HIGHLAND HOSPITALITY CORP
EXHIBIT 10.5.1
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 <P STYLE="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px" ALIGN="right"><FONT FACE="Times New Roman" SIZE="2"><B>EXHIBIT 10.5.1 </B></FONT></P> <P STYLE="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px"><FONT
SIZE="1">&nbsp;</FONT></P> <P STYLE="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px" ALIGN="center"><FONT FACE="Times New Roman" SIZE="2"><B>FIRST AMENDMENT TO EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT </B></FONT></P> <P STYLE="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px"><FONT
SIZE="1">&nbsp;</FONT></P> <P STYLE="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px; text-indent:4%"><FONT FACE="Times New Roman" SIZE="2">This First Amendment to Employment Agreement is made this 29th day of March 2004, by Highland Hospitality, L.P., a Delaware
limited partnership (the &#147;Company&#148;), and Highland Hospitality Corporation, a Maryland Corporation (the &#147;REIT&#148;), each with its principal place of business at 8405 Greensboro Drive, Suite 500, McLean, VA 22102 and Douglas W.
Vicari, residing at 464 Oradell Avenue, Oradell, New Jersey 07649 (the &#147;Executive&#148;). </FONT></P> <P STYLE="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px"><FONT SIZE="1">&nbsp;</FONT></P> <P STYLE="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px; text-indent:4%"><FONT
FACE="Times New Roman" SIZE="2"><B>WHEREAS,</B> the Company and the REIT entered into that certain Employment Agreement dated October 24, 2003 (the &#147;Employment Agreement&#148;) with the Executive; </FONT></P> <P
STYLE="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px"><FONT SIZE="1">&nbsp;</FONT></P> <P STYLE="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px; text-indent:4%"><FONT FACE="Times New Roman" SIZE="2"><B>WHEREAS,</B> the parties have agreed to amend the Employment Agreement to
reflect the fact that the REIT is the employing entity regularly paying the compensation to the Executive and the employing entity with primary responsibility for taking action with respect to Executive&#146;s employment under the Employment
Agreement; and </FONT></P> <P STYLE="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px"><FONT SIZE="1">&nbsp;</FONT></P> <P STYLE="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px; text-indent:4%"><FONT FACE="Times New Roman" SIZE="2"><B>WHEREAS, </B>the parties desire to correct a
reference in Section 6(d)(vii)(C) of the Employment Agreement. </FONT></P> <P STYLE="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px"><FONT SIZE="1">&nbsp;</FONT></P> <P STYLE="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px; text-indent:4%"><FONT FACE="Times New Roman"
SIZE="2"><B>NOW THEREFORE,</B> the parties agree as follows: </FONT></P> <P STYLE="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px"><FONT SIZE="1">&nbsp;</FONT></P> <P STYLE="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px; text-indent:4%"><FONT FACE="Times New Roman"
SIZE="2">1. References in Sections 1, 4, 5 and 6 of the Employment Agreement to actions required or permitted to be taken by the &#147;Company&#148; shall be required or permitted to be taken by the &#147;Company Group&#148;. </FONT></P> <P
STYLE="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px"><FONT SIZE="1">&nbsp;</FONT></P> <P STYLE="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px; text-indent:4%"><FONT FACE="Times New Roman" SIZE="2">2. The word &#147;Company&#148; in Section 6(d)(vii)(C) shall be replaced
with the word &#147;REIT&#148;. </FONT></P> <P STYLE="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px"><FONT SIZE="1">&nbsp;</FONT></P> <P STYLE="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px; text-indent:4%"><FONT FACE="Times New Roman" SIZE="2">3. Section 11(d) is amended to
read as follows: </FONT></P> <P STYLE="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:-6px"><FONT SIZE="1">&nbsp;</FONT></P> <P STYLE="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px; margin-left:4%"><FONT FACE="Times New Roman" SIZE="2">&#147;(d) <U>Amendment</U>. This Agreement
may be amended or modified only by a written instrument executed by both the REIT and the Executive, which amendment or modification is consented to by the Company.&#148; </FONT></P> <P STYLE="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px"><FONT
SIZE="1">&nbsp;</FONT></P> <P STYLE="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px; text-indent:4%"><FONT FACE="Times New Roman" SIZE="2">4. Section 11(g) is amended to read as follows: </FONT></P> <P STYLE="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:-6px"><FONT
SIZE="1">&nbsp;</FONT></P> <P STYLE="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px; margin-left:4%"><FONT FACE="Times New Roman" SIZE="2">&#147;(g) <U>Waiver</U>. No delays or omission by the Company, the REIT or the Executive in exercising any right under this
Agreement shall operate as a waiver of that or any other right. A waiver or consent by the REIT shall not be effective unless consented to by the Company. A waiver or consent given by the Company Group or the Executive on any one occasion shall be
effective only in that instance and shall not be construed as a bar or waiver of any right on any other occasion.&#148; </FONT></P> <P STYLE="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px"><FONT SIZE="1">&nbsp;</FONT></P>
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 <P STYLE="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px; text-indent:4%"><FONT FACE="Times New Roman" SIZE="2"><B>IN WITNESS WHEREOF</B>, the parties have executed this First Amendment to Employment Agreement as of
the day and year first above written. </FONT></P> <P STYLE="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px"><FONT SIZE="1">&nbsp;</FONT></P><DIV ALIGN="right">
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<TD VALIGN="top" COLSPAN="3"> <P STYLE="margin-left:1.00em; text-indent:-1.00em"><FONT FACE="Times New Roman" SIZE="2">HIGHLAND HOSPITALITY, L.P.</FONT></P></TD></TR>
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<TD VALIGN="top"><FONT FACE="Times New Roman" SIZE="2">By:</FONT></TD>
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<TD VALIGN="top"> <P STYLE="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px; margin-left:1.00em; text-indent:-1.00em"><FONT FACE="Times New Roman" SIZE="2">HHC GP Corporation, its general</FONT></P> <P
STYLE="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:1px; margin-left:1.00em; text-indent:-1.00em"><FONT FACE="Times New Roman" SIZE="2">partner</FONT></P></TD></TR>
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<TD VALIGN="top"> <P STYLE="margin-left:1.00em; text-indent:-1.00em"><FONT FACE="Times New Roman" SIZE="2">/s/&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;James L. Francis</FONT></P></TD></TR>
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<TD VALIGN="bottom"> <P STYLE="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px"><FONT FACE="Times New Roman" SIZE="1">James L. Francis</FONT></P> <P STYLE="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:1px"><FONT FACE="Times New Roman" SIZE="1">President and Chief Executive
Officer</FONT></P></TD></TR>
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<TD VALIGN="top" COLSPAN="3"> <P STYLE="margin-left:1.00em; text-indent:-1.00em"><FONT FACE="Times New Roman" SIZE="2">DOUGLAS W. VICARI</FONT></P></TD></TR>
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<TD VALIGN="top" COLSPAN="3"> <P STYLE="margin-left:1.00em; text-indent:-1.00em"><FONT FACE="Times New Roman" SIZE="2">/s/&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Douglas W. Vicari</FONT></P></TD></TR>
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<TD VALIGN="top" COLSPAN="3"> <P STYLE="margin-left:1.00em; text-indent:-1.00em"><FONT FACE="Times New Roman" SIZE="2">HIGHLAND HOSPITALITY CORPORATION</FONT></P></TD></TR>
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<TD VALIGN="top"><FONT FACE="Times New Roman" SIZE="2">By:</FONT></TD>
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<TD VALIGN="top"> <P STYLE="margin-left:1.00em; text-indent:-1.00em"><FONT FACE="Times New Roman" SIZE="2">/s/&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;James L. Francis</FONT></P></TD></TR>
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<TD VALIGN="bottom"> <P STYLE="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px"><FONT FACE="Times New Roman" SIZE="1">James L. Francis</FONT></P> <P STYLE="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:1px"><FONT FACE="Times New Roman" SIZE="1">President and Chief Executive
Officer</FONT></P></TD></TR>
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