OTHER ASSETS AND DEPOSITS ON HOTEL ACQUISITIONS (Details) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010
OTHER ASSETS AND DEPOSITS ON HOTEL ACQUISITIONS [Abstract]
Transaction Costs	$ 1,703	$ 340
Investment in Statutory Trusts	1,548	1,548
Prepaid Expenses	7,683	6,986
Interest Receivable from Development Loans to Non-Related Parties	1,238	1,767
Hotel Purchase Option	933	933
Other	2,546	1,340
Total Other Assets	15,651	12,914
Prepaid expenses, period of expenditures (in months)	12M	12M
Interest receivable from development loans extended to related parties	1,859	1,246
Purchase option, ownership interest in entity that owns Holiday Inn Express - Manhattan (in hundredths)	49.00%
Receivables, Loans, Notes Receivable, and Others, Schedule of Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Non-interest bearing deposits related to the acquisition of hotel properties	19,500
Hyatt Union Square, New York, NY [Member]
Receivables, Loans, Notes Receivable, and Others, Schedule of Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Non-interest bearing deposits related to the acquisition of hotel properties	$ 19,000