Selected Quarterly Financial Data (Unaudited) (Details) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended										12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2019	Sep. 30, 2019	Jun. 30, 2019	Mar. 31, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018	Sep. 30, 2018	Jun. 30, 2018	Mar. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017		Dec. 31, 2019		Dec. 31, 2018		Dec. 31, 2017
Hotel Operating Revenues:
Other Revenues	$ 124	$ 142	$ 46	$ 274	$ 1,870	$ 170	$ 84	$ 3,544			$ 292		$ 1,385		$ 1,097
Hotel Operating Expenses:
Other Expenses	55,411	55,062	55,658	53,133	53,839	46,514	44,717	47,879
Income (Loss) from Unconsolidated Joint Ventures	173	38	299	181	166	582	537	(201)	$ (2,473)		691		1,084		(2,473)
(Loss) Income Before Income Taxes	(2,155)	(44)	9,590	(13,146)	1,756	5,672	13,007	(11,803)			(5,755)		8,632		110,202
Income Tax Expense	(1,876)	551	(4,031)	5,264	933	(2,685)	(1,170)	2,655			(92)		(267)		(5,262)
Net (Loss) Income	(4,031)	507	5,559	(7,882)	2,689	2,987	11,837	(9,148)	104,940		(5,847)		8,365		104,940
Income (loss) Allocated to Noncontrolling Interests					(240)	(72)	500	(1,104)
(Loss) Income Allocated to Noncontrolling Interests - Consolidated Joint Ventures					241	250	(1,200)	0
Preferred Distributions	6,043	6,044	6,043	6,044	6,043	6,044	6,043	6,044	$ 24,169		24,174		24,174		24,169
Net (Loss) Income Applicable to Common Shareholders	$ (9,262)	$ (5,435)	$ (143)	$ (13,003)	$ (3,355)	$ (3,235)	$ 6,494	$ (14,088)			$ (27,843)		$ (14,184)		75,699
Earnings per share:
Basic Net (Loss) Income applicable to Common Shareholders (in dollars per share)	$ (0.24)	$ (0.15)	$ (0.01)	$ (0.34)	$ (0.09)	$ (0.09)	$ 0.16	$ (0.36)
Diluted Net (Loss) Income applicable to Common Shareholders (in dollars per share)	$ (0.24)	$ (0.15)	$ (0.01)	$ (0.34)	$ (0.09)	$ (0.09)	$ 0.16	$ (0.36)
Weighted Average Common Shares Outstanding:
Basic (in shares)	38,516,879	38,878,818	39,127,385	39,115,390	39,334,877	39,321,062	39,246,946	39,636,166	41,423,804		38,907,894		39,383,763
Diluted (in shares)	38,516,879	38,878,818	39,127,385	39,115,390	39,334,877	39,321,062	39,926,099	39,636,166	42,056,431	[1]	38,907,894	[1]	39,383,763	[1]
Occupancy [Member]
Hotel Operating Revenues:
Hotel Operating Revenues	$ 105,324	$ 108,909	$ 118,980	$ 91,485	$ 105,409	$ 103,958	$ 109,492	$ 79,048			$ 424,698		$ 397,907		411,149
Hotel Operating Expenses:
Hotel Operating Expenses	23,385	24,000	24,013	22,090	22,747	23,615	22,945	19,356			93,488		88,663		90,716
Food and Beverage [Member]
Hotel Operating Revenues:
Hotel Operating Revenues	17,028	15,870	18,253	14,228	18,379	15,628	17,001	13,538			65,379		64,546		58,491
Hotel Operating Expenses:
Hotel Operating Expenses	13,393	12,605	13,990	12,832	14,465	12,475	13,331	11,851			52,820		52,122		47,906
Hotel, Other [Member]
Hotel Operating Revenues:
Hotel Operating Revenues	10,241	10,140	10,280	8,930	8,884	8,143	7,269	6,929			39,591		31,225		27,500
Hotel Operating Expenses:
Hotel Operating Expenses	42,856	43,476	44,607	40,189	$ 41,901	$ 40,205	$ 40,383	$ 35,575			171,128		158,064		156,428
Noncontrolling Interests Common Units And LTIP Units [Member]
Hotel Operating Expenses:
Net (Loss) Income											(2,366)		(916)		5,072
Income (loss) Allocated to Noncontrolling Interests	(812)	(442)	(49)	(1,063)							(2,366)		(916)		5,072
Joint Venture Partner [Member]
Hotel Operating Expenses:
Net (Loss) Income											(300)		(3,417)
Income (loss) Allocated to Noncontrolling Interests	$ 0	$ 340	$ (292)	$ 140							$ 188		$ (709)		$ 0

[1] Income allocated to noncontrolling interest in Hersha Hospitality Limited Partnership (the “Operating Partnership” or “HHLP”) has been excluded from the numerator and the Class A common shares issuable upon any redemption of the Operating Partnership’s common units of limited partnership interest (“Common Units”) and the Operating Partnership’s vested LTIP units (“Vested LTIP Units”) have been omitted from the denominator for the purpose of computing diluted earnings per share because 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 applicable to common shareholders.