Related Party Transactions - Additional Information (Detail)						1 Months Ended	7 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
	Nov. 01, 2014 USD ($)	Dec. 23, 2013 USD ($) shares	Oct. 23, 2013 USD ($) shares	Apr. 01, 2013 USD ($) shares	Dec. 21, 2004	Nov. 30, 2013 USD ($) shares	Jul. 31, 2015 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2015 USD ($) Hotel shares	Dec. 31, 2014 USD ($) Members shares	Dec. 31, 2013 USD ($)	Jul. 30, 2015	Sep. 30, 2013 USD ($)	Aug. 01, 2013 USD ($) shares	Mar. 26, 2013 USD ($) shares	Jun. 18, 2012 shares	Jun. 15, 2012 USD ($) shares
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Due from Chesapeake Hospitality								$ 226,552	$ 197,674
Redemption of units in operating partnership | shares		1,000,000		10,000
Operating Partnership stock redemption value	$ 25,621			$ 32,900
Operating partnership valued										$ 153,636
Preference stock, shares agreed for redemption | shares													2,460	1,902	11,514	11,514
Preference share, aggregate redemption price												$ 10,700,000	$ 2,700,000	$ 2,100,000		$ 12,300,000
Prepayment fee pursuant to the provisions of the articles supplementary												700,000	$ 200,000	$ 200,000
Aggregate cash redemption price		$ 4,000,000
Business-related air travel expense reimbursed to partnership									0
Sotherly Hotels LP [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Due from Chesapeake Hospitality								$ 226,552	197,674
Operating Partnership stock redemption value									25,621	32,900
Preference share, aggregate redemption price												$ 10,700,000
Essex Warrant [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Aggregate cash redemption price			$ 3,200,000
Essex Warrant [Member] | Sotherly Hotels LP [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Preference stock, shares agreed for redemption | shares		1,000,000	900,000
Preference share, aggregate redemption price		$ 4,000,000	$ 3,200,000
Aggregate cash redemption price		$ 4,000,000
8.0% Senior Unsecured Notes [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Interest rate on amount borrowed												8.00%
Crowne Plaza Hollywood Beach Resort [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Percentage of ownership interest								100.00%
Percentage of operating partnership owned							25.00%				25.00%
Chesapeake Hospitality [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Company's outstanding common stock owned by members of Chesapeake Hospitality								9.20%
Operating Partnership units owned by members of Chesapeake Hospitality | shares								1,292,958
Company's common stock shares owned by members of Chesapeake Hospitality | shares								1,329,314
Due from Chesapeake Hospitality								$ 0	50,838
Leasehold revenue								$ 0	350,000	350,000
Expiry date of leasehold interests								Dec. 31, 2011
Strategic alliance agreement term					10 years
Agreement expire date								Dec. 15, 2014
Expiry date of master management agreement								Between December 2014 and March 2019
Management fee of gross revenues for first full fiscal year								2.00%
Management fee of gross revenues for second full fiscal year								2.50%
Management fee of gross revenues for every year thereafter								3.00%
Period of incentive management fee due within end of the fiscal year								90 days
Incentive management of increase in gross operating profit								10.00%
Maximum incentive management fee of gross revenues								0.25%
Agreement term								5 years
Percentage of management fees due thereafter								2.50%
Percentage of management fee due through 2017								2.65%
Base management and administrative fees earned by related party								$ 3,371,668	3,342,782	2,652,070
Incentive management fees earned by related party								79,555	97,025	67,502
Employee medical benefits paid								$ 4,541,546	3,748,587	2,592,115
Expiry date of management agreement								August 2017
Management fee								3.00%
Base management fees							$ 401,954		592,119	560,847
Chesapeake Hospitality [Member] | Georgian Terrace [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Administrative fee per year								$ 30,000
Chesapeake Hospitality [Member] | Crowne Plaza Houston Downtown and Georgian Terrace Hotel [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Percentage of management fee due through 2015								2.00%
Percentage of management fee due in 2016								2.25%
Percentage of management fees due thereafter								2.50%
Chesapeake Hospitality [Member] | Aggregate Basis [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Number of hotels | Hotel								8
Chesapeake Hospitality [Member] | Individual Basis [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Number of hotels | Hotel								2
Chesapeake Hospitality [Member] | Individual Hotel Management Agreements [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Management fee of gross revenues for first full fiscal year								2.00%
Management fee of gross revenues for second full fiscal year								2.25%
Management fee of gross revenues for every year thereafter								2.50%
Affiliated Entity [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Asset management fee payable								$ 0	73,278	74,464
Affiliated Entity [Member] | Crowne Plaza Hollywood Beach Resort [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Due from Chesapeake Hospitality								$ 0	146,836
Percentage of operating partnership owned											25.00%
MHI Hospitality TRS II, LLC [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Asset management fee as percentage of revenue								1.50%
Asset management fee paid							$ 200,976		$ 300,607	$ 280,274
Board of Directors [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Redemption of units in operating partnership | shares									3,300
Number of members controlled by related party | Members									1
Operating Partnership stock redemption value									$ 25,621
Sotherly Foundation [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Amount loaned to related party								$ 180,000
Loan receivable outstanding								160,000
MHI Hotels Services [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Percentage of ownership interest						1.00%
Conversion of units in Operating Partnership to shares of common stock, shares | shares						32,929
Operating partnership valued						$ 153,636
Daughter of Chief Executive Officer and Her Husband [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Total compensation for related parties								270,240	$ 204,000
Partnership controlled by Chief Executive Officer [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Business-related air travel expense reimbursed to partnership								$ 138,025