v2.4.0.8

Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Details) (USD $) In Millions, unless otherwise specified	1 Months Ended		9 Months Ended		9 Months Ended				12 Months Ended	9 Months Ended		12 Months Ended	9 Months Ended
	May 31, 2012	Sep. 30, 2013 hotel property	Sep. 30, 2012 Marriott	Sep. 30, 2013 Marriott hotel	Sep. 30, 2013 Land improvements	Sep. 30, 2013 Buildings improvements	Sep. 30, 2013 Buildings	Sep. 30, 2013 Minimum	Dec. 31, 2012 Minimum Marriott	Sep. 30, 2013 Minimum Furniture, fixtures and equipment	Sep. 30, 2013 Maximum	Dec. 31, 2012 Maximum Marriott	Sep. 30, 2013 Maximum Furniture, fixtures and equipment
Reporting Periods
Number of properties owned		149		5
Number of days of results of operations for Marriott-managed hotels included in the period			273 days						364 days			371 days
Revenue Recognition
Incentive payment received	$ 4.0
Revenue to be recognized		$ 3.8
Investment in Hotel and Other Properties
Estimated useful lives					15 years	15 years	40 years			3 years			5 years
Franchise Agreements
Number of hotel properties operated under franchise agreements		142
Term of franchise agreements								10 years			30 years
Royalty fee as a percentage of room revenue								3.00%			6.00%
Additional fees for marketing, central reservation systems and other franchisor costs as a percentage of room revenue								1.00%			4.30%
Royalty fee as a percentage of food and beverage revenues								2.00%			3.00%

X

- Definition

Amount of deferred revenue from franchise agreements as of balance sheet date. Deferred revenue represents collections of cash or other assets related to a revenue producing activity for which revenue has not yet been recognized. Generally, an entity records deferred revenue when it receives consideration from a customer before achieving certain criteria that must be met for revenue to be recognized in conformity with GAAP.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	rlj_DeferredRevenueFromFranchiseAgreements
Namespace Prefix:	rlj_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

X

- Details

Name:	rlj_FranchiseAgreementsAbstract
Namespace Prefix:	rlj_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

X

- Definition

Represents the amount of additional fees for marketing, central reservation systems and other franchisor costs under franchise agreement expressed as a percentage of hotel room revenue.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	rlj_FranchiseAgreementsAdditionalFeesForMarketingCentralReservationSystemsAndOtherFranchisorCostsAsPercentageOfRoomRevenue
Namespace Prefix:	rlj_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

X

- Definition

Represents the amount of royalty fee under the franchise agreement expressed as a percentage of food and beverage revenue.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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Namespace Prefix:	rlj_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

X

- Definition

Represents the amount of royalty fee under the franchise agreement expressed as a percentage of hotel room revenue.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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Namespace Prefix:	rlj_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

X

- Definition

Represents the term of franchise agreements.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	rlj_FranchiseAgreementsTerm
Namespace Prefix:	rlj_
Data Type:	xbrli:durationItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

X

- Definition

Represents the incentive payment received during the period.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	rlj_IncentivePaymentReceived
Namespace Prefix:	rlj_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

X

- Definition

Represents the number of days in a fiscal period.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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Namespace Prefix:	rlj_
Data Type:	xbrli:durationItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

X

- Definition

Represents the number of real estate properties operated under franchise agreements.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	rlj_NumberOfRealEstatePropertiesOperatedUnderFranchiseAgreements
Namespace Prefix:	rlj_
Data Type:	xbrli:integerItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

X

- Details

Name:	rlj_ReportingPeriodsAbstract
Namespace Prefix:	rlj_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

X

- Definition

The number of real estate properties owned as of the balance sheet date.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_NumberOfRealEstateProperties
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:integerItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

X

- Details

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Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
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- Definition

Useful life of long lived, physical assets used in the normal conduct of business and not intended for resale, in 'PnYnMnDTnHnMnS' format, for example, 'P1Y5M13D' represents the reported fact of one year, five months, and thirteen days. Examples include, but not limited to, land, buildings, machinery and equipment, office equipment, furniture and fixtures, and computer equipment.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentUsefulLife
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:durationItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

X

- Details

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Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration