of Covid-19, the decision was made that the period in which customers were able to re-book their cancelled stay would be extended. In addition, the bookings were made more flexible and could be transferred to other Safestay hostels, if the hostel they had booked remained closed.

· Employees

Employees are at the heart of the hospitality industry and the directors know that the long-term success of the Company and its ability to continue to extend its unique pan-European hostel network will rely on a strong company culture, employees' wellbeing, and efficient succession planning. Except for the period when meetings are impacted with social distancing measures and travel restrictions, some Board Meetings would take place in hostels to encourage direct contact between the Board and the operational teams. Bi-annual meetings are organised with all managers to share best practice, company information and help build a positive culture amongst the teams.

Social media is used amongst the teams to encourage regular communication across the Group. Weekly team meetings, which all happen remotely via video conferencing systems, have continued to take place with managers during the pandemic to maintain a strong level of engagement amongst the teams and make a smooth transition towards re-opening the hostels when restrictions end.

As a result of Covid-19 the Company engaged with employees to manage the liquidity of the business including the offering of share options in respect of salary replacement.

Suppliers

Where possible, the Company forms long-term relationships with suppliers, so that the Company and its suppliers have a more certain environment in which to operate. This also applies to landlords of the 12 hostels operated by the Group under lease agreements. The ability of the Company to build strong links with suppliers has been instrumental to successfully negotiating rent reductions and deferments during the pandemic and mitigate the closure of the hostels and the significant loss in income which has resulted.

Shareholders

In addition to the annual general meeting, the directors hold meetings with institutional shareholders following the release of year end and interim results and remain available for ad hoc meetings throughout the year. In addition, the executive directors have participated in shareholder conferences to present their business and strategy and obtain live and direct feedback from non-institutional shareholders. The Company website includes an investor section where shareholders can find all relevant information and reports.

The Board believes communication with stakeholders helps to shape and adapt the Company's strategy and ultimately contributes to maintaining a high standard of business conduct. The directors will always assess the consequences of any decision over the long term. For example, decisions over whether to acquire or develop new properties follows a rigorous process involving long term financial assessment and commercial study, all in conjunction with the funding capabilities of the Company. Similarly, the Company uses customer satisfaction reports to help allocate the way funds are deployed under an annual capex improvement programme to enhance the experience of customers and ultimately safeguard brand equity.

The Company complies with the UK's Quoted Companies Alliance Corporate Governance code for Small and Mid-Size Quoted Companies (the "QCA Code") and further information is publicised in the investor section of the Company website. https://www.safestay.com/investors/

· Engagement with the wider community

The board ensures that decisions made are responsible and ethical by taking into consideration the wider society external to the organisation. The Group is committed to contributing to the community in which it operates as a business. The Company is using its footprint in each country to encourage local initiatives via the local management and staff.

· Anti-bribery

The Company is committed to the prevention of bribery by those employed and associated with it and is committed to carrying out business fairly, honestly and openly, with zero-tolerance towards bribery. All employees have a responsibility to prevent, detect and report all instances of bribery as stated in our employee handbook.

Review of business and future prospects

Key Metrics


2021

2020

2019

Occupancy %

35.4%

37.9%

77.3%

Average Bed Rate

£19.7

£18.3

£21.4

Room Revenues (£'000)

4,901

3,570

15,115

Total Revenues (£'000)

6,423

4,831

18,379

Net cash (used in)/generated from operations (£'000)

(1,323)

(4,347)

5,228

Net assets per share

47p

42p

55p

 

The occupancy is calculated by dividing the number of beds sold over the period with the number of beds available when the hostels were opened during the same period. It means that in 2020 and 2021 the occupancy was calculated specifically for those days when the hostels were not closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The underlying business generated revenues of £6.4 million (2020: £4.8 million; 2019: £18.4 million).

Operating profit was £3.4 million (2020: £7.2 million loss) and an underlying adjusted negative EBITDA, as defined in the Chairman's statement, of £1.0 million (2020: £1.9 million loss) for the year to 31 December 2021. Actual EBITDA profit is £7 million (2020: £3 million loss) and Profit before Tax is £0.7 million (2020: Loss of £9.9 million). The business was severely impacted by the pandemic in 2021 and the loss does not reflect the underlying healthy business model which was cash generative in 2019 and was expected to break even in 2020 when the Company hit the critical mass of 18 hostels to absorb the central cost of managing the pan-European platform.

2021 was another challenging year which both impacted the results of the Group and arrested our expansion plan. However, it continued to demonstrate the sustained resilience of the teams in the hostels and head office, and their ability to pivot under exceptional circumstances.  It was also comforting to benefit from the support of our bank, landlords and shareholders, reflecting their confidence in the model developed so far, and the value of the Safestay brand.

The Group completed on the disposal of two hostels in 2021 to provide the Company with the necessary funding to meet the short-term and mid-term cash requirement. The Barcelona Sea hostel was sold in February 2021 for a £0.7 million consideration, and the Edinburgh hostel was sold for £16 million in June 2021. The combination of these disposals and cost saving measures, which have been implemented by management since March 2020, ensuring the Company has sufficient financial liquidity to support the business in its recovery following the pandemic.

The Group is currently not committed to any future acquisition projects or development. However, the Group is hoping to capitalise on this position to seize opportunities and aggregate a fragmented market which will have become even more inclined to consolidate following the COVID-19 period.

Social matters

Safestay provided jobs for over 200 people pre COVID-19. This number did reduce during COVID whilst the hostels were temporarily closed, and most of the staff employed by the Company during this period were on furlough.

The Company operates in 12 different countries and has established local operating entities in each of the countries where our hostels are located. This gives us the ability to hire employees locally and offer them employment contracts and social benefits in full compliance with each relevant jurisdiction. This also includes the relevant level of hospitality training as well as mandatory training courses.

Maintaining a reputation for high standards of business conduct

The Board is mindful that the continued growth and success of the Group is dependent upon maintaining high standards of business conduct, including:

· The ability to successfully compete within the market, to attract and retain clients, and to service these clients to a high standard;

· The ability to attract and retain high quality employees;

· The ability to attract investors and to meet their expectations of good governance and sound business conduct;

· The ability to meet the Group's regulatory obligations, and to meet the expectations of relevant regulatory bodies.

This mindset underpins the formulation of the Group's strategy and is evident throughout the Board's decision-making process.

Ensuring that members of the Company are treated fairly

The Board ensures that the Group's shareholders are treated equally and fairly, regardless of the size of their shareholding or their status as a private or institutional shareholder. The Group provides clear and timely communications to all shareholders in their chosen communication medium, as well as via the Group's website and via a Regulatory News Service. All holders of Ordinary shares are able to vote at general meetings of the Company.

Environment

The Company is mindful of the importance of reducing environmental impact wherever possible and has implemented several initiatives to achieve a sustainable future. The Company intends to continuously review and increase its efforts in this area. As an example, in all Safestay properties, we minimise the use of plastics wherever possible seeking more sustainable alternatives. This enables us to reduce our environmental footprint and helps us build a reputation with our guests as it meets their environmental expectations. We reuse and recycle the plastic we do use. We are also constantly reviewing our CO2 emissions.  We are committed to reducing Scope 1 and 2 emissions - for example, in the future, we would like to incorporate water-saving products in our showers to encourage our guests to be mindful of water wastage. We will also look to reduce Scope 3 emissions working only with trusted suppliers.

We have a unique carbon impact tool which we offer to our guests. This gives them the opportunity to test their carbon impact by using an online carbon calculator on our website with the aim to increase the overall awareness and desire to act responsively during their journey.

More information is available on our website at https://www.safestay.com/corporate-social-responsibility/ .

Employee diversity

The Company is committed to diverse representation at all levels. We are mindful that there is still work to be done to achieve these goals and are looking to make significant progress in our recruitment, retention and promotion strategies as we emerge from the pandemic.

The following table reports on the gender diversity of the Group's employees at 31 December 2021:


Male

Female

Directors

5

0

Senior Managers

1

3

 

Employment of disabled people

It is the policy of the Group to employ disabled persons in the job suited to their aptitudes, abilities and qualifications whenever practicable, endeavour to continue to employ those who become disabled whilst in the Group's employment and to provide disabled employees with the same opportunities for promotion, career development and training as those afforded to other employees.

 

Human rights

The Company is committed to respecting human rights within our business by complying with all relevant laws and regulations. We prohibit any form of discrimination, forced, trafficked or child labour and are committed to safe and healthy working conditions for all individuals, whether employed by the Company directly or by a supplier in our supply chain.

Legal and ethical conduct

The Company has comprehensive measures to meet its statutory requirements across all areas of its operation, and those expected by our customers and employees, as necessary, for the long-term success of the business. Risks in this area can occur from corruption, bribery, and human rights abuses, including discrimination, harassment, and bullying. The Company has training programmes for all employees. We take a zero-tolerance approach to bribery and are committed to acting professionally, fairly and with integrity in all our business dealings and relationships wherever we operate and implementing and enforcing effective procedures to counter bribery as documented in the Company anti bribery policy signed by the directors.

Principal risks and uncertainties

Management has completed a full review of the risks which may arise from within or outside the business and may have an impact on the Company.

COVID-19 was also identified as an emerging risk for the period ending 31 December 2019 as it arose as a post balance sheet event. The Group's operations have a relatively limited impact on the environment, and therefore climate change has not been identified as an emerging risk. No other emerging risks have been identified at this point. There has been no identified change in the principal risks and uncertainties.

The principal risks and uncertainties that could potentially have a material impact on the Group's performance are presented below.

· COVID-19

Although no business can be fully prepared for a worldwide catastrophe, the financial health of Safestay, strength of the underlying business and prompt reaction of management at the start of the crisis in March 2020 have helped to mitigate the impact of this unexpected event, and the lessons learnt will help build stronger processes and policies to combat any similar event in the future.

From an operational perspective, our safety protocols have already been tested during the summer 2020 after the first lockdown and our hostels and teams were ready for the initial re-opening from May 2021, focused on protecting employees and guests against the risk of the COVID-19. The Company website has been updated to inform guests of the new safety protocols and ongoing expectations.

As set out in last year's report we have set out a safety standard that continues to be deployed across all Safestay properties and involves the release of an internal certification to hostels each time they re-open. This is being closely monitored and accessed by our management team to ensure a safe space in public and private areas.

We expect that protocols will be lifted progressively as the restrictions are finally removed, in line with local and international guidance and regulation.

· Business risks

Safestay operates in the hospitality industry which, over the years, has experienced fluctuations in trading performance. Traditionally, the hotel sector's performance has tracked macro-economic trends, feeling the strain during the economic downturn, and becoming more buoyant during recovery. The hostel sector, which leans more heavily on leisure travellers and has a lower price point, has proved more resilient and has delivered more robust cash flows through the economic cycle and has quickly recovered from isolated terror acts which may limit travel in the short term. The hospitality sector in the UK continues to face a number of cost headwinds from the National Living Wage, commodity price inflation, foreign exchange rate fluctuations and the hangovers from the UK's departure from the European Union and the consequences of that. Business rates in the UK had continued to increase until 2020 when full relief was introduced from April 2020 until June 2021 as part of the government support measures.

A proportion of Safestay's business in the UK comes from Europe, including several school groups. In addition, over 60% of the turnover is coming from hostels located in mainland Europe. The business is therefore highly vulnerable to changes in the source market, schools' education, travel policies and any fluctuations arising in the market from the 'Brexit' process and travel restrictions implemented by the governments, or the school governance bodies.

Conversely, this balance between the UK and mainland Europe offers a natural hedging against fluctuations of each local market and currency where Safestay operates.

Post COVID-19 crisis, the demand in Safestay's markets has strengthened, as we expect that the existing supply within the competitor set will temporarily reduce, until the industry expands again. However, provision of new supply will increase again with the opportunity for real estate owners to repurpose and convert existing buildings previously used for retail or offices. Safestay's defence to such threats is the combination of our premium locations and high standard of accommodation and operations. As supply increases, the business's focus on revenue, customer service, and sales and marketing activity is key to protect and grow market share, brand loyalty and reputation. 

IT and system risks

Safestay's property management and accounting systems are deployed via SaaS (software as a service). As such the Group is dependent on robust internet connectivity and the resilience of the provider's third-party data centre and back-up protocols to operate.  Whilst the arrangement carries risks, these are deemed to be reduced when compared to an in-house option which would lead to higher management overhead costs for the business.  Management believes this current arrangement is more suitable to the business needs as well as being more cost effective due to the small size of our business. The other systems used are not deemed to be business critical.

The Company contracts the maintenance of the IT infrastructure with an external provider and has a cloud based back up system to secure all data which are not already covered via other SaaS suppliers. This is a more robust and flexible option compared to an in-house solution.

Expansion and regulatory risks

Accessing expansion opportunities at the right price and in the right locations is, by its nature, an opportunistic exercise. Whilst the leadership team has a track record in securing properties to support business growth, and the fact that the market should offer more real estate opportunities in the coming years, there is no guarantee that future opportunities can be secured, even if it is expected that the market will offer real estate opportunities when emerging from the COVID-19 crisis and existing property owners look for alternatives to office and retail asset classes.

Expansion in new jurisdictions and changes in regulation in countries where Safestay already operates is creating an environment where it is more likely to be in regulatory breach compared to a group which would only trade in one country. Safestay plc is a listed business and as such is bound to a very high level of compliance. The Board is composed of seven experienced non-executive and executive directors who all have a proven experience in hospitality and strong understanding of regulatory and compliance topics. Moreover, the Group works with local law firms in each country where it operates to gain access to the local expertise and guarantee full local compliance, notably via the obtention of relevant licenses. As opposed to other hospitality sectors, such as sharing economy or private rental, the hostel sector is built on strong regulation plus existing fundamentals and trade licences, which makes it less likely to require the introduction of more strict regulations.

Financial risk

The main £12.7 million facility with HSBC ends in January 2025. In December 2020, the Group received a £5.0 million CBILS (Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme) via HSBC. The CBILS will be repaid at a rate of £1.0 million per year from April 2022 until April 2027. The main £12.7 million facility is interest only from July 2021 following a £10.2 million repayment after the completion of the Edinburgh hostel disposal on 30 June 2021. These loans provide an efficient base from which to grow the business at a reduced 2.95% margin over SONIA for the main facility and 3.99% margin over base rate from year 2 for the CBILS. The CBILS was interest free in the first year.

Any increases in SONIA or base rate will increase the cost of these loans and therefore impact the net profit of the business (a 0.5% change in interest rate would impact the net profit before tax by £89,000). Strict financial controls are in place to ensure that monies cannot be expended above the available limits or to breach any banking covenants.

A proportion of Safestay's business comprises group bookings and there is a risk of booking cancellations which will leave the hostel with unforeseen beds to sell at relatively short notice. To offset this risk, all group bookings require a non-refundable deposit of 10% at time of confirmation and staged payments in advance of the group arrivals.

Except for a small number of credit sales for which applied credit limits are verified through external sources, Safestay has a policy of full payment upfront for guests staying which is the norm for hostels. As such there are negligible trade receivable risks.

Approved by the Board of Directors and signed on behalf of the Board.

 

 

Larry Lipman

Chairman

12 August 2022

Consolidated Income Statement

Note

2021

Continuing operations

£'000

2021

Discontinued operations

£'000

2021

Total

£'000

2020

As restated

Continuing operations

£'000

2020

As restated

Discontinued operations

£'000

2020

As restated

Total

£'000

Revenue

2

5,810

613

6,423

3,375

1,456

4,831

Cost of sales

3

(1,160)

(132)

(1,292)

(658)

(234)

(892)

Gross profit

 

4,650

481

5,131

2,717

1,222

3,939

Administrative expenses

5

(9,867)

(565)

(10,432)

(9,693)

(1,609)

(11,302)

Operating loss before exceptional items

 

(5,217)

(84)

(5,301)

(6,976)

(387)

(7,363)

Exceptional items - other operating income

5

1,737

-

1,737

448

-

448

Exceptional items - profit on disposal

5

-

7,511

7,511

-

-

-

Exceptional items - loss on disposal

5

-

(554)

(554)

-

-

-

Exceptional items - costs

5

-

-

-

(261)

-

(261)

Operating profit after exceptional items

 

(3,480)

6,873

3,393

(6,789)

(387)

(7,176)

Finance costs

6

(2,627)

(74)

(2,701)

(2,750)

-

(2,750)

Profit/(loss) before tax

 

(6,107)

6,799

692

(9,539)

(387)

(9,926)

Tax

8

218

(1,509)

(1,291)

2,198

205

2,403

Profit/(loss) for the financial year attributable to owners of the parent company

 

(5,889)

5,290

(599)

(7,341)

(182)

(7,523)


 







Basic profit/(loss) per share

9



(0.93p)



(11.63p)


















 

Consolidated Statement of Comprehensive Income

Year ended 31 December 2021

2021

 

£'000

2020

As restated

£'000




Profit/(loss) for the year

(599)

(7,523)

Exchange differences on translating foreign operations

169

(4)

Property revaluation

5,039

-

Deferred tax on property revaluation

(1,399)

(185)

Total comprehensive profit/(loss) for the year attributable to owners of the parent company

3,210

(7,712)

 

 

Consolidated Statement of Financial Position

31 Dec 2021

Note

2021

 

£'000

2020

As restated

£'000

Non-current assets




Property, plant and equipment (including right of use asset)

11

73,609

89,735

Intangible assets

12

18

921

Goodwill

12

12,146

13,569

Lease assets

17

562

-

Deferred tax asset

18

1,122

2,159

Total non-current assets

 

87,457

106,384

Current assets

 

 


Stock

 

35

47

Trade and other receivables

13

1,227

1,884

Lease assets

17

78

-

Current tax asset

 

199

289

Cash and cash equivalents

14

4,482

2,125

Total current assets

 

6,021

4,345

Total assets

 

93,478

110,729

Current liabilities

 

 


Borrowings

16

(926)

(311)

Lease liabilities

17

(1,922)

(1,932)

Trade and other payables

15

(2,062)

(2,409)

Current liabilities

 

(4,910)

(4,652)

Non-current liabilities

 

 


Borrowings

16

(24,028)

(40,043)

Lease liabilities

17

(31,086)

(37,089)

Trade and other payables due in more than one year

15

(7)

(336)

Deferred tax liabilities

18

(3,314)

(1,758)

Total non-current liabilities

 

(58,435)

(79,226)

Total liabilities

 

(63,345)

(83,878)

Net assets

 

30,133

26,851

Equity

 

 


Share capital

19

647

647

Share premium account

19

23,904

23,904

Other components of equity

19

18,510

14,629

Retained earnings


(12,928)

(12,329)

Total equity attributable to owners of the parent company


30,133

26,851

 

 

 


Consolidated Statement of Changes in Equity

31 December 2021

 

 

Share

Capital

£'000

Share

premium account

£'000

As restated Other

Components of

Equity

£'000

As restated Retained earnings

£'000

As restated Total

equity

£'000

Balance as at 1 January 2020 (as restated)

647

23,904

14,531

(4,806)

34,276

 






Comprehensive income






Loss for the year

-

-

-

(7,523)

(7,523)

Other comprehensive income






Movement in translation reserve (as restated)

-

-

4

-

4

Deferred tax on property revaluation (as restated)

-

-

(185)

-

(185)

Total comprehensive income

-

-

(181)

(7,523)

(7,704)

Transactions with owners






Share based payment charge for the period

-

-

279

-

279

Balance at 31 December 2020 (as restated)

647

23,904

14,629

(12,329)

26,851

 






Loss for the year

-

-

-

(599)

(599)

Other comprehensive income






Property revaluation

-

-

5,039

-

5,039

Deferred tax on property revaluation

-

-

(1,399)

-

(1,399)

Movement in translation reserve

-

-

169

-

169

Total comprehensive profit

-

-

3,809

(599)

3,210

 






Transactions with owners






Share based payment charge for the period

-

-

72

-

72

Balance at 31 December 2021

647

23,904

18,510

(12,928)

30,133

 

Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows - 31 Dec 2021

Note

2021

£'000

2020

£'000

Operating activities




Cash generated from operations

21

(1,272)

(4,228)

Income tax received/(paid)


(51)

(119)

Net cash (used in)/generated from operations


(1,323)

(4,347)

Investing activities




Purchases of property, plant and equipment


(307)

(985)

Purchases of intangible assets


-

(36)

Acquisitions, net of cash acquired

25

-

(2,003)

Payment of deferred consideration

 

-

(509)

Proceeds on sale of fixed assets


16,658

-

Net cash outflow from investing activities


16,351

(3,533)

Financing activities




Proceeds from refinancing transaction


-

5,681

Fees relating to financing transaction


-

(161)

Proceeds from Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme


-

5,000

Bank loans redeemed


(10,373)

-

Principal elements of lease payments


(1,810)

(2,514)

Property financing payments


-

(331)

Interest paid


(488)

(624)

Net cash generated from financing activities


(12,671)

7,051





Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of year


2,125

2,954

Net increase /(decrease) in cash and cash equivalents


2,357

(829)

Cash and cash equivalents at end of year

14

4,482

2,125

 

     

Notes to the Consolidated Financial Information

31 December 2021  

 

1.   Accounting policies for the group FINANCIAL Information

Safestay plc is listed on the AIM of the London Stock Exchange and was incorporated and is domiciled in the UK.

The Group  financial statements have been prepared in accordance with International Accounting Standards in conformity with the requirements of the Company Act 2006.

The financial statements have been presented in sterling, prepared under the historical cost convention, except for the revaluation of freehold properties and right of use assets.

The accounting policies have been applied consistently throughout all periods presented in these financial statements. These accounting policies comply with each IFRS that is mandatory for accounting periods ending on 31 December 2021.

The financial information set out in this Preliminary Announcement does not constitute the Group's statutory financial
statements for the years ended 31 December 2021 or 2020. The financial information has been extracted from the

 Group's statutory financial statements for the years ended 31 December 2021 and 2020. The auditors have reported

 on the 2021 financial statements; their report was unqualified, did not include references to any matters to which the
auditors drew attention by way of emphasis and did not contain a statement under Section 498(2) or (3) of the

 Companies Act 2006.

The former auditors have reported on the 2020 financial statements, their report was qualified for a limitation of

 scope relating to a reduction of reserves and drew attention by way of emphasis to a material uncertainty related to

 going concern and contained a statement under s498(2) and 498(3). 

The statutory accounts for the year ended 31 December 2021 will be filed with the Registrar of Companies following

 the Company's Annual General Meeting. The statutory accounts for the year ended 31 December 2020 have been

 filed with the Registrar of Companies. New standards and interpretations effective in the year

The Group has adopted the new accounting pronouncements which have become effective this year, and are as follows:

· IFRS16

The Group has adopted the amendment to IFRS 16 which provides lessees with an exemption from assessing whether a COVID-19-related rent concession is a lease modification.

Applying the practical expedient, the Group has recognised the rent concessions as a variable lease payment in accordance with IFRS 16. There is a corresponding adjustment to the lease liability, derecognising the part of the lease liability that has received the concession, with the corresponding adjustment to operating expenses.

Where amounts have been deferred they do not extinguish the lessee's liability or substantially change the consideration of the lease. These have been accounted for as an increase in the accrual for the rent outstanding.

· IFRS 3: Business combination - amendment effective 1 January 2021

IFRS 3 establishes different accounting requirements for a business combination as opposed to the acquisition of an asset or a group of assets that does not constitute a business. Business combinations are accounted for by applying the acquisition method, which, among other things, may give rise to goodwill. In contrast, when accounting for asset acquisitions, the acquirer allocates the transaction price to the individual identifiable assets acquired and liabilities assumed based on their relative fair values and no goodwill is recognised. Therefore, whether an acquired set of activities and assets is a business, is a key consideration in determining how the transaction should be accounted for. The amendments made to the IFRS 3 are set out to clarify the definition of a business. The amendment also adds an optional concentration test that allows a simplified assessment of whether an acquired set of activities and assets is not a business.

Going concern

The Group is reporting an adjusted EBITDA loss of £994,000 and net current assets of £1,111,000 in 2021 when the business was again severely impacted by the pandemic and the hostels on average have been open for less than 50% of the year. Travel restrictions and local lockdowns continued to impact in some of the countries where the Group operates in Europe into 2022.

However, the Group's strategy to develop and expand the premium hostel offering provided by the Group within the UK and through its European acquisitions had proved successful until February 2020 and despite the Omicron pandemic in December 2021 through to February 2022, the Group has started to generate cash from its operation in the first quarter in 2022 when the travel restrictions were lifted. The travel industry as a whole has been impacted and continues to recover through 2022.

The directors have further reviewed the measures implemented by management to reduce the cash burn of the Group since the start of the outbreak. The monthly fixed cost base was reduced from £0.9 million to £0.6 million during the first lockdown in the second quarter of 2020, and this continued during the second wave of lockdowns from November 2020. Costs were allowed to come back into the business on a measured basis as the business re-opened in 2021, mindful of the potential for future travel restrictions and lockdown, which has helped navigate the final Omicron variant and associated restrictions. These reductions and the cost consciousness, are the results of the combined impact of the following actions implemented by management during this period:

· The Group has taken advantage of governmental support schemes in all jurisdictions where they were available, including the job retention scheme in the UK and similar schemes in the other countries where Safestay operates hostels.

· Variable operational costs in the hostels were mechanically reduced to zero with the absence of revenue, as necessary. The fixed operational costs, exclusive of insurance, rent and property taxes, were reduced to £0.15 million during the first lockdown and this continued until the hostels reopened. The Group maintains a minimum level of spend in safety, utilities and maintenance to keep the properties in a good condition whilst they are closed.

· The Group benefited from business rates reliefs for the 5 hostels operated in the UK since April 2020 through to end of June 2021 and continued with a 66% relief until March 2022. It is also benefiting from the 50% relief in the year to 31 March 2023.

· The Group continued to liaise with landlords to obtain a £1.3 million rent reduction for 2021, with deals being extended in all of the hostels apart from Berlin, Bratislava, Elephant & Castle, Madrid and Vienna. As highlighted in previous reports, in addition, the landlords with rent deferments have agreed for the majority to be after 2022.

· Operating costs in the head office were reduced by 40% to adjust the team and spend to this unprecedented context. This includes a 40% reduction in salaries for Directors and senior management in exchange for share options since October 2020 through to July 2021.

The Group received £16.0 million proceeds from the disposal of the Edinburgh hostel which completed on 30 June 2021. Following completion, the £1 million overdraft facility was removed, and £10.2 million of HSBC debt was repaid.

Since the start of the Pandemic, management has continuously updated and adjusted the cash forecast for the next months. The most recent forecast prepared in June 2022 assumes as a prudent base case that the hostels revenue will gradually climb through the summer months.  Like for like sales for the first 5 months of the year are 80% of pre covid levels. This continues to reflect the expectation of a slow recovery of the tourism market in general outlined in last year's annual report.

The sale of Edinburgh generated enough liquidity, after the £10.2m debt repayment, for the business to mitigate the enforced downturn of revenues due to the Pandemic restrictions, and through to time when positive cash inflows are being generated.

The covenants of the debt facility were waived in June 2020, being replaced with adjusted EBITDA targets reflecting revised performances of the hostels since the first lockdown in April 2020. These also apply in June 2022 and have been met. These will then revert to the adjusted and waived covenants that have been agreed until December 2022.

Based on the latest forecast occupancy rates and average spend,  the directors have assessed the cash flow of the business against the Group's commitments and obligations and conclude  that there are no material uncertainties in terms of the ability to continue for the foreseeable future. For this reason, they continue to adopt the going-concern basis in preparing the Group's financial statements.

Operating segments

Operating segments are reported in a manner consistent with the internal reporting provided to the chief operating decision maker. The chief operating decision makers (CODM), who are responsible for allocating resources and assessing performance of the operating segments, have been identified as the executive directors. Currently the operating segments are the operation of hostel accommodation in the UK and Europe. An additional geographical area has been identified in respect of Spain as disclosed in note 2.

Revenue

To determine whether to recognise revenue, the Group follows a 5-step process in accordance with IFRS 15

-  Identifying the contract with a customer

-  Identifying the performance obligations

-  Determining the transaction price

-  Allocating the transaction price to the performance obligations

-  Recognising revenue when/as performance obligation(s) are satisfied.

 

Revenue is stated net of VAT and is gross of travel agency commission with the Group being the principal in all third party booking arrangements. It comprises revenues from overnight hostel accommodation, the sale of ancillary goods and services such as food & beverage and merchandise.

Accommodation and the sale of ancillary goods and services is recognised when provided.

Income from the rent of student accommodation is recognised on a straight-line basis over the academic year to which the rent relates. In accordance with IFRS 16, the group accounts for its subleases as operating leases as they do not transfer substantially all the risks and rewards of ownership to the lessee.

The group recognises income from lease payments from operating leases as income on a straight-line basis over the term of the contract.

The sale of ancillary goods comprises sales of food, beverages, and merchandise.

Deferred income comprises deposits received from customers to guarantee future bookings of accommodation. This is recognised as revenue once the bed has been occupied.

There are no significant judgements or estimations made in calculating and recognising revenue.

Revenue is not materially accrued or deferred between one accounting period and the next.

Government Grants

Monetary resources transferred to the Group by government, government agencies or similar bodies are recognised at fair value, when the Group is certain that the grant will be received. Grants will be recognised in the profit and loss account on a systematic basis, over the same period during which the expenses, for which the grant was intended to compensate, are recognised.

Grants relating to employee costs are disclosed in Staff Costs, note 10 of the accounts. Other grants are disclosed in Exceptional Items shown in note 5 of the accounts.

Exceptional Items

The Group separately discloses on the face of the Income Statement items of income or expense which nature or amount would, without separate disclosure, distort the reporting of the underlying business.

Taxation

The tax expense represents the sum of the tax currently payable and deferred tax. The tax currently payable is based on taxable profit for the year. Taxable profit differs from net profit as reported in the income statement because it excludes items of income or expense that are taxable or deductible in other years and it further excludes items that are never taxable or deductible. The Group's liability for current tax is calculated using tax rates that have been enacted or substantively enacted by the statement of financial position date.

Deferred tax is the tax expected to be payable or recoverable on differences between the carrying amounts of assets and liabilities in the financial statements and the corresponding tax bases used in the computation of taxable profit and is accounted for using the statement of financial position liability method. Deferred tax liabilities are generally recognised for all taxable temporary differences and deferred tax assets are recognised to the extent that it is probable that taxable profits will be available against which deductible temporary differences can be utilised.

The carrying amount of deferred tax assets are reviewed at each statement of financial position date and reduced to the extent that it is no longer probable that sufficient taxable profits will be available to allow all or part of the asset to be recovered.

Deferred tax is calculated at the tax rates that are expected to apply in the period when the liability is settled, or the asset is realised based on tax losses enacted or substantively enacted at the statement of financial position date. Deferred tax is charged or credited in the income statement, except when it relates to items charged or credited in other comprehensive income, in which case the deferred tax is also dealt with in other comprehensive income.

Foreign currency translation

Items included in the financial statements of each of the Group's entities are measured using the currency of the primary economic environment in which the entity operates ('the functional currency').  The consolidated financial statements are presented in Sterling which is the Group's functional currency.

Foreign currency transactions are translated into the functional currency using the exchange rates at the dates of the transactions. Foreign exchange gains and losses resulting from the settlement of such transactions and from the translation of monetary assets and liabilities denominated in foreign currencies are generally recognised in profit and loss.

Foreign exchange gains and losses that relate to borrowings are presented in the statement of profit or loss within finance costs. All other exchange gains and losses are presented in the statement of profit or loss within administrative expenses.

Non-monetary items that are measured at fair-value in a foreign currency are translated using the exchange rates at the date when fair-value was determined. Translation differences on assets or liabilities carried at fair-value are reported as part of the fair-value gain or loss.

The results and financial position of foreign operations that have a functional currency different to the presentation currency are translated into the presentation currency as follows:

· assets and liabilities for each statement of financial position are translated using the closing rate at the date of that statement of financial position.

· income and expenses for each statement of profit or loss and statement of comprehensive income are translated at average exchange rates.

· All resulting exchange differences are recognised in other comprehensive income.

 

Goodwill and fair-value adjustments arising on the acquisition of a foreign operation are treated as the assets and liabilities of the foreign operation and translated at the closing rate.

Business combinations

Acquisitions of subsidiaries and businesses are accounted using the acquisition method. The consideration transferred in a business combination is measured at fair value, which is calculated as the sum of the acquisition-date fair values of assets transferred by the Group, liabilities incurred by the Group to former owners of the acquire and the equity interest issued by the Group in exchange for control of the acquire.  Acquisition costs are expensed as incurred.

At the acquisition date, the identifiable assets acquired, and liabilities assumed are recognised at their fair value at the acquisition date.

Deferred Consideration

Deferred payments made in relation to acquisitions of subsidiaries and business are accounted for their discounted value in trade and other payable. Any difference between the discounted value and the cash consideration at the time of the payment, is recognised as an interest charge in the income statement.

Property, plant and equipment

Freehold property and Lease assets are stated at fair value and revalued periodically in accordance with IAS 16 Property Plant and Equipment. Valuation surpluses and deficits arising in the period are included in other comprehensive income. All other property, plant and equipment are recognised at historical cost less depreciation and are depreciated over their useful lives. The applicable useful lives are as follows:

Fixtures, fittings and equipment  3-5 years

Freehold properties  50 years

Leasehold properties  50 years or term of lease if shorter

Land is not depreciated.

 

Leasehold land and buildings relate to Property from financing transactions related to Safestay Elephant and Castle and Safestay Edinburgh Hostel. In 2017, Safestay completed financing transactions on these two properties, raising gross cash proceeds of £12.6m. The sale was agreed with an institutional buyer in exchange for 150 year geared ground rent leases. The significant risks and rewards of ownership were retained, and the exercise to repurchase these properties is "almost certain". The contracts took the legal form of the sale and leasebacks. However, the economic substance of the original transactions in 2017 meant that both leases have historically been treated as owned by Safestay. Therefore, the transactions are classified as leasehold land and buildings.

Impairment of property, plant and equipment

At each statement of financial position date, the Group reviews the carrying amounts of its property, plant and equipment to determine whether there is any indication that those assets have suffered an impairment loss. If any such indication exists, the recoverable amount of the asset is estimated to determine the extent of the impairment loss (if any).

Recoverable amount is the higher of fair value less costs to sell and value in use. In assessing value in use, the estimated future cash flows are discounted to their present value using a pre-tax discount rate that reflects current market assessments of the time value of money and the risks specific to the asset for which the estimates of future cash flows have been adjusted. If the recoverable amount of an asset (or cash-generating unit) is estimated to be less than its carrying amount, the carrying amount of the asset (cash-generating unit) is reduced to its recoverable amount.

An impairment loss is recognised as an expense immediately, unless the relevant asset is carried at a revalued amount, in which case the impairment loss is treated as a revaluation decrease, but a negative revaluation reserve is not created.

For revalued assets, where an impairment loss subsequently reverses, the carrying amount of the asset (cash-generating unit) is increased to the revised estimate of its recoverable amount, but so that the increased carrying amount does not exceed the carrying amount that would have been determined had no impairment loss been recognised for the asset (cash-generating unit) in prior years. Any remaining balance of the reversal of an impairment loss is recognised in the income statement. For assets carried at cost, any reversals of impairments are recognised in the income statement.

Goodwill

Goodwill represents the future economic benefits arising from a business combination, measured as the excess of the sum of the consideration transferred over the net of the acquisition-date amounts of the identifiable assets acquired and the liabilities assumed. Goodwill is carried at cost less accumulated impairment losses. A review of the carrying value of goodwill is carried out annually.

For the purpose of impairment testing, goodwill acquired in a business combination is allocated to each of the cash-generating units (CGUs), or groups of CGUs, that is expected to benefit from the synergies of the combination. The Directors consider each individual hostel to be a separate cash generating unit for impairment purposes and, as explained in note 12 to the financial statements, each unit or group of units to which the goodwill is allocated represents the lowest level within the entity at which the goodwill is monitored for internal management purposes.

Goodwill impairment reviews are undertaken annually or more frequently if events or changes in circumstances indicate a potential impairment. The carrying value of the CGU containing the goodwill is compared to the recoverable amount, which is the higher of value in use and the fair value less costs of disposal. Any impairment is recognised immediately as an expense and is not subsequently reversed.

Intangible assets

Costs that are directly attributable to a project's development phase, including capitalised internally developed software, are recognised as intangible assets using the cost model, provided they meet all of the following recognised:

• the development costs can be measured reliably

• the project is technically and commercially feasible

• the Group intends to and has sufficient resources to complete the project

• the Group has the ability to use or sell the software, and

• the software will generate probable future economic benefits.

 

Intangible assets acquired in a business combination are recognised at fair value at the acquisition date, which is deemed to be the cost going forward.

The leasehold rights and tenancy subleases relate to intangible assets acquired in a business combination as outlined in note 12.

Assets with a finite useful life are carried at cost less accumulated amortisation. Amortisation is calculated using the straight-line method to allocate the cost of trademarks and licences over their estimated useful lives as set out above.

The following useful lives are applied:

-  10 years for the life of the interest in the head lease

-  13 years for tenancy sublease

-  3 years for website development.

 

Residual values and useful lives are reviewed at each reporting date.

Assets that are subject to amortisation are reviewed for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount may not be recoverable. An impairment loss is recognised for the amount by which the asset's carrying amount exceeds its recoverable amount. The recoverable amount is the higher of an asset's fair value less costs of disposal and value in use. For the purposes of assessing impairment, assets are grouped at the lowest levels for which there are largely independent cash inflows (CGUs). Prior impairments of non-financial assets (other than goodwill) are reviewed for possible reversal at each reporting date.

Stock

Stock is stated at the lower of cost and net realisable value. Cost is calculated using the weighted average method. Net realisable value represents the estimated selling price.

Financial assets measured at amortised cost

Financial assets held at amortised costs are non-derivative financial assets with fixed or determinable payments which are not quoted in an active market. They are included in current assets, except for maturities greater than 12 months after the balance sheet date. These are classified as non-current assets.

· Cash and cash equivalents

Cash and cash equivalents comprise cash balances, deposits held at call wit h banks and other short-term highly liquid investments with original maturities of three months or less. Bank overdrafts that are repayable on demand and which form an integral part of the Group's cash management are included as a component of cash and cash equivalents for the purpose of the statement of cash flows.

· Trade and other receivables

Trade and other receivables are measured at initial recognition at transaction price plus transaction costs and are subsequently measured at amortised cost using the effective interest rate method. The Group recognises lifetime ECL for trade receivables and amounts due on contracts with customers. The expected credit losses on these financial assets are estimated based on the Group's historical credit loss experience, adjusted for factors that are specific to the debtors. Management have considered the ECL for trade receivables as immaterial given the majority of sale receipts are obtained prior to the stay.

Credit risk

The Group assesses impairment on a forward-looking basis using the expected credit loss method and has applied the simplified approach which permits the use of the lifetime expected loss provision for all trade and other receivables. The Group has no significant history of non-payment; as a result, the expected credit losses on financial assets are not material.

Financial liabilities

The Group classifies its financial liabilities as other financial liabilities. Other financial liabilities are measured at fair value on initial recognition and subsequently measured at amortised cost, using the effective-interest method.

· Borrowings

Borrowings other than bank overdrafts are recognised initially at fair value less attributable transaction costs.  Subsequent to initial recognition, borrowings are stated at amortised cost with any difference between the amount initially recognised and redemption value being recognised in the income statement over the period of the borrowings, using the effective interest method.

Where there are extension options, management have made an accounting policy choice that these are loan commitments from the holder of the debt instrument that does not need to be separately accounted for.

Property from financing transactions included the borrowings for Safestay Elephant and Castle and Safestay Edinburgh Hostel. In 2017, Safestay completed financing transactions on these two properties, raising gross cash proceeds of £12.6m. The sale was agreed with an institutional buyer in exchange for 150 year geared ground rent leases. The significant risks and rewards of ownership were retained, and the exercise to repurchase these properties is "almost certain". The contracts took the legal form of the sale and leasebacks. However, the economic substance of the original transactions in 2017 meant that both leases have historically been treated as owned by Safestay. Therefore, the transactions are accounted for as financial liabilities.

· Loan arrangement fees

The loan arrangement fees are offset against the loan balance and amortised over the term of the loan to which they relate as part of the effective interest rate calculation.

· Trade and other payables

Trade and other payables are initially measured at fair value and are subsequently measured at amortised cost using the effective interest rate method.

· Leases

The Group has leases for hostels across Europe. With the exception of short-term leases and leases of low-value underlying assets, each lease is reflected on the balance sheet as a right-of-use asset and a lease liability. Leases of property generally have a lease term ranging from 5 years to 19 years.

For any new property asset contracts entered on or after 1 January 2019, the Group considers whether a contract is, or contains a lease. A lease is defined as 'a contract, or part of a contract, that conveys the right to use an asset (the underlying asset) for a period of time in exchange for consideration'. To apply this definition the Group assesses whether the contract meets three key evaluations which are whether:

· the contract contains an identified asset, which is either explicitly identified in the contract or implicitly specified by being identified at the time the asset is made available to the Group

· the Group has the right to obtain substantially all of the economic benefits from use of the identified asset throughout the period of use, considering its rights within the defined scope of the contract the Group has the right to direct the use of the identified asset throughout the period of use; and

· The Group has the right to direct the use of the asset. The Group has this right when it has the decision-making rights that are most relevant to changing how and for what purposes the asset is used. In rare cases where all the decisions about how and for what purpose the asset is used are predetermined, the Group has the right to direct the use of the asset if either:

-  The Group has the right to operate the asset; or

-  The Group designed the asset in a way that predetermines how and for what purpose it will be used.

 

Measurement and recognition of leases as a lessee

At lease commencement date, the Group recognises a right-of-use asset and a lease liability on the balance sheet. The right-of-use asset is measured at cost, which is made up of the initial measurement of the lease liability, any initial direct costs incurred by the Group, an estimate of any costs to dismantle and remove the asset at the end of the lease, and any lease payments made in advance of the lease commencement date (net of any incentives received). The Group depreciates the right-of-use assets on a straight-line basis from the lease commencement date to the earlier of the end of the useful life of the right-of-use asset or the end of the lease term. The Group also assesses the right-of-use asset for impairment when such indicators exist.

At the commencement date, the Group measures the lease liability at the present value of the lease payments unpaid at that date, discounted using the interest rate implicit in the lease if that rate is readily available or the Group's incremental borrowing rate.

Lease payments included in the measurement of the lease liability are made up of fixed payments (including in substance fixed), variable payments based on an index or rate, amounts expected to be payable under a residual value guarantee and payments arising from options reasonably certain to be exercised.

The lease liability is measured at amortised cost using the effective interest method. It is remeasured when there is a change in future lease payments arising from a change in an index or rate, or if the Group changes its assessment of whether it will exercise an extension or termination option.

The Group has elected to take the exemption not to recognise right-of-use assets and lease liabilities for short-term lease of machinery that have a lease term of 12 months or less and leases of low-value assets. The Group defines leases of low value assets as being any lease agreement where the total value of payments made across the lease term is less than £10,000. The Group recognises the lease payments associated with these leases as an expense on a straight-line basis over the lease.

On the statement of financial position, right-of-use assets have been included in property, plant and equipment and lease liabilities have been included in trade and other payables.

Measurement of the Right-of-use Assets

Right-of-use assets are generally depreciated over the shorter of the asset's useful life and the lease term on a straight-line basis.

The Group as a lessor

As a lessor the Group classifies its leases as either operating or finance leases.

A lease is classified as a finance lease if it transfers substantially all the risks and rewards incidental to ownership of the underlying asset and classified as an operating lease if it does not.

The group accounts for its sub leases as finance leases with reference to the right-of-use asset arising from the head lease. The group has not offset the assets and liabilities of the head lease and sub lease, nor the income and expenditure arising from these contracts. A lease receivable is recognised in the balance sheet in respect of the net investment in the sub lease. The net investment in the sub lease is assessed annually for any indicators of impairment.

Equity

The total equity attributable to the equity holders of the parent comprises the following:

· Share Capital

Share capital represents the nominal value of shares issued.

· Retained earnings

Retained earnings represent undistributed cumulative earnings.

· Equity Instruments

Equity instruments issued by the Group are recorded at the proceeds received, net of direct issue costs.

Other Components of Equity

· Share premium account

Share premium represents amounts subscribed for share capital in excess of nominal value less the related costs of share issues.

· Merger reserve

Merger reserve represents amounts subscribed for share capital in excess of nominal value exchanged for the shares in the acquisition of a subsidiary company.

· Revaluation reserve

Revaluation reserves represent the increase in fair value of freehold property and leasehold assets over the value at which it was previously carried on the balance sheet. Any gain from a revaluation is taken to the revaluation reserve. Where it reverses a previous impairment, the impairment is reversed, but any surplus in excess of the amount of the impairment is added to the revaluation reserve.

· Translation Reserve

Translation Reserve comprises foreign currency translation differences arising from the translation of financial statements of the Group's foreign entities into presentational currency.

· Share based payment reserve

The equity settled share-based payment reserve arises as the expense of issuing share-based payments is recognised over time. The reserve will fall as share options vest and are exercised but the reserve may equally rise or might see any reduction offset, as new potentially dilutive share options are issued. Balances relating to share options that lapse after they vest are transferred to retained fair value of employee services determined by reference to transfer of instruments granted.

The Group has applied the requirements of IFRS 2 Share based payment to share options. The fair value of the share options is determined at the grant date and are expensed on a straight-line basis over the vesting period, based on the Group's estimate of shares that will eventually vest and adjusted for the effect of non-market-based vesting conditions.

Fair value is measured by use of the Black Scholes model. The expected life used in the model has been adjusted, based on management's best estimate, for the effects on non-transferability, exercise restrictions and behavioural considerations.

Dividends

Dividend distributions payable to equity shareholders are included in other liabilities when the dividends have been approved in a general meeting prior to the reporting date.

Critical accounting judgements and key sources of estimation and uncertainty

The fair value of the Group's property is the main area within the financial information where the directors have exercised significant estimates.

Judgements

· The Group has identified certain costs and income as exceptional in nature in that, without separate disclosure, would distort the reporting of the underlying business. A degree of judgement is required in determining whether certain transactions merit separate presentation to allow shareholders to better understand financial performance in the year, when compared with that of previous years and trends This is set out in note 5.

· Extension options for leases: In accordance with IFRS 16, when the entity has the option to extend a lease, management uses its judgement to determine whether or not an option would be reasonably certain to be exercised. Management considers all facts and circumstances including their past practice and any cost that will be incurred to change the asset if an option to extend is not taken, to help them determine the lease term. Management generally includes extensions when the option to extend can be unilaterally exercised by the tenant provided the hostel under lease is expected to continue to be profitable for the Group after the extension is exercised.

Estimates

· The fair-value of the assets and liabilities recognised on the acquisition of an operation or entity is determined using both external valuations and directors' valuations. Details of the fair values are set out in the note 24.

· Assessment of impairment of goodwill requires estimation of future cash flows, which are uncertain, discounted to present value which also requires estimation by management. The key assumptions used to calculate the value in use (VIU) to test the goodwill for each cash generating units (CGUs) are detailed in note 12. A Pre-tax discount rate of 9.7% (2020: 11.1%) has been calculated using weighted average cost of capital. An assessment was made on the differing risks between countries in which the hostels operate based on country risks.  Based on the assessment it was concluded that the differences between discount rates between each CGU is not material. The assets are similar in nature, with all CGUs providing the provision of hostel accommodation and therefore similar cashflows and therefore the risk associated with the assets is considered to be consistent between CGUs. As such one discount rate has been utilised for the purposes of performing an impairment review.

· As outlined in the accounting policy, the financial statements have been prepared under the historical cost convention except for the revaluation of the freehold properties and lease assets (in respect of Elephant and Castle and Edinburgh Hostel). The Group is required to value property on a sufficiently regular basis by using open market values to ensure that the carrying value does not differ significantly from the fair value. The valuation, performed by qualified valuers is based on market observations and estimates on the selling price in an arms-length transaction, and includes estimates of future income levels and trading potential for each hostel as other factors including location and tenure. See note 11. The Group has used external valuations on freehold properties and leased assets under financing transactions, as outlined in note 11. Based on the market data assessed and internal assessment of each property, management does not consider that the fair value differs materially from the carrying value. Management is confident that the carrying value is deemed reasonable at 31st December 2021.



 

· The Group has incurred tax losses, and therefore a material deferred tax asset has been recognised as these can be carried forward indefinitely and offset against probable future taxable profits after the market recovers in 2022 and the Group is expected to generate net profits from 2023 under his forecast model.

2.  Segmental analysis

An analysis of the Group's revenue from external customers for each major product and service category (excluding revenue from discontinued operations) is as follows:

 

2021

£'000

2020

£'000

Hostel accommodation

4,901

3,570

Food and Beverages sales

725

744

Other income

550

120

Rental income

247

397

Total Income

6,423

4,831

Like-for-like income

5,810

3,375

 

Like-for-like income relates to all turnover less turnover associated with the discontinued operating segments (i.e. Edinburgh and Barcelona Sea hostels).

The group recognises income from lease payments from operating leases as income on a straight-line basis over the term of the contract.

Operating segments are reporting in a manner consistent with the internal reporting provided to the Chief Operating Decision Maker (CODM). The CODMs, who monitor the performance of these operating segments as well as deciding on the allocation of resources to them, have been identified as the executive directors. Currently the operating segments are the operation of hostel accommodation in the UK and Europe.

An additional material geographical area has been identified in respect of Spain to meet the disclosure requirements of IFRS 8 due to its significance to group.

Management considers the like-for-like income only for acquisitions and continuing operations that have been operational 12 consecutive months in the prior year. Due to the ongoing impact of Covid-19, on average our hostels have been open for just 44% of 2021. Different hostels were open for different periods of time throughout the year based on the individual circumstances, responses and policies to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic and as such the period of results is not comparable to the prior period and therefore no changes to geographical areas have been identified.

 The Group provides a shared services function to its operating segments and reports these activities separately. Management does not consider there to be any other material reporting segments. Management revisit this at each period end.

The most important measures used to evaluate the performance of the business are revenue and adjusted EBITDA, which is the operating profit after excluding non-cash items such as depreciation and amortisation, and removing non-recurring expenditure which would otherwise distort the cash generating nature of the segment.

Pre-IFRS 16 EBITDA was calculated in the prior period segmental analysis such that the accounts can be understood on a comparable basis and included for information purposes. As this is the second year since transition, pre-IFRS 16 adjusted EBIDTA is not considered in the current year.

2021

UK

£'000

Spain

£'000

Europe

£'000

Shared services

£'000

Revenue

2,422

1,363

2,638

0

6,423

Profit/(loss) before tax

6,689

(2,279)

(1,169)

(2,549)

692

Add back: Finance costs

271

618

539

1,273

Add back: Depreciation & Amortisation

1,028

1,076

1,274

395

3,773

EBITDA

7,988

(585)

644

(881)

7,166

Exceptional & Share based payment expense

(7,511)

554

-

72

Rent concessions

(595)

(227)

(453)

-

Adjusted EBITDA

(118)

(258)

191

(809)

(994)

Total assets

34,975

19,144

25,024

14,335

93,478

Total liabilities

(10,731)

(13,432)

(12,461)

(26,721)

(63,345)

 

 

2020

As restated

UK

£'000

 

 

Spain

£'000

Europe

£'000

Shared services

£'000

Total

£'000

Revenue

2,455

835

1,541

-

4,831

Profit/(loss) before tax

(3,156)

(2,986)

(3,280)

(504)

(9,926)

Finance costs

963

460

541

786

2,750

Depreciation & Amortisation

1,465

2,309

1,916

-

5,690

EBITDA

(728)

(217)

(823)

282

(1,486)

Exceptional & Share based payment expense

-

-

-

541

541

Rent concessions

(495)

(207)

(202)

-

(904)

Adjusted EBITDA

(1,223)

(424)

(1,025)

823

(1,849)

Total assets

57,743

18,857

23,259

10,870

110,729

Total liabilities

(24,550)

(13,207)

(18,044)

(28,077)

(83,878)

 

 

 

The Group's non-current assets (other than financial instruments, investments accounted for using the equity method, deferred tax assets and post-employment benefit assets) are located into the following geographic regions:

 


2021

£'000

2020

£'000

UK

35,862

59,478

Spain

18,102

21,976

Rest of Europe

23,164

24,088

Shared services

10,329

842

Total

87,457

106,384

 

Non-current assets are allocated based on their physical location.

 

Revenues from external customers in the Group's domicile, United Kingdom, as well as its major markets, Spain and the Rest of Europe, have been identified on the basis of the customer's geographical location and are disclosed as follows:

 


2021

£'000

2020

£'000

UK

2,422

2,455

Spain

1,363

835

Rest of Europe

2,638

1,541

Total

6,423

4,831

 

3.  COST OF SALES


2021

£'000

2020

£'000

Food and drinks

341

311

Direct room supplies and sales commissions

951

581

Total

1,292

892

 

 

4.  DISCONTINUED OPERATIONS

 

The Group completed on the disposal of two hostels in 2021. The Barcelona Sea hostel was sold in February 2021 for a loss of £554k and the Edinburgh hostel was sold in June 2021 for a profit of £7,511k. The Barcelona Sea hostel was in the operating segment of Spain and the Edinburgh hostel was in the operating segment of UK.

The income statement for the year ended 31 December 2020 has been presentational restated to show the comparative performance of the discontinued hostels.

 

5.  administrative expenses

 

 

2021

 

£'000

2020

As restated

£'000

Staff costs (see note 10)

3,331

3,823

Legal and professional fees

614

521

Property costs

482

391

Depreciation and amortisation

3,773

4,199

Impairment of goodwill

-

1,491

Share option expenses

72

279

Other expenses

2,160

598


10,432

11,302

 

 

 

2021

£'000

2020

£'000

Exceptional items - other operating income



Grant income

462

448

Profit on sale of Edinburgh Hostel

7,511

-

Rent concessions

1,275

-


9,248

448

Exceptional items - costs

 

 

Acquisition and Development costs

-

74

Property costs

-

4

Legal and other

-

82

Refinance related fees write off

-

101

Loss on sale of Barcelona Sea Hostel

554

-


554

261

 

Exceptional items comprise of expenses and income that, without separate disclosure, would distort the reporting of the underlying business.

The group received £448,000 in grant income from national, regional, and local governmental organisations in 2020 to support the business. This does not include grants relating to employee costs which are disclosed in Staff Costs (Note 10).

In the year 2021 property with a net book value of £14.03m (2020: Nil) was disposed of in the year. The total consideration received from this disposal was £16.66m (2020: £Nil) with the profit on disposal of £7.96m (2020: £Nil). The other main component of the profit is the release of the lease liability of £6.56 m, less the cost of investment of £0.4m, the Edinburgh sublease £0.5m and the Barcelona SEA lease intangible of £0.2m.

 

6.  FINANCE COSTS


2021

£'000

2020

£'000

Interest on bank overdrafts and loans

695

625

Amortised loan arrangement fees

68

92

Other interest costs

-

75

Interest expense for lease arrangements (note 17)

1,741

1,558

Property financing costs

197

343

Unwinding of discount on deferred consideration

-

57


2,701

2,750

 

 

Included within borrowings is £5.0 million CBILS (Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme) obtained via HSBC. The government provide lenders with a guarantee on each loan. This was secured for 6 years on 16th December 2020, which is interest free for the first year increasing to 3.99% + base rate from year 2.

 

7.  LOSS FOR THE FINANCIAL YEAR


2021

£'000

2020

£'000

Loss for the financial period is arrived at after charging:



Depreciation on owned assets

1,434

1,541

Depreciation of assets under lease liabilities

2,243

2,459

Amortisation of intangible assets

96

199

Impairment of goodwill

-

1,491

CLA Evelyn Partners Limited Auditor's remuneration for audit services

119

-

Grant Thornton UK LLP Auditor's remuneration for audit services

-

92

Fees payable to Grant Thornton UK LLP as auditors and its associates for other services

-

5

 

 

Amounts payable in respect of both audit and non-audit services are set out below:

 

 


2021

£'000

2020

£'000

Fees payable to Company's auditors for the audit of the Parent Company and consolidated financial statements:

 

 


CLA Evelyn Partners Limited audit of the Group and Company's annual accounts

90

-

CLA Evelyn Partners Limited audit of the subsidiaries' annual accounts

29

-

Grant Thornton UK LLP audit of the Group and Company's annual accounts

-

70

Grant Thornton UK LLP audit of the subsidiaries' annual accounts

-

22

 

119

92

 

 

 

Fees payable to the Company's auditors and its associates for other services:

 

2021 

£'000

2020

£'000

Grant Thornton UK LLP Tax advice services

-

5

 

-

5

 

 

The audit fees disclosed in 2021 represent the fees payable for the audit for the period ended 31 December 2021 and the non-audit fees are those incurred in the period.

 

 

8.  Tax

In the Spring Budget 2020, the UK Government announced that from 1 April 2020 the corporation tax rate would remain at 19% (rather than reducing to 17%, as previously enacted). This new law was substantively enacted on 17 March 2020. Deferred taxes at the balance sheet date have been measured using these enacted tax rates and reflected in these financial statements.

 

 

 

2021

 

£'000

2020

As Restated

£'000

Current tax



Corporation tax on profits for the year

103

-

Adjustments for corporation tax on prior periods

(123)

(271)

Other local taxes

116

-

Total current tax

96

(271)

Deferred tax

724

(1,682)

Adjustments for deferred tax in prior periods

559

(450)

Effect of increased tax rate on opening balance

(88)


Total tax charge

1,291

(2,403)

 

The charge for the year can be reconciled to the loss per the consolidated income statement as follows:

 


2021

 

£'000

2020

As Restated

£'000

Profit/(loss) before tax

692

(9,926)




Tax at the standard UK corporation tax rate of 19% (2020: 19%)

131

(1,886)

Fixed asset differences

54

-

Adjustment for tax rate differences in foreign jurisdictions

(154)

(167)

Adjustments for tax on prior periods

(122)

(750)

Other tax adjustments, reliefs and transfers

193

-

Remeasurement of deferred tax for changes in tax rates

(148)

-

Deferred tax not recognised

1,155

-

Factors affecting charge for the period



Non-deductible items and other timing differences

(1,300)

344

Chargeable gains/(losses)

1,482

-

Depreciation in excess of capital allowances

-

56

Group tax charge

1,291

(2,403)

 

The Group has a deferred tax liability of £3.326m as disclosed in note 18 related to the potential future gain on property revaluations.

 

Included within current tax are adjustments for corporation tax on prior periods of £122k and relates to Group losses.

 

9.  Profit/(LOSS) per share

 

The calculation of the basic and diluted loss per share is based on the following data:


2021

 

 

£'000

2020

As restated

£'000

Profit/(Loss) for the period attributable to equity holders of the Company

(599)

(7,523)

 


2021

2020

Weighted average number of ordinary shares (000s) for the purposes of basic loss earnings per share

64,679

 

64,679

Effect of dilutive potential ordinary shares (000s)

4,537

4,250

Weighted average number of ordinary shares (000s) for the purposes of diluted profit/(loss) per share

69,216

68,929

 

 

 

Basic profit/(loss) per share

(0.93p)

(11.63p)

 

The total number of shares in issue as at 31 December 2021 was 64,679,014.

 

There is no difference between the diluted loss per share and the basic loss per share presented. Due to the loss incurred in the year, the effect of the share options in issue is anti-dilutive.

10.  STAFF COSTS

 

The average monthly number of employees (including directors) during the period was:

 


2021

Number

2020

Number

Hostel operation

176

197

Directors

5

5

 

181

202

 

The costs incurred in respect of employees (including directors) were:


2021

£'000

2020

£'000

Wages and salaries

2,925

3,288

Social security costs

380

499

Pension costs

26

36

Total staff costs

3,331

3,823

Government grants claimed by the Group under coronavirus job retention schemes across the Group for 2021 total £240k (2020: £566k).

 

The remuneration of the directors, who are the key management personnel of the Group, is set out below.

 

2021

£'000

2020

£'000

Short term employee benefits

332

444

Pension

6

16

Share based payment charges

72

257


410

717

 

Further information about the remuneration of individual directors is provided in the Directors' Remuneration Report.

Details of directors share options is provided in the Directors' Remuneration Report.

11.  PROPERTY, PLANT AND EQUIPMENT

 

Freehold land and buildings

£'000

Right of use assets

buildings

£'000

Leasehold buildings

£'000

Leasehold improvements

£'000

Fixtures, fittings and equipment

£'000

Total

£'000

 

Cost or valuation







 

At 1 January 2020

7,998

37,512

41,126

4,597

3,225

94,458

 

Additions

362

1,326

-

106

517

2,311

 

Acquired in business combination

-

3,210

-

711

175

4,096

 

Exchange movements

51

-

-

(119)

30

(38)

 

At 31 December 2020

8,411

42,048

41,126

5,295

3,947

100,827

 

Transfers

73

-

-

(73)

-

-

 

Additions

32

-

-

-

275

307

 

Disposals

(17)

(1,610)

(13,402)

(201)

(576)

(15,806)

 

Revaluations

1,072

-

3,967

-

-

5,039

 

Derecognition of sub-leased asset

-

(640)

-

-

-

(640)

 

IFRS 16 lease modification

-

(2,891)

-

-

-

(2,891)

 

Exchange movements

(87)

-

-

(54)

(92)

(233)

 

At 31 December 2021

9,484

36,907

31,691

4,967

3,554

86,603

 

 







 

Depreciation







 

At 1 January 2020

144

2,425

1,616

695

2,212

7,092

 

Charge for the year

141

2,459

804

102

494

4,000

 

At 31 December 2020

285

4,884

2,420

797

2,706

11,092

 

Transfers

1

-

-

(1)

-

-

 

Charge for the year

154

2,243

671

254

355

3,677

 

On disposals

(1)

(261)

(1,094)

(14)

(405)

(1,775)

 

At 31 December 2021

439

6,866

1,997

1,036

2,656

12,994

 

 








Net book value:








At 31 December 2021

9,045

30,041

29,694

3,931

898

73,609

 

At 31 December 2020

8,126

37,164

38,706

4,498

1,241

89,735


 

Freehold properties

The Freehold values relates to the 3 following hostels:

· The £3.5 million value of the freehold in York is based on the external valuations as at 31 December 2021 prepared by Cushman and Wakefield. The historic cost carrying value is £2.4 million which is the acquisition price in 2014.

· The freehold of the Glasgow property acquired in October 2019 for £3.2 million and which has undergone renovation for £0.4 million. The £4.9 million value of the freehold in Glasgow is based on the external valuations as at 31 December 2021 prepared by Cushman and Wakefield.

· The hostel in Pisa was acquired in June 2019 for £3 million, of which £2.1 million for the freehold. The £3.5 million value of the freehold in Pisa is based on the external valuations as at 31 December 2021 prepared by Cushman and Wakefield.

Covid-19 rent concessions

The International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) has published 'Covid-19-Related Rent Concessions (Amendment to IFRS 16)' amending the standard to provide lessees with an exemption from assessing whether a COVID-19-related rent concession is a lease modification.

The £37.5 million right of use assets all relate to properties operated by the Group as hostels.



Right of use assets as at 31 December 2020

42,048

Lease disposal (Barcelona Sea)

(1,610)

IFRS 16 lease modification

(2,891)

Derecognition of sub-leased asset

(640)

Right of use assets as at 2021

36,907

 

Leasehold, land and buildings

The Group has used external valuations on Elephant & Castle. The London Elephant & Castle leasehold was independently valued on 31 December 2021 at £26.8 million. The valuation was performed by Cushman and Wakefield. The Group has accounted for the finance transactions as interest-bearing borrowings secured on the original properties held.

Leasehold improvements

Leasehold improvements comprise the capitalised refurbishment costs incurred by the Group on the leased properties.

Valuation process

Initially market values of the properties were believed to have fallen due to the impact of COVID-19. The directors wanted to show that the values of the properties have recovered post COVID-19 so engaged independent external valuers to determine the market value of all three freehold properties and the long leasehold property. These independent external valuers hold recognised and relevant professional qualifications and have recent experience in the location and category of the properties being valued.

The Group provides information to valuers, including profit and cashflow forecasts along with asset-specific business plans. The valuers use this and other inputs including market transactions for similar properties to produce valuations. These valuations and the assumptions they have made are then discussed and reviewed with the management as well as the directors. Cushman & Wakefield were engaged to value properties now valued at £38.7m.

Valuation fees are a fixed amount agreed between the Group and the valuers in advance of the valuation and are not linked to the valuation output.

Valuation methodology

The value is assessed by adopting the income approach to valuation adopting a discounted cashflow approach.  Under this approach it is assumed that the property is held for a period of 10 years and the net present value of the earnings during this period are added to the exit value which is discounted to present day values.  Adopting an income approach also requires the analysis of comparable transactions in the market to assess the rates of returns investors are prepared to accept at the date of valuation. 

The table below provides details of the assumptions used in the valuation of the properties:

Location

Discount rate

Capitalisation rate

Inflation rate

Running Yield

Elephant & Castle

8%

6%

2%

3.88% - 7.39%

Glasgow

11%

8.5%

2%

5.12% - 10.95%

York

10%

8%

2%

6.27% - 9.78%

Pisa

11%

8.5%

2%

6.82% - 10.77%

 

12.  INTANGIBLE ASSETS AND GOODWILL

 

Website

£'000

 

Leasehold rights

£'000

 

Goodwill

£'000

Total

£'000

Cost





At 1 January 2020

98

1,705

12,235

14,038

Additions

36

-

172

208

Disposals

-

-

(94)

(94)

Arising in business combination (note 24)

-

-

2,747

2,747

Exchange movements

-

(8)

-

(8)

At 31 December 2020

134

1,697

15,060

16,891

Disposals

-

(1,697)

(1,423)

(3,120)

At 31 December 2021

134

-

13,637

13,771






Amortisation and Impairment





At 1 January 2020

53

666

-

719

Charge for the period

39

160

-

199

Impairment

-

-

1,491

1,491

Exchange movement

-

(8)

-

(8)

At 31 December 2020

92

818

1,491

2,401

Charge for the period

24

72

-

96

On disposals

-

(890)

-

(890)

At 31 December 2021

116

-

1,491

1,607

 





Net book value:





At 31 December 2021

18

-

12,146

12,164

At 31 December 2020

42

879

13,569

14,490

 

 

Leasehold Rights

 

The directors identified intangible assets in the following transactions:

-  acquisition of the business on Smart City hostel in Edinburgh in 2015 identified an intangible asset in relation the lease with the University of Edinburgh, which terminates in 2027.

-  acquisition of the Barcelona Sea property in 2017 identified a sublease agreement with a tenant in-situ for the duration of the head lease. This property has been sold in the year.

Amortisation of leasehold rights is based on a straight-line basis for the term of the lease.  Amortisation is taken to the statement of comprehensive income within administrative expenses.

Goodwill

Goodwill arising from business combinations in the year is disclosed in note 25. Goodwill in a business combination is allocated to the cash generating units (CGUs) that are expected to benefit from that business combination.  The Group's CGUs have been defined as each operating hostel. This conclusion is consistent with the approach adopted in previous years and with the operational management of the business.  

Impairment

Goodwill is not amortised but tested annually for impairment.  The recoverable amount of each CGU is determined from value in use (VIU) calculations based on future expected cash flows discounted to present value using an appropriate pre-tax discount rate.

Goodwill carrying values as at the 31 December 2021 are shown below.

CGU

Goodwill pre-impairment £'000

Impairment £'000

Goodwill carrying value £'000

Madrid

2,234

-

2,234

Paris

11

-

11

Gothic

1,611

(891)

720

Lisbon

1,365

-

1,365

Prague

805

(600)

205

Barcelona Passeig De Gracia

1,699

-

1,699

Vienna

5

-

5

Brussels

1,375

-

1,375

Pisa

770

-

770

Berlin

1,015

-

1,015

Athens

1,210

-

1,210

Bratislava

917

-

917

Warsaw

620

-

620


13,637

(1,491)

12,146

 

The impairment charge was recorded in the year ended 31 December 2020. No impairment has been deemed necessary by management for the year ended 31 December 2021.

The key assumptions used in the VIU calculations for all hostels are based on forecasts approved by management performed for a 5-year period:

· A Pre-tax discount rate of 9.7% (2020: 11.1%) was calculated using weighted average cost of capital. An assessment was made on the differing risks between countries in which the hostels operate.  Based on the assessment it was concluded that the differences between discount rates between each CGU are not material. The assets are similar in nature, with all CGUs providing the provision of hostel accommodation and therefore similar cashflows and therefore the risk associated with the assets is considered to be consistent between CGUs. As such one discount rate has been utilised for the purposes of performing an impairment review. 

· Estimated 2021 average bed rate per property, discounted against 2019 to reflect post covid-19 recovery transaction, and increasing in line with a 2% annual inflation rate in following years.

· Earnings before interest, tax, depreciation, amortisation, and rent (EBITDAR) margin of 2022, adjusted to reflect the post covid-19 transition, and no hostels have a shortfall between the recoverable value and carrying value.

 

Sensitivity analysis

 

Management have reviewed all the properties and do not consider there to be an impairment. Also, the sale of the Edinburgh Hostel has also been agreed for a higher value than book value.

Headroom between the carrying and recoverable value of an asset is dependent upon sensitivities to the following assumptions:

For each of the CGU, a fall in operating margin and occupancy, or an increase in the weighted average cost of capital (WACC) by the following rates of change would result in the carrying value of goodwill falling below its recoverable amount:

CGU

Operating margin

Occupancy

WACC





Barcelona Gothic

1800bps

1500bps

500bps

Barcelona Passeig De Gracia

3200bps

2700bps

900bps

Berlin

1800bps

1200bps

600bps

Brussels

6000bps

5200bps

2700bps

Lisbon

1700bps

1500bps

500bps

Madrid

4800bps

4000bps

1600bps

Pisa

300bps

200bps

100bps

Prague

8500bps

6400bps

3900bps

Vienna

2200bps

1800bps

700bps









 

The table above demonstrates the change in assumption required for an impairment to occur.

A change of 1% in the WACC would have an overall impact of £4.2m in the recoverable value of the CGU tested.

A change of 1% in the occupancy level would have an overall impact of £1.7m in the recoverable value of the CGU tested.

A change of 1% in the Operating margin would have an overall impact of £1.2m in the recoverable value of the CGU tested.

 

13.  TRADE AND OTHER RECEIVABLES

 

2021

£'000

2020

£'000

Trade and other receivables

865

1,653

Other debtors

230

26

Prepayments and accrued income

132

205


1,227

1,884

 

Credit risk is the risk that a counterparty does not settle its financial obligation with the Group. At the year end, the Group has assessed the credit risk on amounts due from suppliers, based on historic experience, meaning that the expected lifetime credit loss was immaterial. Cash and cash equivalents are also subject to the impairment requirements of IFRS 9 - the identified impairment loss was immaterial.

14.  CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS

 

2021

£'000

2020

£'000

Cash and cash equivalents

4,482

2,125

 

The directors consider that the carrying amount of cash and cash equivalents approximates their fair value. Cash and cash equivalents comprise cash.

 

15.  TRADE AND OTHER PAYABLES

 

2021

 

 

£'000

2020

As restated

£'000

Due in less than one year



Trade payables

640

686

Social security and other taxes

107

157

Other creditors

642

563

Accruals and deferred income

673

1,003

 

2,062

2,409

Due in more than one year

 

 

Other payables

7

336


2,069

2,745

 

Accruals and deferred income in 2020 have been restated and reduced by £598,000 as explained in note 26.

Payables due in more than one year in 2020 represents remainder of the discounted present value of deferred consideration due in April 2022 in relation to the Barcelona Passeig de Gracia which was acquired for €3.0 million (£2.7 million) in 2017.

 

16.  BORROWINGS

 

2021

£'000

2020

£'000

At amortised cost



Bank Loan

18,013

28,380

Property financing loans

7,078

12,240

Loan arrangement fees

(137)

(266)


24,954

40,354


 

 

Loans repayable within one year

926

311

Loans repayable after more than one year

24,028

40,043


24,954

40,354

 

Included within borrowings is £5.0 million CBILS (Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme) obtained via HSBC. The government provide lenders with a guarantee on each loan, and it may be possible that there is a government grant in the form of the lower rate of interest than would likely have been payable in the absence of the government guarantee. However, in the absence of further information the total amounts are disclosed within finance costs. The loan will be repaid at a rate of £1 million per year from April 2022 until April 2027. The interest rate is 3.99% margin over base rate from year 2 onwards and is interest free in the first year.

At 31st December 2021 a HSBC bank loan was secured against the freehold property, York hostel and subsidiary investments. The facility ends in January 2025 and the interest rate is 2.95% margin over SONIA.

17.  LEASES

Lease assets are presented in the statement of financial position as follows:

 

2021

£'000

2020

£'000

Current

78

-

Non-current

562

-

Total

640

-

 

The lease asset relates fully to our contract with Casa Suecia where we have outsourced, on a revenue share basis, our Madrid food and beverage operations.

This is a contract where Safestay receives the higher of a minimum guaranteed rent or an agreed % of the food and beverage revenue in return for Casa Suecia receiving the profit from this income stream by managing this part of the operation with its own staff. This arrangement commenced in July 2021 and is for an initial five years.

In our lease asset calculations, we have assumed the net profit of Casa Suecia did not exceed the variable threshold.

31-Dec-21

 








Minimum lease receipts due

 

Within 1 year

1 - 2 years

2 - 3 years

3 - 4 years

4 - 5 years

After 5 years

Total

 








Lease receipts

101

151

151

151

154

-

708

Finance income

(23)

(19)

(14)

(9)

(3)

-

(68)

Net present values

78

132

137

142

151

-

640

 

Lease liabilities are presented in the statement of financial position as follows:

 

2021

 

£'000

2020

As restated

£'000

Current

1,922

1,932

Non-current

31,086

37,089

Total

33,008

39,021

 

Lease liabilities have been restated in 2020 and increased by £441,000 as explained in note 26.

The International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) has published 'Covid-19-Related Rent Concessions (Amendment to IFRS 16)' amending the standard to provide lessees with an exemption from assessing whether a COVID-19-related rent concession is a lease modification. The impact on the current period was a £1.3 million (2020: £0.9 million) reduction in lease liability included as rent concessions in administrative expenses in 2021, reflecting the temporary reduction in rent agreed with the landlords in the 12 months ending 31 December 2021.

Total cash outflow for leases for the year ended 31 December 2021 was £1.9m (2020: £2.5m).

The Group has leases for hostels across Europe. With the exception of short-term leases and leases of low-value underlying assets, each lease is reflected on the balance sheet as a right-of-use asset and a lease liability. Variable lease payments which do not depend on an index or a rate (such as lease payments based on a percentage of Group sales) are excluded from the initial measurement of the lease liability and asset. The Group classifies its right-of-use assets in a consistent manner to its property, plant and equipment (Note 10).

The hostel in London Kensington Holland Park has a term of 50 years. There is no such purchase option in this lease.

Lease payments are generally linked to annual changes in an index (either RPI or CPI). However, the Group has one lease in Lisbon which a portion of the rentals are linked to revenue. The variable portion of the lease in Lisbon is accounted for as a variable rent over the period it relates to.

Each lease generally imposes a restriction that, unless there is a contractual right for the Group to sublet the asset to another party, the right-of-use asset can only be used by the Group. Leases are either non-cancellable or may only be cancelled by incurring a substantive termination fee. Some leases contain an option to purchase the underlying leased asset outright at the end of the lease, or to extend the lease for a further term. The Group is prohibited from selling or pledging the underlying leased assets as security. For leases over hostels or hotels, the Group must keep those properties in a good state of repair and return the properties in good condition at the end of the lease. Further, the Group must insure items of property, plant and equipment and incur maintenance fees on such items in accordance with the lease contracts.

The table below describes the nature of the Group's leasing activities by type of right-of-use asset recognised on balance sheet:

Right-of-use asset

No of right-of-use assets leased

Range of remaining term

Average remaining lease term

No of leases with extension options

No of leases with options to purchase

No of leases with variable payments linked to an index

No of leases with termination options

Hostel buildings - Operating leases

11

5 - 17 years

11 years

10

0

11

0

 

In addition to the above, there is the London Kensington Holland Park lease which ends in 2064. There are no such options as above.

 

Lease liabilities

 

The lease liabilities are secured by the related underlying assets. The undiscounted maturity analysis of lease liabilities at 31 December 2021 is as follows:

 

 

31-Dec-21

 







 


Minimum lease payments due

 

 

Within 1 year

1 - 2 years

2 - 3 years

3 - 4 years

4 - 5 years

After 5 years

Total

 

 








 

Lease payments

3,085

3,070

2,978

3,008

2,859

32,606

47,606

 

Finance charges

(1,163)

(1,092)

(1,020)

(948)

(874)

(9,501)

(14,598)

 

Net present values

1,922

1,978

1,958

2,060

1,985

23,105

33,008

 

 

 

31-Dec-20

 








Minimum lease payments due

 

Within 1 year

1 - 2 years

2 - 3 years

3 - 4 years

4 - 5 years

After 5 years

Total

 








Lease payments

3,466

3,085

3,070

2,978

3,008

47,981

63,588

Finance charges

(1,534)

(1,163)

(1,092)

(1,020)

(948)

(18,810)

(24,567)

Net present values

1,932

1,922

1,978

1,958

2,060

29,171

39,021

 

 

The Group has elected not to recognise a lease liability for short term leases (leases with an expected term of 12 months or less) or for leases of low value assets.

 

 

18.  DEFERRED INCOME TAX

 

Deferred tax assets

£'000

Deferred

tax liabilities

£'000

Total

£'000

Balance as at 1 January 2020 as restated

-

(1,678)

(1,678)

Recognised in the income statement

2,159

105

2,264

Recognised in other comprehensive income as restated

-

(185)

(185)

Balance at 31 December 2020 as restated

2,159

(1,758)

401

Recognised in the income statement

(1,037)

(157)

(1,194)

Recognised in other comprehensive income

-

(1,399)

(1,399)

Balance at 31 December 2021

1,122

(3,314)

(2,192)

 

The deferred tax liability in 2020 has been restated and increased by £1.758m as explained in note 26.

The Group has recognised deferred tax assets of £1.1m (2020: £2.2m), which are expected to offset against future profits, in respect of tax losses. This is on the basis that it is probable that profits will arise in the foreseeable future, enabling the assets to be utilised.

 

19.  EQUITY

CALLED UP SHARE CAPITAL

 

 

£'000

Allotted, issued and fully paid

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

64,679,014 Ordinary Shares of 1p each as at 1 January 2021 and 31 December 2021

 

647


647

 

 

At the 31 December 2021, the ordinary shares rank pari passu. There are no changes to the voting rights of the ordinary shares since the balance sheet date.

 

SHARE PREMIUM

 

 

£'000

 

 

At 1 January 2021

 

23,904

At 31 December 2021

23,904

 

 

 

OTHER COMPONENTS OF EQUITY

 

Merger reserve

£'000

Share based payment reserve

£'000

As restated

Revaluation reserve

£'000

Translation reserve

£'000

Total

£'000

Cost






At 1 January 2020 as restated

1,772

159

12,541

59

14,531

Share based payment charge

-

279

-

-

279

Exchange differences on translating foreign operations

-

-

-

4

4

Deferred tax on property revaluation

-

-

(185)

-

(185)

At 31 December 2020 as restated

1,772

438

12,356

63

14,629

Share based payment charge

-

72

-

-

72

Property revaluation

-

-

5,039

-

5,039

Deferred tax on property revaluation

-

-

(1,399)

-

(1,399)

Exchange differences on translating foreign operations

-

-

-

169

169

At 31 December 2021

1,772

510

15,996

232

18,510

 

 

20.  SHARE BASED PAYMENTS

The Group operates a share-based payments scheme for Directors as outlined in the Directors Remuneration Report. Share options were awarded as part of longer-term incentives.

The option holder may only exercise the option if, on the date of exercise, the market value targets are achieved.

609,600 share options were granted in the period (2020: 1,620,400). In addition to those granted to Directors in January 2020, Directors and 2 persons discharging managerial responsibilities were awarded in lieu of a 40% reduction of salary in 2020. In 2021, the Directors and 1 person discharging managerial responsibility have continued to receive share options in lieu of salary up until July 2021.

The average share price target for options issued in 2021 was 15p (2020: 19p).


Grant date

Exercise price per share (pence)

Number of share options outstanding

2021

2020

2 May 2014

50p

396,521

396,521

12 May 2014

50p

528,695

528,695

21 May 2014

50p

38,550

38,550

14 July 2017

50p

250,000

250,000

21 July 2017

50p

500,000

500,000

11 October 2018

42p

100,000

100,000

1 January 2019

34p

500,000

500,000

29 April 2019

34p

-

500,000

26 June 2019

40p

100,000

100,000

05 Sept 2019

34p

100,000

100,000

02 Jan 2020

33p

900,000

1,200,000

31 Oct 2020

9p

186,400

186,400

30 Nov 2020

16p

104,900

104,900

31 Dec 2020

13p

129,100

129,100

31 January 2021

13p

129,100

-

28 February 2021

14p

119,900

-

31 March 2021

15p

111,900

-

30 April 2021

15p

75,200

-

31 May 2021

17p

66,400

-

30 June 2021

18p

62,700

-

31 July 2021

16p

44,400

-



4,443,766

4,634,166

 

The share options are exercisable at a price equal to the average quoted market price of the Group's shares on the date of grant. The vesting period is 3 years from the date of grant and the share price must be a minimum of 60p, with the exception of the options issued since 2018 which have a target price of 50p, and the options issued in 2020 in exchange for salary reduction, which have a 1 year vesting period and no target price. The options are forfeited if the employee leaves the Group before the options vest. Details of these share options are summarised in the table below:

 


2021

Number of share options

2021

Weighted average exercise price

2020

Number of share options

2020

Weighted average exercise price

Brought forward 1 January

4,634,166

38.0p

3,013,766

44p

Forfeited in the period

(800,000)

33.6p

-

-

Issued in the period

609,600

15.0p

1,620,400

28p

Outstanding at 31 December

4,443,766

35.9p

4,634,166

38p

Exercisable at end of the period

2,327,789

42.8p

1,713,766

50p

 

No options were exercised in the period.

The fair value of the share options was calculated using the Black Scholes model. There is a charge of £72k taken though the income statement (2020: £279k).

The inputs are as follows:

 

2021

2020

Closing price of Safestay Plc

19.5p

16.0p

Weighted average share price

20.3p

18.8p

Weighted average exercise price

35.9p

38.0p

Expected volatility

35%

40%

Average vesting period

7.0 years

7.1 years

Risk free rate

1.28%

0.50%

Expected dividend yield

0.00%

0.00%

 

The expected volatility percentage was derived from the quoted share prices since flotation.

 

 

 

21.  Notes to the cashflow statement



Restated


2021

£'000

2020

£'000

 

Profit/(loss) before tax

693

(9,926)

Adjustments for:

 

 

Depreciation of property, plant and equipment and amortisation and impairment of intangible assets

3,773

5,690

Profit on disposal of fixed assets

(6,957)

-

Finance cost

2,545

2,693

Share based payment charge

72

279

Exchange movements

116

(8)

Rent concessions

(1,275)

(904)

Changes in working capital:



Decrease in inventory

12

39

Decrease/(increase) in trade and other receivables

549

(244)

(Decrease) in trade and other payables

(800)

(1,847)

Net cash from operating activities

(1,272)

(4,228)

 

 

22.  RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS

The Group has taken advantage of the exemption contained within IAS 24 - 'Related Party Disclosures' from the requirement to disclose transactions between wholly owned group companies as these have been eliminated on consolidation. 

The remuneration of the directors, who are the key management personnel of the Group, is set out below.

 

2021

£'000

2020

£'000

Short term employee benefits

336

444

Pension

6

16

Share based payment charges

72

257


414

717

 

Further information about the remuneration of individual directors is provided in the Directors' Remuneration Report.

Details of directors share options is provided in the Directors' Remuneration Report and in note 20 of the accounts. The directors share options have been audited.

Safestay Plc has a common directorship with Safeland Plc. In the year, Safestay Plc rented premises from Safeland Plc on non-commercial terms. Total rent paid to Safeland Plc was £50,000 (2020:£nil).

 

23.  FINANCIAL INSTRUMENTS

Capital management

Total Capital is calculated as equity, as shown in the consolidated statement of financial position, plus debt.

The Board's policy is to maintain a strong capital base with a view to underpinning investor, creditor and market confidence and sustaining the future development of the business. Capital consists of ordinary shares, other capital reserves and retained earnings. To this end, the Board monitors the Group's performance at both a corporate and individual asset level and sets internal guidelines for interest cover and gearing.

The executive directors monitor the Group's current and projected financial position against these guidelines. In order to maintain or adjust the capital structure, the Group may adjust the amount of dividends paid to shareholders, return capital to shareholders, issue new shares or sell assets to reduce debt.

 

2021

 

£'000

2020

As Restated

£'000

Share capital

647

647

Share premium account

23,904

23,904

Retained earnings

(12,928)

(12,329)

Merger reserve

1,772

1,772

Share based payment reserve

510

438

Revaluation reserve

15,996

12,356

Translation reserve

231

63

Bank loans

18,007

28,380

Property financing loans

7,078

12,240

Lease liabilities

33,008

39,021

 

The revaluation reserve has been restated in 2020 and reduced by £1,758,000 as explained in note 26.

 

The Group has no externally imposed capital requirements.

 

Significant Accounting Policies

Details of the significant accounting policies and methods adopted, including the criteria for recognition, the basis of measurement and the basis on which income and expenses are recognised, in respect of each class of financial asset, financial liability and equity instruments are disclosed in note 1 to these financial statements and in the tables below:

Categories of financial instruments

At 31 December 2021, the Group held the following financial assets:

 

2021

£'000

2020

£'000

Trade and other receivables (note 13)

1,227

1,679

Cash and cash equivalents

4,482

2,125


5,709

3,804

 

At 31 December 2021, the Group held the following financial liabilities:

 

2021

 

£'000

2020

As restated

£'000

Bank loans (note 16)

18,007

28,114

Property financing loans (note 16)

7,078

12,240

Lease liabilities (note 17)

33,008

39,021

Trade and other payables (note 15)

2,069

1,386


60,162

80,761

 

All financial liabilities are measured at amortised cost.

The carrying amounts of the Group's bank loans and overdrafts, lease obligations and trade and other payables approximate to their fair value.

 

Financial Liability Movements

 

 

Long term borrowings

Short term borrowings

Lease liabilities

Total

 

£'000

£'000

£'000

£'000

At 1 January 2020 (restated)

29,638

267

35,904

65,809

Cash flows





Repayment of lease liabilities

-

-

(2,514)

(2,514)

Repayment of property finance loans

(331)

-

-

(331)

Proceeds received

10,361

159

-

10,520

Loan and refinancing fees

(174)

(102)

-

(276)

Non-cash




 

Reclassification

130

(130)

-

-

Refinance related fees write off

76

25

-

101

New leases and extension

-

-

4,536

4,536

Imputed interest and amortisation of fees

343

92

1,558

1,993

Lease modification

-

-

441

441

Rent concessions

-

-

(904)

(904)

At 31 December 2020 (restated)

40,043

311

39,021

79,375

 

 




 

At 1 January 2021

40,043

311

39,021

79,375

Cash flows





Repayment of lease liabilities

-

-

(1,810)

(1,810)

Repayment of property finance loans

(5,156)

-

-

(5,156)

Repayment of bank loans

(10,062)

(311)

-

(10,373)

Loan and refinancing fees

-

-

-

-

Non-cash





Reclassification

(926)

926

-

-

Government grant

(156)

-

-

(156)

Lease disposals

-

-

(1,389)

(1,389)

Imputed interest and amortisation of fees

285

-

1,471

1,756

Lease modification

-

-

(3,010)

(3,010)

Rent concessions

-

-

(1,275)

(1,275)

At 31 December 2021

24,028

926

33,008

57,962

 

 

2021

£'000

2020

£'000

 



Total liabilities

(57,962)

(78,934)

Cash and cash equivalents

4,482

2,125

Net Debt

53,480

76,809


 

 

 

 

Financial risk management

The Group's financial instruments comprise bank loans and overdrafts, Lease liabilities, cash and cash equivalents, and various items within trade and other receivables and payables that arise directly from its operations.

The main risks arising from the financial instruments are interest rate risk and liquidity risk. The board reviews and agrees policies for managing these risks which are detailed below.

Interest rate risk

The Group's interest rate risk arises from long-term borrowings.  Borrowings at variable rate expose the Group to cash flow interest rate risk which is partially offset by cash held at variable rates.

Liquidity risk

All of the Group's long-term bank borrowings are secured on the Group's property portfolio. If the value of the portfolio were to fall significantly, the Group risk breaching borrowing covenants. The Board regularly review the Group's gearing levels, cash flow projections and associated headroom and ensure that excess banking facilities are available for future use.

As outlined in going concern note 1, the business has been severely impacted by the travel restrictions and ability to meet its banking covenants as a result of Covid-19. The Group produces an annual cashflow forecasts based on agreed budgets, and as a result of Covid-19 have monitored the cashflow forecasts on a weekly basis.

The business continued to manage its liquidity risk with the renewal of its debt facility with HSBC on the 13th January 2020 with a new facility of £22.9m for 5 years until 2025. In addition, a £5.0m bank CBILs facility was secured for 6 years on 16th December 2020, which is interest free for the first year increasing to 3.9% + base rate from year 2.

The business continues to service is debt and make the interest payments as they fall due. There are no off balance sheet financing arrangements or contingent liabilities.

While liquidity remains closely monitored the Sea Hostel was sold February 2021 for a £0.7m consideration, and Edinburgh Hostel was sold for £16m. The monthly cost base was reduced from £0.9 million to £0.6 million during the first lockdown. The Sea disposal and sale of Edinburgh would provide sufficient headroom to manage liquidity in the short term, through to the end of December 2022, even if the impact of Covid-19 continued or the hostels remained closed. See note 1 going concern accounting policy.

However, the covenants of the existing debt facility were waived since June 2020. From June 2021 they were adjusted and replaced with adjusted EBITDA targets reflecting the current performances of the hostels since the first lockdown in April 2020. They will revert to the contractual covenants from July 2022 when it is expected that the Group will have enough trading history from the re-opening of the hostels in July 2021 to meet the 12 month historic Interest Cover (ICR) and Loan to Value ratios.

Foreign currency risk

The group is exposed to foreign currency risk from overseas subsidiaries with group transactions carried out in Euros. Exposures to currency exchange rates arise from the Group's overseas sales and purchases, which are primarily denominated in Euros.

This risk is mitigated by each hostel holding a denominated bank account in the country of operation. The group monitors cashflows and considers foreign currency risk when making intra-group transfers.

Foreign transactions are translated into the functional currency at the exchange rate ruling when the transaction is entered. Foreign exchange gains and losses resulting from the settlement of such transactions, and from the translation at year end exchange rates, of monetary assets and liabilities are recognised in the income statement.

Interest rate risk management

The Group is exposed to interest rate risk on its borrowings. The £17.7 million main facility has an interest rate of 2.45% above the London inter-bank offer rate (LIBOR). When the £10.2 million from the Edinburgh sale proceeds was used to reduce the debt in July 2021, LIBOR was replaced with 2.95% SONIA. The £5 million CBILS in interest free in year 1 and has an interest rate of 3.99% above base rate from year 2 until it is fully repaid at the end of year 6. The Group carefully manages its interest rate risk on an ongoing basis.

Interest rate sensitivity

The sensitivity analysis in the paragraph below has been determined based on the exposure to interest rates for all borrowings subject to interest charges at the statement of financial position date. For floating rate liabilities, the analysis is prepared assuming the amount of the liability outstanding at the statement of financial position date was outstanding for the whole year. A 0.25% increase or decrease is used when reporting interest rate risk internally to key management and represents management's assessment of the reasonably possible change in interest rates.

Based on bank borrowings, at 31 December 2021, if interest rates were 0.5% higher or (lower) and all other variables were held constant, the Group's net profit would increase or decrease by £89,000 (2020: £140,000). This is attributable to the Group's exposure to interest rates on its variable rate borrowings.

Liquidity risk management

Ultimate responsibility for liquidity risk management rests with the Board of directors. The Board manages liquidity risk by regularly reviewing the Group's gearing levels, cash flow projections and associated headroom and ensuring that excess banking facilities are available for future use. All of the Group's long-term bank borrowings are secured on the Group's property portfolio.

 

Liquidity and interest risk analysis

The following tables detail the Group's remaining contractual maturity for all financial liabilities. The tables have been drawn up based on the undiscounted cash flows of financial liabilities based on the earliest date on which the Group can be required to pay including interest.

 

 

 

 

Less than 1 year

£'000

 

1-2 years

£'000

 

3-5 years

£'000

Later than

5 years

£'000

 

Total

£'000

 






Variable interest rate borrowings

1,379

1,577

16,659

-

19,615

Property financing borrowings

191

191

573

10,193

11,148

Trade and other payables

1,946

7

-

-

1,953

Lease liabilities

1,922

1,978

6,003

23,105

33,008

 

5,438

3,753

23,235

33,298

65,724

 

The above amounts reflect the contractual undiscounted cash flows, which may differ to the carrying values of the liabilities at the reporting date.

The repayment of the £5 million CBILS will start in April 2022. The repayment under 1 year relates to the £22.9 million debt facility for £57,500 per quarter, and the repayment of the government backed loan in Vienna for £80,000 per semester. It was however agreed with HSBC that the main debt facility would be interest only from July 2021 after the disposal of Edinburgh which involves a £10.0 million debt repayment to HSBC.

24.  FAIR VALUES OF NON-FINANCIAL ASSETS

The following table shows the levels within the hierarchy of non-financial assets measured at fair value on a recurring basis:

 


Level 1

£'000

Level 2

£'000

Level 3

£'000

Total

£'000

2020





Freehold Property

-

-

8,411

8,411

Leasehold Property

-

-

41,126

41,126

 

-

-

49,537

49,537

2021





Freehold Property

-

-

9,484

9,484

Leasehold Property

-

-

31,691

31,691

 

-

-

41,175

41,175

 

The group's freehold and leasehold property asset is estimated based on appraisals performed by independent, professionally qualified property valuers. The significant inputs and assumptions are developed in close consultation with management. The valuation process and fair value changes are reviewed by the directors at each reporting date.

25.  Business combinations

See accounting policy in note 1.

There have been no business combinations in the year ended 31 December 2021.

On 14th January 2020, the Group acquired the leasehold of an existing 132 bed hostel in Athens via a newly registered Greek subsidiary of Safestay plc, for a consideration of €1.5m paid in full at acquisition.

On 30th January 2020, the Group acquired an existing entity registered in Poland which owned the leasehold of a 158 bed hostel in Warsaw. At the same date, the Group acquired an existing entity registered in Slovakia which owned the leasehold of a 124 bed hostel in Bratislava. Both entities were acquired from the same party, Dream Management Group Ltd, for a consideration with €0.6m paid at completion and the outstanding amount in November 2020 for €0.3m.

 

Athens

Warsaw

Bratislava

2020

 

 

 

 

 

Number of sites purchased

 

 

 

3

Fair value

£'000

£'000

£'000

£'000

Property, plant & equipment

2,092

1,179

825

4,096

Intangible assets

-

-

-

-

Current assets

1

233

-

234

Cash

-

64

4

68

Debt

(1,964)

(732)

(515)

(3,211)

Deferred revenue, trade & other payables

(9)

(1,351)

(503)

(1,863)

Goodwill

1,210

620

917

2,747

Consideration

 

 

 

 

Net cash paid on acquisition

1,330

13

728

2,071

Total Consideration

1,330

13

728

2,071

 

Goodwill recognised on each acquisition reflects the future growth of the Group and represent the first stage in establishing a pan-European network of Safestay Hostels. All goodwill acquired has been allocated to a cash generating unit.

The Board reviewed each business on acquisition for its separately identifiable assets:

· Brand - the hostels were purchased from two selling entities, each with a large portfolio of hostels that are continuing to trade under their original brand names.  For this reason, management do not attribute the future earnings to the brands purchased; the key asset purchased is the future potential of each hostel as operated under the Safestay management team, and as an extension of the existing Safestay portfolio.

· Advanced deposits - each acquisition resulted in the purchase of advanced deposits taken under previous management that would result in potential sales whilst under Safestay control.  The Board quantified the value of contracted sales under their original terms of sale and found the contracts to be immaterial at acquisition. 

· Property, plant and equipment - the Board reviewed the asset registers of each entity and performed an impairment of each.  The book value of assets was agreed to represent the fair value of each asset class.

· Intangible assets - the Board reviewed the agreements with customers and found no intangible assets for capitalisation.

 

The Group incurred acquisition costs of £0.1 million on legal fees and due diligence costs. These have been charged to operating exceptional items in the Consolidated Income Statement in 2020.

The acquisitions have contributed the following revenue and operating profits to the Group in the year ended 31 December 2020 from the date of acquisition:


Athens

Warsaw

Bratislava


£'000

£'000

£'000

Revenue

115

129

31

Operating profit

(179)

(201)

(151)

 

It is not practicable to identify the related cash flows, revenue and profit on an annualised basis as the months for which the businesses have been controlled by Safestay are not indicative of the annualised figures especially in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The pre-acquisition trading results are not indicative of the trading expectation under Safestay's stewardship; the Group deployed its Property Management System and digital marketing platform and updated internal processes.

26.  PRIOR YEAR RESTATEMENT

IFRS 16 Adjustment

Following a review of the IFRS 16 accounting for the year to 31 December 2021, it is noted that the classification between accruals, IFRS lease liability and rent expense in the year to 31 December 2020 was found to be incorrect. This has resulted in an increased lease liability of £440,000, a decrease in accruals of £598,000 and a decrease in rent (increase in retained earnings brought forward) of £158,000.

Overall, the 2020 loss decreased and consequently the 2021 retained earnings brought forward has increased by £158,000, plus the net assets has increased by £158,000.

Deferred tax liability on the 2019 Safestay (Elephant & Castle) Ltd property revaluation

From a review of the deferred tax balances as at 31 December 2021 it is noted that the deferred tax liability relating to the property revaluation on Safestay (Elephant & Castle) Ltd was erroneously omitted from the liability for the year ended 31 December 2019.

An adjustment has been made to correct this that has reduced the property revaluation reserve by £1,758,000 and increased the deferred tax liability by £1,758,000. This has reduced net assets by £1,758,000 and has no impact on the trading profit in 2019.

27.  POST REPORTING DATE EVENTS

On the 14 April 2022 a share option modification was made by the Group on all share options currently active. This has been performed to align the historical share option vesting conditions to more appropriate benchmarks in the current economic climate.

The Group is currently not committed to any future acquisition projects or development.

Following a review of director rewards and incentives, the Remuneration Committee of the Board of Directors ("Directors") has recommended that, given the reduction in the Group's share price, that the existing awards of share options are no longer a reasonable incentive for the Group's management team (the "Management Team") and Directors and should be replaced in order to re-align the option scheme with the current share price. The Board of Directors approved this recommendation.

On 14 April 2022 the Group granted awards of options over a total of 4,020,121 ordinary shares of one (1) penny each in the Grouo ("Ordinary Shares") under the Group's existing share option scheme (the "New Options"). The New Options are exercisable on or after 1 January 2024.

A portion of the New Options have been awarded to replace all existing awards of options previously granted in the same number (the "Old Options") to the current Management Team and Directors, which were cancelled on 14 April 2022. The holders of all of the Old Options have agreed to their termination with immediate effect. Old Options that were previously priced significantly above the current share price have effectively been reissued at the current share price, with Old Options previously priced below the current share price effectively reissued at their previous exercise price.

In addition to the replacement of the Old Options, the New Options also include new share options granted to Paul Hingston, Chief Financial Officer, as part of his employment package following his appointment in February 2022.

It has also been agreed with the Business Growth Fund that Larry Lipman, the Chairman, will waive his 250,000 share options issued on 14 July 2017. He has also agreed that if he exercises any of the remaining share options, he cannot sell these shares for two years.


 

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