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

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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(Print or Type Responses)
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)
44 HERSHA DRIVE
3. Date of Earliest Transaction (Month/Day/Year)
03/21/2019
(Street)

HARRISBURG, PA 17102
4. If Amendment, Date Original Filed(Month/Day/Year)
6. Individual or Joint/Group Filing(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 Following Reported Transaction(s)
(Instr. 3 and 4)
6. Ownership Form: Direct (D) or Indirect (I)
(Instr. 4)
7. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership
(Instr. 4)
Code V Amount (A) or (D) Price

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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 Following Reported Transaction(s)
(Instr. 4)
10. Ownership Form of Derivative Security: Direct (D) or Indirect (I)
(Instr. 4)
11. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership
(Instr. 4)
Code V (A) (D) Date Exercisable Expiration Date Title Amount or Number of Shares
LTIP Units (1) 03/21/2019   A   184,893 (2)     (1)   (1) Class A Common Shares of Beneficial Interest 184,893 (1) (2) 840,496 D  

Reporting Owners

Reporting Owner Name / Address Relationships
 Director  10% Owner  Officer  Other
Shah Jay H
44 HERSHA DRIVE
HARRISBURG, PA 17102
  X     Chief Executive Officer  

Signatures

 /s/ Ashish R. Parikh, as attorney-in-fact   03/22/2019
**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) LTIP Units are a class of limited partnership units in Hersha Hospitality Limited Partnership (the "Operating Partnership"), of which the Issuer is the general partner, and represent a profit interest in the Operating Partnership. Initially, the LTIP Units do not have full parity with the Operating Partnership's common units of limited partnership interest ("Common Units") with respect to liquidating distributions. Upon the occurrence of certain "book-up" events described in the Operating Partnership's partnership agreement, the LTIP Units can over time achieve full parity with the Common Units for all purposes. If such parity is reached, vested LTIP Units are convertible into Common Units and, upon conversion and subject to the applicable holding period, may be redeemed for cash in an amount equal to the then fair market value of an equal number of the Issuer's common shares or converted into an equal number of the Issuer's common shares, as determined by the Issuer at its election.
(2) Reflects restricted LTIP Units granted under the Amended and Restated Hersha Hospitality Trust 2012 Equity Incentive Plan in settlement of awards made to the Reporting Person under the 2018 annual long-term incentive program and the 2016 Multi-year Long-term Incentive Program.

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