Management Agreements and Leases - TA Leases (Details) $ in Thousands		1 Months Ended	3 Months Ended								12 Months Ended
	Jan. 16, 2019 USD ($) travel_center quarterly_installment	Jan. 31, 2019 USD ($) option	Dec. 31, 2019 USD ($) travel_center retail_property hotel agreement	Sep. 30, 2019 USD ($)	Jun. 30, 2019 USD ($)	Mar. 31, 2019 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2018 USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2018 USD ($)	Jun. 30, 2018 USD ($)	Mar. 31, 2018 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2019 USD ($) travel_center retail_property hotel property agreement	Dec. 31, 2018 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2017 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2020
Management Agreements and Leases [Line Items]
Number of properties sold | property											150
Amount of consideration received											$ 816,450	$ 0	$ 23,438
Annual Minimum Rent											$ 381,679
Number of properties | retail_property			816								816
Number of leases | agreement			6								6
Revenues			$ 580,906	$ 599,772	$ 610,562	$ 524,908	$ 550,799	$ 603,153	$ 611,951	$ 528,633	$ 2,316,148	2,294,536	2,171,935
Straight line rent adjustments											(10,719)	12,509	12,378
Capital improvements from leased facilities, funded											150,531	182,862	131,120
Rental income
Management Agreements and Leases [Line Items]
Revenues											$ 322,236	330,806	326,436
Travel Centers of America LLC | Travel Center Nos 1, 2, 3, and 4 [Member]
Management Agreements and Leases [Line Items]
Percentage increase in non-fuel gross revenue to be paid by lessee			3.00%								3.00%
Travel Centers of America LLC | TA No. 5 Lease
Management Agreements and Leases [Line Items]
Percentage increase in non-fuel gross revenue to be paid by lessee			3.00%								3.00%
Travel centers
Management Agreements and Leases [Line Items]
Number of properties | travel_center			179								179
Travel centers | Travel Centers of America LLC
Management Agreements and Leases [Line Items]
Number of properties sold | travel_center	20
Amount of consideration received	$ 308,200
Gain from sale		$ 159,535
Increase (decrease) in annual minimum returns and rents	$ (43,148)
Number of quarterly installments | quarterly_installment	16
Quarterly payments to deferred rent receivable	$ 4,404										$ 13,200
Aggregate payment to deferred rent receivable	$ 70,458
Number of Travel Centers | travel_center	179		179								179
Annual Minimum Rent											$ 246,088
Deferred Rent			$ 57,247								$ 57,247
Extended term of contract	3 years
Number of properties | travel_center			179								179
Increase (decrease) in annual minimum returns and rents												4,789	7,194
Number of renewal options available | option		2
Term of renewal options		15 years
Straight line rent adjustments											$ (11,894)	12,127	11,966
Accruals for unpaid rent, including deferred rents			$ 68,653				$ 91,212				68,653	91,212
Amount of percentage rent from TA that was recognized											$ 4,075	3,548	2,106
Increase (decrease) operating leases annual rent fixed interest rate											8.50%
Increase (decrease) operating leases annual rent basis spread on variable rate			3.50%								3.50%
Capital improvements from leased facilities, funded												56,346	84,632
Travel centers | Travel Centers of America LLC | Rental income
Management Agreements and Leases [Line Items]
Revenues											$ 262,038	$ 302,309	$ 293,273
Travel centers | Travel Centers of America LLC | TA No. 1 Lease
Management Agreements and Leases [Line Items]
Number of Travel Centers | travel_center			36								36
Annual Minimum Rent											$ 49,707
Deferred Rent			$ 15,148								$ 15,148
Travel centers | Travel Centers of America LLC | TA No. 2 Lease
Management Agreements and Leases [Line Items]
Number of Travel Centers | travel_center			36								36
Annual Minimum Rent											$ 44,077
Deferred Rent			$ 14,068								$ 14,068
Travel centers | Travel Centers of America LLC | TA No. 3 Lease
Management Agreements and Leases [Line Items]
Number of Travel Centers | travel_center			35								35
Annual Minimum Rent											$ 42,409
Deferred Rent			$ 13,870								$ 13,870
Travel centers | Travel Centers of America LLC | TA No. 4 Lease
Management Agreements and Leases [Line Items]
Number of Travel Centers | travel_center			37								37
Annual Minimum Rent											$ 48,241
Deferred Rent			$ 14,161								$ 14,161
Travel centers | Travel Centers of America LLC | TA No. 5 Lease
Management Agreements and Leases [Line Items]
Number of Travel Centers | travel_center			35								35
Annual Minimum Rent											$ 61,654
Deferred Rent			$ 0								$ 0
Travel centers | Travel Centers of America LLC | Operating Lease, Expense | Customer Concentration Risk
Management Agreements and Leases [Line Items]
Concentration risk percentage											24.60%
Travel centers | Travel Centers of America LLC | Forecast
Management Agreements and Leases [Line Items]
Additional percentage														0.50%
Hotel
Management Agreements and Leases [Line Items]
Number of properties | hotel			329								329
Number of leases | agreement			8								8