Real Estate Properties (Details) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	12 Months Ended					0 Months Ended	1 Months Ended		3 Months Ended	1 Months Ended	3 Months Ended	1 Months Ended	3 Months Ended	12 Months Ended	1 Months Ended		12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010	Jan. 31, 2012 Royal Sonesta Hotel	Nov. 02, 2012 Hotel 71	Dec. 19, 2012 Clift Hotel property	Jan. 31, 2013 Marriott hotel Duluth, GA property	Jul. 31, 2012 Marriott hotel St. Louis, MO	Sep. 30, 2012 Marriott hotel St. Louis, MO	Aug. 31, 2012 Staybridge branded hotel in Schaumburg, IL	Sep. 30, 2012 Staybridge branded hotel in Schaumburg, IL	Aug. 31, 2012 Staybridge branded hotel in Auburn Hills, MI	Sep. 30, 2012 Staybridge branded hotel in Auburn Hills, MI	Dec. 31, 2012 Hotels property lease item	Jan. 31, 2012 Hotels Sonesta Hotel in Cambridge, MA property	Jan. 31, 2012 Hotels Sonesta Hotel in New Orleans, LA property	Dec. 31, 2012 Travel centers property	Dec. 31, 2012 Travel centers Minimum	Dec. 31, 2012 Travel centers Maximum
Real Estate Properties
Land	$ 1,453,399	$ 1,360,773
Building and improvements	4,899,498	4,343,991
Furniture, fixtures and equipment	546,212	431,332
Real estate properties
Funded real estate improvements	357,084	132,522	97,816
Increase in annual minimum returns and rents	27,813	11,346	9,782
Number of hotels on leased land (in properties)														14			20
Minimum remaining term of ground lease														25 years
Remaining term of ground lease																		6 years	38 years
Number of ground leases for which ground rent payable is calculated as a percentage of hotels revenues														9
Number of ground leases requiring specified minimum annual rents														12
Number of ground leases with prepaid future rent														2
Minimum annual rents														239			447
Net proceeds from sale of hotel								28,850		1,872		3,482
Gain on sale of real estate	10,602								10,210		329		63
Cash consideration for acquisition				150,500
Acquisition costs				3,264	840	1,709
Land				32,436	12,766	28,266
Building				78,764	62,596	80,170
Furniture, fixtures and equipment				19,536	6,589	15,592
Intangible assets (including the leasehold value of the New Orleans Hotel)				22,326	3,049
Intangible liabilities						(4,028)
Goodwill				7,658
Other, net				(2,562)
Deferred tax liability				(7,658)
Total				150,500	85,000	120,000
Number of rooms						372	426								400	483
Purchase price						$ 120,000	$ 31,000