Business combination - Schedule of Consideration Transferred, Recapitalization Transaction (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands		12 Months Ended
	Mar. 12, 2017	Dec. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Playa employee offering		$ 215,400	$ 0	$ 0
Recapitalization Transaction
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Purchase of all of our Predecessor's cumulative redeemable preferred shares	$ 353,873
Net cash transferred from Pace	78,859
Playa employee offering	799
Total consideration transferred	$ 433,531
Number of shares agreed to purchase in subscription agreements (in shares)	82,751