Concentration - Minimum Return and Rents (Details) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2017 USD ($) hotel travelcenter unit property	May 31, 2017 hotel
Concentration Risk
Number of properties owned | property	522
Wyndham agreement
Concentration Risk
Number of units leased | unit	48
TA No. 4
Concentration Risk
Ground rent due	$ 2,147
Hotels
Concentration Risk
Number of properties owned | hotel	323
Ground rent due	$ 247
Hotels | Marriott No. 234 agreement
Concentration Risk
Number of properties owned | hotel	68
Operating agreement annual rent and return	$ 106,538
Hotels | InterContinental agreement
Concentration Risk
Operating agreement annual rent and return	189,261
Hotels | Sonesta agreements
Concentration Risk
Operating agreement annual rent and return	$ 109,632
Hotels | Wyndham agreement
Concentration Risk
Number of properties owned | hotel	22
Operating agreement annual rent and return	$ 27,561
Hotels | Hyatt Hotels Corporation
Concentration Risk
Number of properties owned | hotel	22
Operating agreement annual rent and return	$ 22,037
Hotels | Carlson
Concentration Risk
Number of properties owned | hotel	8	11
Operating agreement annual rent and return	$ 12,920
Hotels | Marriott No. 5 contract
Concentration Risk
Number of properties owned | property	1
Operating agreement annual rent and return	$ 10,159
Hotels | Morgans agreement
Concentration Risk
Operating agreement annual rent and return	$ 7,595
Travel centers
Concentration Risk
Number of properties owned | travelcenter	199
Ground rent due	$ 479
Vacation units | Wyndham agreement
Concentration Risk
Operating agreement annual rent and return	$ 1,449
Credit concentration
Concentration Risk
Number of properties owned | property	522
Credit concentration | Hotels
Concentration Risk
Number of properties owned | property	323
Credit concentration | Hotels | Marriott No. 234 agreement
Concentration Risk
Number of properties owned | property	68
Credit concentration | Hotels | Marriott contracts
Concentration Risk
Number of properties owned | property	122
Credit concentration | Hotels | InterContinental agreement
Concentration Risk
Number of properties owned | property	99
Credit concentration | Hotels | Sonesta agreements
Concentration Risk
Number of properties owned | property	49
Credit concentration | Hotels | Wyndham agreement
Concentration Risk
Number of properties owned | property	22
Credit concentration | Hotels | Hyatt Hotels Corporation
Concentration Risk
Number of properties owned | property	22
Credit concentration | Hotels | Carlson
Concentration Risk
Number of properties owned | property	8
Credit concentration | Hotels | Marriott No 1 contract
Concentration Risk
Number of properties owned | property	53
Credit concentration | Hotels | Marriott No. 5 contract
Concentration Risk
Number of properties owned | property	1
Credit concentration | Hotels | Morgans agreement
Concentration Risk
Number of properties owned | property	1
Credit concentration | Travel centers
Concentration Risk
Number of properties owned | property	199
Credit concentration | Travel centers | TA No. 1
Concentration Risk
Number of properties owned | property	40
Credit concentration | Travel centers | TA No. 2
Concentration Risk
Number of properties owned | property	40
Credit concentration | Travel centers | TA No. 3
Concentration Risk
Number of properties owned | property	39
Credit concentration | Travel centers | TA No. 4
Concentration Risk
Number of properties owned | property	40
Credit concentration | Travel centers | TA No. 5
Concentration Risk
Number of properties owned | property	40
Credit concentration | Minimum return / minimum rent
Concentration Risk
Operating agreement annual rent and return	$ 840,797
Concentration risk, percentage	100.00%
Credit concentration | Minimum return / minimum rent | Hotels
Concentration Risk
Operating agreement annual rent and return	$ 556,384
Concentration risk, percentage	68.00%
Credit concentration | Minimum return / minimum rent | Hotels | Marriott contracts
Concentration Risk
Operating agreement annual rent and return	$ 185,929
Concentration risk, percentage	22.00%
Credit concentration | Minimum return / minimum rent | Hotels | InterContinental agreement
Concentration Risk
Operating agreement annual rent and return	$ 189,261
Concentration risk, percentage	23.00%
Credit concentration | Minimum return / minimum rent | Hotels | Sonesta agreements
Concentration Risk
Operating agreement annual rent and return	$ 109,632
Concentration risk, percentage	13.00%
Credit concentration | Minimum return / minimum rent | Hotels | Wyndham agreement
Concentration Risk
Operating agreement annual rent and return	$ 29,010
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	$ 69,232
Concentration risk, percentage	8.00%
Credit concentration | Minimum return / minimum rent | Hotels | Marriott No. 234 agreement
Concentration Risk
Operating agreement annual rent and return	$ 106,538
Concentration risk, percentage	13.00%
Credit concentration | Minimum return / minimum rent | Hotels | Marriott No. 5 contract
Concentration Risk
Operating agreement annual rent and return	$ 10,159
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	$ 284,413
Concentration risk, percentage	32.00%
Credit concentration | Minimum return / minimum rent | Travel centers | TA No. 1
Concentration Risk
Operating agreement annual rent and return	$ 52,763
Concentration risk, percentage	6.00%
Credit concentration | Minimum return / minimum rent | Travel centers | TA No. 2
Concentration Risk
Operating agreement annual rent and return	$ 53,681
Concentration risk, percentage	6.00%
Credit concentration | Minimum return / minimum rent | Travel centers | TA No. 3
Concentration Risk
Operating agreement annual rent and return	$ 54,005
Concentration risk, percentage	6.00%
Credit concentration | Minimum return / minimum rent | Travel centers | TA No. 4
Concentration Risk
Operating agreement annual rent and return	$ 54,437
Concentration risk, percentage	6.00%
Credit concentration | Minimum return / minimum rent | Travel centers | TA No. 5
Concentration Risk
Operating agreement annual rent and return	$ 69,527
Concentration risk, percentage	8.00%
Credit concentration | Investment
Concentration Risk
Concentration risk, percentage	100.00%
Investment	$ 9,797,520
Credit concentration | Investment | Hotels
Concentration Risk
Concentration risk, percentage	64.00%
Investment	$ 6,299,107
Credit concentration | Investment | Hotels | Marriott contracts
Concentration Risk
Concentration risk, percentage	18.00%
Investment	$ 1,790,700
Credit concentration | Investment | Hotels | InterContinental agreement
Concentration Risk
Concentration risk, percentage	21.00%
Investment	$ 2,040,085
Credit concentration | Investment | Hotels | Sonesta agreements
Concentration Risk
Concentration risk, percentage	15.00%
Investment	$ 1,457,479
Credit concentration | Investment | Hotels | Wyndham agreement
Concentration Risk
Concentration risk, percentage	4.00%
Investment	$ 393,800
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	$ 195,101
Credit concentration | Investment | Hotels | Marriott No 1 contract
Concentration Risk
Concentration risk, percentage	7.00%
Investment	$ 697,258
Credit concentration | Investment | Hotels | Marriott No. 234 agreement
Concentration Risk
Concentration risk, percentage	10.00%
Investment	$ 1,003,364
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	36.00%
Investment	$ 3,498,413
Credit concentration | Investment | Travel centers | TA No. 1
Concentration Risk
Concentration risk, percentage	7.00%
Investment	$ 677,032
Credit concentration | Investment | Travel centers | TA No. 2
Concentration Risk
Concentration risk, percentage	7.00%
Investment	$ 681,055
Credit concentration | Investment | Travel centers | TA No. 3
Concentration Risk
Concentration risk, percentage	7.00%
Investment	$ 636,016
Credit concentration | Investment | Travel centers | TA No. 4
Concentration Risk
Concentration risk, percentage	6.00%
Investment	$ 618,615
Credit concentration | Investment | Travel centers | TA No. 5
Concentration Risk
Concentration risk, percentage	9.00%
Investment	$ 885,695
Puerto Rico | Hotels | InterContinental agreement
Concentration Risk
Number of properties owned | hotel	1
Operating agreement annual rent and return	$ 7,912