Concentration - Minimum Return and Rents (Details) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016 USD ($) hotel travelcenter unit property
Concentration Risk
Number of properties | property	504
Wyndham agreement
Concentration Risk
Operating agreement annual rent and return	$ 1,407
TA No. 4
Concentration Risk
Ground rent due	$ 2,120
Hotels
Concentration Risk
Number of properties | hotel	306
Ground rent due	$ 248
Hotels | Sonesta agreements
Concentration Risk
Operating agreement annual rent and return	$ 90,171
Hotels | Wyndham agreement
Concentration Risk
Number of properties | hotel	22
Operating agreement annual rent and return	$ 26,997
Hotels | Marriott No. 5 contract
Concentration Risk
Number of properties | property	1
Hotels | Morgans agreement
Concentration Risk
Operating agreement annual rent and return	$ 7,595
Vacation units | Wyndham agreement
Concentration Risk
Operating agreement annual rent and return	$ 1,407
Number of units leased | unit	48
Travel centers
Concentration Risk
Number of properties | travelcenter	198
Ground rent due	$ 481
Credit concentration
Concentration Risk
Number of properties | property	504
Credit concentration | Hotels
Concentration Risk
Number of properties | property	306
Credit concentration | Hotels | Marriott contracts
Concentration Risk
Number of properties | property	122
Credit concentration | Hotels | InterContinental agreement
Concentration Risk
Operating agreement annual rent and return	$ 161,789
Credit concentration | Hotels | Sonesta agreements
Concentration Risk
Number of properties | hotel	34
Credit concentration | Hotels | Wyndham agreement
Concentration Risk
Number of properties | property	22
Credit concentration | Hotels | Hyatt Hotels Corporation
Concentration Risk
Number of properties | property	22
Credit concentration | Hotels | Carlson
Concentration Risk
Number of properties | property	11
Credit concentration | Hotels | Marriott No 1 contract
Concentration Risk
Number of properties | property	53
Credit concentration | Hotels | Marriott No. 5 contract
Concentration Risk
Number of properties | property	1
Credit concentration | Travel centers
Concentration Risk
Number of properties | property	198
Credit concentration | Travel centers | TA No. 1
Concentration Risk
Number of properties | property	40
Credit concentration | Travel centers | TA No. 2
Concentration Risk
Number of properties | property	40
Credit concentration | Travel centers | TA No. 3
Concentration Risk
Number of properties | property	39
Credit concentration | Travel centers | TA No. 4
Concentration Risk
Number of properties | property	39
Credit concentration | Travel centers | TA No. 5
Concentration Risk
Number of properties | property	40
Credit concentration | Minimum return / minimum rent
Concentration Risk
Operating agreement annual rent and return	$ 782,145
Concentration risk, percentage	100.00%
Credit concentration | Minimum return / minimum rent | Hotels
Concentration Risk
Operating agreement annual rent and return	$ 508,028
Concentration risk, percentage	65.00%
Credit concentration | Minimum return / minimum rent | Hotels | Marriott contracts
Concentration Risk
Operating agreement annual rent and return	$ 185,112
Concentration risk, percentage	23.00%
Credit concentration | Minimum return / minimum rent | Hotels | InterContinental agreement
Concentration Risk
Concentration risk, percentage	21.00%
Credit concentration | Minimum return / minimum rent | Hotels | Sonesta agreements
Concentration Risk
Operating agreement annual rent and return	$ 90,171
Concentration risk, percentage	11.40%
Credit concentration | Minimum return / minimum rent | Hotels | Wyndham agreement
Concentration Risk
Operating agreement annual rent and return	$ 28,404
Concentration risk, percentage	4.00%
Credit concentration | Minimum return / minimum rent | Hotels | Hyatt Hotels Corporation
Concentration Risk
Operating agreement annual rent and return	$ 22,037
Concentration risk, percentage	3.00%
Credit concentration | Minimum return / minimum rent | Hotels | Carlson
Concentration Risk
Operating agreement annual rent and return	$ 12,920
Concentration risk, percentage	2.00%
Credit concentration | Minimum return / minimum rent | Hotels | Marriott No 1 contract
Concentration Risk
Operating agreement annual rent and return	$ 68,636
Concentration risk, percentage	9.00%
Credit concentration | Minimum return / minimum rent | Hotels | Marriott No. 234 agreement
Concentration Risk
Operating agreement annual rent and return	$ 106,360
Concentration risk, percentage	13.30%
Credit concentration | Minimum return / minimum rent | Hotels | Marriott No. 5 contract
Concentration Risk
Operating agreement annual rent and return	$ 10,116
Concentration risk, percentage	1.00%
Credit concentration | Minimum return / minimum rent | Hotels | Morgans agreement
Concentration Risk
Operating agreement annual rent and return	$ 7,595
Concentration risk, percentage	1.00%
Credit concentration | Minimum return / minimum rent | Travel centers
Concentration Risk
Operating agreement annual rent and return	$ 274,117
Concentration risk, percentage	35.00%
Credit concentration | Minimum return / minimum rent | Travel centers | TA No. 1
Concentration Risk
Operating agreement annual rent and return	$ 51,435
Concentration risk, percentage	6.20%
Credit concentration | Minimum return / minimum rent | Travel centers | TA No. 2
Concentration Risk
Operating agreement annual rent and return	$ 52,327
Concentration risk, percentage	7.00%
Credit concentration | Minimum return / minimum rent | Travel centers | TA No. 3
Concentration Risk
Operating agreement annual rent and return	$ 52,665
Concentration risk, percentage	7.00%
Credit concentration | Minimum return / minimum rent | Travel centers | TA No. 4
Concentration Risk
Operating agreement annual rent and return	$ 50,117
Concentration risk, percentage	6.00%
Credit concentration | Minimum return / minimum rent | Travel centers | TA No. 5
Concentration Risk
Operating agreement annual rent and return	$ 67,573
Concentration risk, percentage	9.00%
Credit concentration | Investment
Concentration Risk
Concentration risk, percentage	100.00%
Investment	$ 9,071,514
Credit concentration | Investment | Hotels
Concentration Risk
Concentration risk, percentage	63.00%
Investment	$ 5,693,935
Credit concentration | Investment | Hotels | Marriott contracts
Concentration Risk
Concentration risk, percentage	21.00%
Investment	$ 1,782,765
Credit concentration | Investment | Hotels | InterContinental agreement
Concentration Risk
Concentration risk, percentage	19.00%
Investment	$ 1,695,778
Credit concentration | Investment | Hotels | Sonesta agreements
Concentration Risk
Concentration risk, percentage	13.00%
Investment	$ 1,196,797
Credit concentration | Investment | Hotels | Wyndham agreement
Concentration Risk
Concentration risk, percentage	4.00%
Investment	$ 386,758
Credit concentration | Investment | Hotels | Hyatt Hotels Corporation
Concentration Risk
Concentration risk, percentage	3.00%
Investment	$ 301,942
Credit concentration | Investment | Hotels | Carlson
Concentration Risk
Concentration risk, percentage	2.00%
Investment	$ 209,895
Credit concentration | Investment | Hotels | Marriott No 1 contract
Concentration Risk
Concentration risk, percentage	9.00%
Investment	$ 691,298
Credit concentration | Investment | Hotels | Marriott No. 234 agreement
Concentration Risk
Concentration risk, percentage	11.00%
Investment	$ 1,001,389
Credit concentration | Investment | Hotels | Marriott No. 5 contract
Concentration Risk
Concentration risk, percentage	1.00%
Investment	$ 90,078
Credit concentration | Investment | Hotels | Morgans agreement
Concentration Risk
Concentration risk, percentage	1.00%
Investment	$ 120,000
Credit concentration | Investment | Travel centers
Concentration Risk
Concentration risk, percentage	37.00%
Investment	$ 3,377,579
Credit concentration | Investment | Travel centers | TA No. 1
Concentration Risk
Concentration risk, percentage	7.00%
Investment	$ 661,417
Credit concentration | Investment | Travel centers | TA No. 2
Concentration Risk
Concentration risk, percentage	7.00%
Investment	$ 665,127
Credit concentration | Investment | Travel centers | TA No. 3
Concentration Risk
Concentration risk, percentage	7.00%
Investment	$ 620,240
Credit concentration | Investment | Travel centers | TA No. 4
Concentration Risk
Concentration risk, percentage	6.00%
Investment	$ 568,098
Credit concentration | Investment | Travel centers | TA No. 5
Concentration Risk
Concentration risk, percentage	10.00%
Investment	$ 862,697
Puerto Rico | InterContinental agreement
Concentration Risk
Operating agreement annual rent and return	$ 7,904
Puerto Rico | Hotels
Concentration Risk
Concentration risk, percentage	2.00%
Maximum | Hotels | InterContinental agreement
Concentration Risk
Number of real estate properties leased or managed | hotel	94
Minimum | Hotels
Concentration Risk
Number of real estate properties leased or managed | hotel	1