Notes Payable (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended			1 Months Ended				3 Months Ended	12 Months Ended	3 Months Ended	12 Months Ended	1 Months Ended			3 Months Ended	12 Months Ended	1 Months Ended	9 Months Ended			1 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2013	Mar. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2012	Jan. 31, 2013 Kahler Grand	Jan. 31, 2013 Commercial laundry facility	Aug. 31, 2012 Marriott Del Mar	Sep. 30, 2012 Portfolio sale item	Mar. 31, 2013 Notes payable maturing at dates ranging from May 2015 through May 2021 item	Dec. 31, 2012 Notes payable maturing at dates ranging from May 2015 through May 2021 item	Mar. 31, 2013 Notes payable maturing in April 2016 item	Dec. 31, 2012 Notes payable maturing in April 2016 item	Jan. 31, 2013 Senior Notes maturing in July 2027	Feb. 29, 2012 Senior Notes maturing in July 2027	Dec. 31, 2012 Senior Notes maturing in July 2027	Mar. 31, 2013 Notes payable maturing in October 2018 item	Dec. 31, 2012 Notes payable maturing in October 2018 item	Sep. 30, 2012 Senior unsecured revolving credit facility	Sep. 30, 2012 Senior unsecured revolving credit facility	Sep. 30, 2012 Senior unsecured revolving credit facility Minimum	Sep. 30, 2012 Senior unsecured revolving credit facility Maximum	Apr. 30, 2012 Renaissance Long Beach
Notes payable:
Total notes payable	$ 1,300,869,000		$ 1,363,392,000					$ 886,945,000	$ 890,668,000	$ 233,924,000	$ 234,724,000	$ 0		$ 58,000,000	$ 180,000,000	$ 180,000,000
Less: discount on Senior Notes			(3,000)
Total notes payable, net	1,300,869,000		1,363,389,000
Less: current portion	(19,757,000)		(76,723,000)
Notes payable, less current portion	1,281,112,000		1,286,666,000
Fixed interest rate, low end of range (as a percent)								4.97%	4.97%
Fixed interest rate, high end of range (as a percent)								6.60%	6.60%
Number of hotel properties provided as collateral							3	13	13	1	1				1	1
Interest rate, description of reference rate										3-Month LIBOR	3-Month LIBOR				3-Month LIBOR	3-Month LIBOR	LIBOR
Interest rate added to base rate (as a percent)										3.25%	3.25%				3.25%	3.25%			1.75%	3.50%
Fixed interest rate (as a percent)														4.60%
Non-recourse mortgage cancelled						47,100,000	75,600,000
Repurchase of senior notes												42,000,000
Redemption of senior notes												16,000,000
Aggregate principal amount of debt repurchased or redeemed												58,000,000	4,500,000
Payments on notes payable and credit facility	(119,793,000)	(10,225,000)
Total cost to extinguish debt				29,800,000
loss on extinguishment of debt	3,115,000			3,100,000
Repayment of debt				26,700,000	400,000																32,200,000
Aggregate principal amount of debt repurchased, plus accrued interest and related costs													4,570,000
Amount of interest included in payment to repurchase senior notes													13,000
Write-off of deferred financing fees													47,000								3,000
Write-off of deferred financing fees included in discontinued operations						48,000	100,000
Write-off of Senior Notes discount													100,000
(Gain) loss on extinguishment of debt	44,000	191,000											200,000
Maximum borrowing capacity of credit facility																	150,000,000	150,000,000
Interest rate floor on base rate eliminated (as a percent)																	1.00%	1.00%
Extended maturity period																		2 years
Interest rate added to base rate before amendment (as a percent)																			3.25%	4.25%
Maximum borrowing capacity of credit facility with lender approval																	350,000,000	350,000,000
Financing costs incurred and paid																		$ 1,300,000