Selected Quarterly Financial Data (Selected Quarterly Financial Data (Unaudited)) (Details) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended								12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015	Sep. 30, 2015	Jun. 30, 2015	Mar. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Sep. 30, 2014	Jun. 30, 2014	Mar. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2015		Dec. 31, 2014		Dec. 31, 2013
Selected Quarterly Financial Data [Abstract]
Total Revenues	$ 123,177	$ 124,560	$ 127,081	$ 95,760	$ 112,985	$ 113,048	$ 111,830	$ 80,348	$ 470,385		$ 417,406		$ 338,413
Total Expenses	113,116	111,396	108,090	99,875	106,340	106,767	53,662	85,216	387,992		349,497		293,723
(Loss) Income from Unconsolidated Joint Ventures	105	608	526	(274)	87	607	419	(420)	965		693		(1,835)
(Loss) Income from Continuing Operations	10,166	13,772	19,517	(4,389)	6,732	6,888	58,587	(5,288)	42,207		69,936		20,753
Income Tax Benefit	2,401	631	109		1,879	699	(1)	108	3,141		2,685		5,600
Income (Loss) from Discontinued Operations (including Gain on Disposition of Discontinued Assets)*								(1,333)			(1,665)		29,195
Net (Loss) Income	12,567	14,403	19,626	(4,389)	8,611	7,587	58,586	(6,513)	42,207		68,271		49,948
(Loss) Income Allocated to Noncontrolling Interests in Continuing Operations	205	244	405	(443)	(83)	(49)	1,655	(507)	411		$ 1,016		335
Extinguishment of Issuance Costs Upon Redemption of Series A Preferred Shares													2,250
Preferred Distributions	3,589	3,589	3,589	3,589	3,589	3,589	3,589	3,589	14,356		$ 14,356		14,611
Net (Loss) Income applicable to Common Shareholders	$ 8,773	$ 10,570	$ 15,632	$ (7,535)	$ 5,105	$ 4,047	$ 53,342	$ (9,595)	$ 27,440		$ 52,899		$ 32,752
Basic and diluted earnings per share [Abstract]
(Loss) Income from continuing operations applicable to common shareholders ( in dollars per share)					$ 0.12	$ 0.08	$ 1.08	$ (0.16)
Discontinued Operations (in dollars per share)								(0.04)
Net (Loss) Income applicable to Common Shareholders (in dollars per share)	$ 0.19	$ 0.22	$ 0.32	$ (0.16)	$ 0.12	$ 0.08	$ 1.08	$ (0.20)
Weighted Average Common Shares Outstanding [Abstract]
Basic (in shares)	45,663,416	47,417,452	48,530,716	49,582,790	49,657,486	49,649,379	49,623,618	50,185,938	47,786,811		49,777,302		49,597,613
Diluted (in shares)	46,211,104	47,909,549	49,043,914	49,582,790	50,228,966	50,155,497	50,053,389	50,185,938	48,369,658	[1]	50,307,506	[1]	50,479,545	[1]

[1] Income (loss) allocated to noncontrolling interest in Hersha Hospitality Limited Partnership (the "Operating Partnership" or "HHLP") has been excluded from the numerator and common units of limited partnership interest ("Common Units") in the Operating Partnership have been omitted from the denominator for the purpose of computing diluted earnings per share since the effect of including these shares and units 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.