INVESTMENT IN UNCONSOLIDATED JOINT VENTURES (Details) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended										12 Months Ended																12 Months Ended							12 Months Ended					12 Months Ended								12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2011		Sep. 30, 2011	Jun. 30, 2011	Mar. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010		Sep. 30, 2010	Jun. 30, 2010	Mar. 31, 2010	Dec. 31, 2011		Dec. 31, 2010		Dec. 31, 2009	Dec. 31, 2010 Hilton Garden Inn, Glastonbury, CT [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 PRA Glastonbury, LLC [Member]	Dec. 31, 2010 PRA Glastonbury, LLC [Member]	Dec. 31, 2009 PRA Glastonbury, LLC [Member]	Dec. 31, 2010 PRA Glastonbury, LLC [Member] Hilton Garden Inn, Glastonbury, CT [Member] Cumulative Preferred Stock [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Inn American Hospitality at Ewing, LLC [Member]	Dec. 31, 2010 Inn American Hospitality at Ewing, LLC [Member]	Dec. 31, 2009 Inn American Hospitality at Ewing, LLC [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Inn American Hospitality at Ewing, LLC [Member] Courtyard by Marriott, Ewing, NJ [Member]	Dec. 31, 2010 Inn American Hospitality at Ewing, LLC [Member] Courtyard by Marriott, Ewing, NJ [Member] Cumulative Preferred Stock [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Inn American Hospitality at Ewing, LLC [Member] Courtyard by Marriott, Ewing, NJ [Member] Cumulative Preferred Stock [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Hiren Boston, LLC [Member]	Dec. 31, 2010 Hiren Boston, LLC [Member]	Dec. 31, 2009 Hiren Boston, LLC [Member]	Dec. 31, 2010 Hiren Boston, LLC [Member] Courtyard by Marriott, Boston, MA [Member]		Apr. 13, 2010 Hiren Boston, LLC [Member] Courtyard by Marriott, Boston, MA [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Hiren Boston, LLC [Member] Holiday Inn Express, Boston, MA [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 SB Partners, LLC [Member]	Dec. 31, 2010 SB Partners, LLC [Member]	Dec. 31, 2009 SB Partners, LLC [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 SB Partners, LLC [Member] Holiday Inn Express, Boston, MA [Member]	Dec. 31, 2010 SB Partners, LLC [Member] Holiday Inn Express, Boston, MA [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Mystic Partners, LLC [Member]	Dec. 31, 2010 Mystic Partners, LLC [Member]	Dec. 31, 2009 Mystic Partners, LLC [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Mystic Partners, LLC [Member] Hilton and Marriott branded hotels in CT and RI [Member]	Dec. 31, 2010 Mystic Partners, LLC [Member] Hilton and Marriott branded hotels in CT and RI [Member] Noncumulative Preferred Stock [Member]	Dec. 31, 2010 Mystic Partners, LLC [Member] Hartford Marriot [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Mystic Partners, LLC [Member] Hartford Marriot [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Mystic Partners, LLC [Member] Hartford Hilton [Member]	Dec. 31, 2010 Mystic Partners, LLC [Member] All Hotel Properties except for Hartford Marriot [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 PRA Suites at Glastonbury, LLC [Member]	Dec. 31, 2010 PRA Suites at Glastonbury, LLC [Member]	Dec. 31, 2009 PRA Suites at Glastonbury, LLC [Member]	Dec. 31, 2010 PRA Suites at Glastonbury, LLC [Member] Homewood Suites, Glastonbury, CT [Member] Noncumulative Preferred Stock [Member]		Dec. 31, 2011 Metro 29th Street Associates, LLC [Member]	Dec. 31, 2010 Metro 29th Street Associates, LLC [Member]	Dec. 31, 2009 Metro 29th Street Associates, LLC [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Metro 29th Street Associates, LLC [Member] Holiday Inn Express, Boston, MA [Member]	Dec. 31, 2010 Metro 29th Street Associates, LLC [Member] Holiday Inn Express, New York, NY [Member]
Investments in Unconsolidated Joint Ventures [Line Items]
Percent owned (in hundredths)																				48.00%				50.00%	50.00%					50.00%	[1]		50.00%				50.00%	50.00%													48.00%	[2]				50.00%	50.00%
Percent owned, lower range limit (in hundredths)																																										8.80%	8.80%
Percent owned, upper range limit (in hundredths)																																										66.70%	66.70%
Preferred stock, dividend rate, percentage (in hundredths)																				11.00%				11.00%	11.00%																	8.50%	8.50%								10.00%	[2]
Investment in unconsolidated joint ventures	$ 38,839					$ 35,561					$ 38,839		$ 35,561							$ 0				$ 0	$ 28	$ 0				$ 0	[1]		$ 5,035				$ 1,681	$ 1,852				$ 23,762	$ 25,935								$ 0	[2]				$ 8,361	$ 7,746
Income (loss) from Unconsolidated Joint Ventures											210		(1,751)		(2,649)		0	0	(77)		(28)	(331)	(127)				158	0	(460)					(171)	(83)	(156)			(364)	(1,650)	(1,686)							0	0	(6)			615	313	(137)
Gain from Remeasurement of Investment in Unconsolidated Joint Venture											2,757		4,008		0	1,818														2,190
Less : Impairment of Investment in Unconsolidated Joint Venture											(1,677)		0		(4,541)
Income (Loss) from Unconsolidated Joint Venture Investments	1,282		(1,570)	2,559	(981)	(337)		(243)	2,059	778	1,290		2,257		(7,190)
Ownership interest acquired in joint venture (in hundredths)																48.00%																																	52.00%
Business acquisition, mortgage debt assumed, principal balance																																13,750
Preferred return, cash distribution terms																																								The Mystic Partners, LLC joint venture agreement provides for an 8.5 non-cumulative preferred return based on our contributed equity interest in the venture. Cash distributions will be made from cash available for distribution, first, to us to provide an 8.5 annual non-compounded return on our unreturned capital contributions and then to our joint venture partner to provide an 8.5 annual non-compounded return of their unreturned contributions. Any remaining cash available for distribution will be distributed to us10.5 with respect to the net cash flow from the Hartford Marriott, 7.0 with respect to the Hartford Hilton and 56.7, with respect to the remaining sevenproperties. Mystic Partners, LLC allocates income to us and our joint venture partner consistent with the allocation of cash distributions in accordance with the joint venture agreements.
Fees for asset management services as percentage of operating revenues (in hundredths)																																												0.25%			1.00%
Face amount of loan under performance guarantee																																													50,000	27,000
Assets
Investment in hotel properties, net	140,550					144,675					140,550		144,675
Other Assets	33,142					27,970					33,142		27,970
Assets Held For Sale	19,308					0					19,308		0
Total Assets	193,000					172,645					193,000		172,645
Liabilities and Equity
Mortgages and notes payable	139,032					156,976					139,032		156,976
Other liabilities	40,583					37,797					40,583		37,797
Liabilities Related to Assets Held For Sale	31,219					0					31,219		0
Equity:
Hersha Hospitality Trust	43,140					38,394					43,140		38,394
Joint Venture Partner(s)	(60,974)					(60,522)					(60,974)		(60,522)
Total Equity	(17,834)					(22,128)					(17,834)		(22,128)
Total Liabilities and Equity	193,000					172,645					193,000		172,645
Statements of Operations
Room Revenue											69,945		62,297		69,654
Other Revenue											22,574		20,844		21,975
Operating Expenses											(60,844)		(56,165)		(61,706)
Interest Expense											(8,378)		(9,899)		(14,378)
Loss on Impairment of Building and Equipment											1		0		(7)
Lease Expense											(5,505)		(5,363)		(5,647)
Property Taxes and Insurance											(4,913)		(6,128)		(5,983)
General and Administrative											(5,963)		(6,163)		(6,443)
Loss Allocated to Noncontrolling Interests											(44)		608		814
Depreciation and Amortization											(7,144)		(9,056)		(13,037)
Net loss											(271)		(9,025)		(14,758)
Income from Discontinued Operations											2,193		1,128		888
Net Income (Loss)											1,922		(7,897)		(13,870)
Reconciliation of the Company's share in unconsolidated joint ventures' equity to the Company's investment in unconsolidated joint ventures as presented on the Company's balance sheets [Abstract]
Company's share of equity recorded on the joint ventures' financial statements	43,140					38,394					43,140		38,394
Adjustment to reconcile the Company's share of equity recorded on the joint ventures' financial statements to our investment in unconsolidated joint ventures	(4,301)	[3]				(2,833)	[3]				(4,301)	[3]	(2,833)	[3]
Investment in Unconsolidated Joint Ventures	$ 38,839					$ 35,561					$ 38,839		$ 35,561							$ 0				$ 0	$ 28	$ 0				$ 0	[1]		$ 5,035				$ 1,681	$ 1,852				$ 23,762	$ 25,935								$ 0	[2]				$ 8,361	$ 7,746

[1] During the year ended December 31, 2009, we determined that our investment in the Courtyard by Marriott, Boston, MA was impaired. As a result, the Company recorded an impairment charge of $3,500 which is included in loss from unconsolidated joint venture investments on the Company's consolidated statements of operations. This charge reduced our investment in the Courtyard by Marriott, Boston, MA to $0.

[2] During the year ended December 31, 2009, we determined that our investment in the Homewood Suites, Glastonbury, was impaired. As result, the Company recorded an impairment charge of $1,041 which is included in loss from unconsolidated joint venture investments on the Company's consolidated statements of operations. This charged reduced our investment in the Homewood Suites, Glastonbury, to $1,754.

[3] Adjustment to reconcile the Company's share of equity recorded on the joint ventures' financial statements to our investment in unconsolidated joint ventures consists of the following:- cumulative impairment of our investment in joint ventures not reflected on the joint ventures' financial statements,- our basis in the investment in joint ventures not recorded on the joint ventures' financial statements, and- accumulated amortization of our equity in joint ventures that reflects our portion of the excess of the fair value of joint ventures' assets on the date of our investment over the carrying value of the assets recorded on the joint ventures financial statements. This excess investment is amortized over the life of the properties, and the amortization is included in Income (Loss) from Unconsolidated Joint Venture Investments on our consolidated statement of operations.