Management Agreements and Leases - TA (Details) $ in Thousands	1 Months Ended	3 Months Ended
	Jan. 31, 2019 USD ($) travel_center quarterly_installment	Mar. 31, 2019 USD ($) travel_center agreement hotel	Mar. 31, 2018 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2020	Dec. 31, 2018 USD ($)
Management Agreements and Leases [Line Items]
Number of operating agreements | agreement		13
Revenues		$ 524,908	$ 528,633
Adjustments necessary to record rent on straight line basis		(1,132)	3,079
Capital improvements from leased facilities, funded		11,738	26,483
Rental income
Management Agreements and Leases [Line Items]
Revenues		$ 68,151	81,993
Travel centers
Management Agreements and Leases [Line Items]
Number of properties owned | travel_center		179
Hotel
Management Agreements and Leases [Line Items]
Number of properties owned | hotel		327
Number of operating agreements | agreement		8
Travel Centers of America LLC | Travel centers
Management Agreements and Leases [Line Items]
Number of properties sold | travel_center	20
Proceeds from real estate held for sale	$ 308,200
Number of quarterly installments | quarterly_installment	16
Quarterly payments to deferred rent receivable	$ 4,400
Aggregate payment to deferred rent receivable	70,458
Deferred Rent Receivable	$ 150,000
Extended term of contract	3 years
Number of travel centers | travel_center	179
Number of properties owned | travel_center		179
Operating agreement annual rent and return		$ 246,083
Adjustments necessary to record rent on straight line basis		1,214	2,984
Accruals for unpaid rent, including deferred rent		$ 79,710			$ 91,212
Increase in annual rent fixed interest rate		8.50%
Capital improvements from leased facilities, funded		$ 0	13,137
Increase (decrease) in minimum annual rent			1,117
Deferred rent receivable from TA agreement, during the period		1,069	835
Travel Centers of America LLC | Travel centers | Rental income
Management Agreements and Leases [Line Items]
Revenues		$ 63,075	$ 74,193
Travel Centers of America LLC | Travel centers | TA agreements
Management Agreements and Leases [Line Items]
Number of operating agreements | agreement		5
Travel Centers of America LLC | Travel centers | Forecast
Management Agreements and Leases [Line Items]
Additional percentage				0.50%