Ownership Submission
FORM 5
Check this box if no longer subject to Section 16. Form 4 or Form 5 obligations may continue. See Instruction 1(b).
Form 3 Holdings Reported
Form 4 Transactions Reported
UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549

ANNUAL STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP OF SECURITIES

Filed pursuant to Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, Section 17(a) of the Public Utility Holding Company Act of 1935 or Section 30(h) of the Investment Company Act of 1940
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1. Name and Address of Reporting Person *
Shah Jay H
 2. Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol
HERSHA HOSPITALITY TRUST [HT] 		5. Relationship of Reporting Person(s) to Issuer
(Check all applicable)
__X__ Director _____ 10% Owner
__X__ Officer (give title below) _____ Other (specify below)
Chief Executive Officer
(Last)
(First)
(Middle)

510 WALNUT STREET, 9TH FLOOR		 3. Statement for Issuer's Fiscal Year Ended (Month/Day/Year)
12/31/2011
(Street)


PHILADELPHIA, PA 19106		 4. If Amendment, Date Original Filed(Month/Day/Year)
 6. Individual or Joint/Group Reporting
(check applicable line)

_X_ Form Filed by One Reporting Person
___ Form Filed by More than One Reporting Person
(City)
(State)
(Zip)
Table I - Non-Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned
1.Title of Security
(Instr. 3)		 2. Transaction Date (Month/Day/Year) 2A. Deemed Execution Date, if any (Month/Day/Year) 3. Transaction Code
(Instr. 8)		 4. Securities Acquired (A) or Disposed of (D)
(Instr. 3, 4 and 5)		 5. Amount of Securities Beneficially Owned at end of Issuer's Fiscal Year
(Instr. 3 and 4)		 6. Ownership Form: Direct (D) or Indirect (I)
(Instr. 4)		 7. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership
(Instr. 4)
Amount (A) or (D) Price
Common Shares             822,203 D  

Reminder: Report on a separate line for each class of securities beneficially owned directly or indirectly. Persons who respond to the collection of information contained in this form are not required to respond unless the form displays a currently valid OMB control number. SEC 2270 (9-02)

Table II - Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned
(e.g., puts, calls, warrants, options, convertible securities)
1. Title of Derivative Security
(Instr. 3)		 2. Conversion or Exercise Price of Derivative Security 3. Transaction Date (Month/Day/Year) 3A. Deemed Execution Date, if any (Month/Day/Year) 4. Transaction Code
(Instr. 8)		 5. Number of Derivative Securities Acquired (A) or Disposed of (D)
(Instr. 3, 4, and 5)		 6. Date Exercisable and Expiration Date
(Month/Day/Year)		 7. Title and Amount of Underlying Securities
(Instr. 3 and 4)		 8. Price of Derivative Security
(Instr. 5)		 9. Number of Derivative Securities Beneficially Owned at End of Issuer's Fiscal Year
(Instr. 4)		 10. Ownership Form of Derivative Security: Direct (D) or Indirect (I)
(Instr. 4)		 11. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership
(Instr. 4)
(A) (D) Date Exercisable Expiration Date Title Amount or Number of Shares
Partnership Units   11/07/2011   G4   270,244   (1)   (1) Common Shares
270,244
$ 0 0
I
By Jay Shah 2009 GRAT (2)
Partnership Units               (1)   (1) Common Shares
474,834
  474,834
I
By Jay and Susie Shah 2008 Family Trust
Partnership Units               (1)   (1) Common Shares
730,294
  730,294
I
By Hasu and Hersha Shah 2004 Trust FBO Jay H. Shah
Partnership Units               (1)   (1) Common Shares
191,684
  191,684
I
By Jay Shah 2010 GRAT
Partnership Units               (1)   (1) Common Shares
224,705
  224,705
I
By Jay Shah 2011 GRAT

Reporting Owners

Reporting Owner Name / Address Relationships
Director 10% Owner Officer Other
Shah Jay H
510 WALNUT STREET
9TH FLOOR
PHILADELPHIA, PA 19106		   X     Chief Executive Officer  

Signatures

/s/ Ashish R. Parikh as attorney-in-fact for Jay H. Shah 01/26/2012
**Signature of Reporting Person Date

Explanation of Responses:

* If the form is filed by more than one reporting person, see Instruction 4(b)(v).
** Intentional misstatements or omissions of facts constitute Federal Criminal Violations. See 18 U.S.C. 1001 and 15 U.S.C. 78ff(a).
(1) In general, Partnership Units issued by Hersha Hospitality Limited Partnership (the "Operating Partnership") may be redeemed, beginning one year after their issuance (unless otherwise agreed to by Hersha Hospitality Trust (the "Trust")), for cash equal to the market value of an equivalent number of the Trust's common shares, or at the option of the Trust, the Trust may acquire Partnership Units tendered for redemption by issuing one common share for each Partnership Unit tendered for redemption. Partnership Units have no expiration date.
(2) Upon termination of the Jay Shah 2009 GRAT, 270,244 Partnership Units were transferred by the trust to the Jay and Susie Shah 2008 Family Trust and continue to be reported in this Form 5 as being indirectly owned.

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