Selected Quarterly Financial Data (Unaudited) (Selected Quarterly Financial Data (Unaudited)) (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended								12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2013	Sep. 30, 2013	Jun. 30, 2013	Mar. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012	Sep. 30, 2012	Jun. 30, 2012	Mar. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2013		Dec. 31, 2012		Dec. 31, 2011
Selected Quarterly Financial Information [Abstract]
Total Revenues	$ 92,510,000	$ 90,741,000	$ 91,068,000	$ 65,878,000	$ 82,741,000	$ 82,355,000	$ 81,361,000	$ 56,069,000	$ 338,413,000		$ 301,215,000		$ 232,913,000
Total Expenses	90,820,000	87,512,000	71,703,000	73,174,000	80,059,000	77,480,000	73,097,000	65,623,000	281,783,000		255,035,000		199,999,000
(Loss) Income from Unconsolidated Joint Ventures	(1,814,000)	227,000	148,000	(396,000)	(153,000)	(1,431,000)	190,000	(730,000)	(1,835,000)		(2,124,000)		1,290,000
(Loss) Income from Continuing Operations	(124,000)	3,456,000	19,513,000	(7,692,000)	2,529,000	3,444,000	8,454,000	(10,284,000)	20,753,000		7,498,000		100,000
Income Tax Benefit	3,318,000	2,375,000	(1,222,000)	1,129,000	3,355,000				5,600,000		3,355,000
Income (Loss) from Discontinued Operations (including Gain on Disposition of Hotel Properties)	34,046,000	(3,532,000)	(206,000)	(1,113,000)	965,000	2,450,000	8,935,000	2,370,000	29,195,000		14,720,000		(27,068,000)
Net (Loss) Income	37,240,000	2,299,000	18,085,000	(7,676,000)	6,849,000	5,894,000	17,389,000	(7,914,000)	49,948,000		22,218,000		(26,968,000)
(Loss) Income Allocated to Noncontrolling Interests in Continuing Operations	962,000	(164,000)	210,000	(673,000)	66,000	(279,000)	796,000	(741,000)	335,000		(158,000)		(1,734,000)
Issuance Costs of Redeemed Preferred Stock				2,250,000					2,250,000
Preferred Distributions	3,589,000	3,589,000	3,589,000	3,844,000	3,500,000	3,500,000	3,500,000	3,500,000	14,611,000		14,000,000		10,499,000
Net (Loss) Income applicable to Common Shareholders	$ 32,689,000	$ (1,126,000)	$ 14,286,000	$ (13,097,000)	$ 3,283,000	$ 2,673,000	$ 13,093,000	$ (10,673,000)	$ 32,752,000		$ 8,376,000		$ (35,733,000)
Basic and diluted earnings per share [Abstract]
(Loss) Income from continuing operations applicable to common shareholders ( in dollars per share)	$ 0.00	$ 0.01	$ 0.08	$ (0.07)	$ 0.01	$ 0.00	$ 0.03	$ (0.09)
Discontinued Operations (in dollars per share)	$ 0.16	$ (0.02)	$ (0.01)		$ 0.01	$ 0.01	$ 0.04	$ 0.03
Net (Loss) Income applicable to Common Shareholders (in dollars per share)	$ 0.16	$ (0.01)	$ 0.07	$ (0.07)	$ 0.02	$ 0.01	$ 0.07	$ (0.06)
Weighted Average Common Shares Outstanding [Abstract]
Basic (in shares)	198,994,277	198,878,496	198,633,051	197,029,017	196,411,729	196,360,325	186,264,437	170,427,428	198,390,450		187,415,270		168,753,382
Diluted (in shares)	198,994,277	201,644,633	201,201,337	197,029,017	199,593,648	196,360,325	189,011,990	170,427,428	201,918,177	[1]	187,415,270	[1]	168,753,382	[1]

[1] Income (loss) allocated to noncontrolling interest in Hersha Hospitality Limited Partnership has been excluded from the numerator and units of limited partnership interest in Hersha Hospitality Limited Partnership have been omitted from the denominator for the purpose of computing diluted earnings per share since the effect of including these amounts in the numerator and denominator would have no impact.  In addition, potentially dilutive common shares, if any, have been excluded from the denominator if they are anti-dilutive to income (loss) from continuing operations applicable to common shareholders.