SUBSEQUENT EVENTS (Details) (USD $)	12 Months Ended	0 Months Ended	12 Months Ended		0 Months Ended	12 Months Ended		0 Months Ended	12 Months Ended				0 Months Ended														1 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2013 2013 acquisitions	Oct. 28, 2011 Series A Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Stock	Dec. 31, 2013 Series A Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Stock	Dec. 31, 2012 Series A Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Stock	Dec. 11, 2012 Series B Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Stock	Dec. 31, 2013 Series B Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Stock	Dec. 31, 2012 Series B Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Stock	Mar. 20, 2013 Series C Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Stock	Dec. 31, 2013 Series C Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Stock	Dec. 31, 2012 Series C Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Stock	Dec. 31, 2013 SUMMIT HOTEL OP, LP Noncontrolling interest Common units	Dec. 31, 2012 SUMMIT HOTEL OP, LP Noncontrolling interest Common units	Jan. 09, 2014 Subsequent Event Hilton Garden Inn Houston, TX	Jan. 10, 2014 Subsequent Event Hampton Inn Santa Barbara (Goleta), CA	Jan. 24, 2014 Subsequent Event Four Points by Sheraton San Francisco, CA	Mar. 14, 2014 Subsequent Event DoubleTree by Hilton San Francisco, CA	Jan. 09, 2014 Subsequent Event Mortgage loan due November 1, 2016 Hilton Garden Inn Houston, TX	Jan. 10, 2014 Subsequent Event Mortgage loan due November 11, 2021 Hampton Inn Santa Barbara (Goleta), CA	Jan. 17, 2014 Subsequent Event Mortgage loan due March 8, 2016 AmericInn Hotel & Suites and the Aspen Hotel & Suites Fort Smith, AR	Mar. 14, 2014 Subsequent Event Mortgage loan due March 8, 2016 DoubleTree by Hilton San Francisco, CA	Jan. 30, 2014 Subsequent Event Series A Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Stock	Jan. 30, 2014 Subsequent Event Series B Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Stock	Jan. 30, 2014 Subsequent Event Series C Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Stock	Jan. 30, 2014 Subsequent Event Common stock	Jan. 10, 2014 Subsequent Event SUMMIT HOTEL OP, LP Hampton Inn Santa Barbara (Goleta), CA Common units	Jan. 02, 2014 Subsequent Event SUMMIT HOTEL OP, LP Noncontrolling interest Common units	Jan. 31, 2014 Subsequent Event SUMMIT HOTEL OP, LP Noncontrolling interest Common units
Subsequent events
Common units redeemed											4,414,950	4,873,625														126,155
Common units tendered																											22,570
Cash dividends declared, common stock (in dollars per share)																								$ 0.1125
Cash dividends declared, preferred stock (in dollars per share)																					$ 0.578125	$ 0.4921875	$ 0.4453125
Preferred stock, dividend rate (as a percent)		9.25%	9.25%	9.25%	7.875%	7.875%	7.875%	7.125%	7.125%	7.125%
Purchase Price	$ 475,615,000												$ 37,500,000	$ 27,900,000	$ 21,300,000	$ 39,100,000
Debt assumed																	17,900,000	12,000,000		13,300,000
Interest rate (as a percent)																	6.22%	6.13%		5.98%
Amortization period																	30 years	25 years		30 years
Issuance of common units (in shares)																									412,174
Issuance price of common units																									3,700,000
Cash consideration														12,200,000		29,000,000
Sale of property previously classified as held for sale																			$ 3,100,000