New Valley LLC (Details) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	12 Months Ended						12 Months Ended			48 Months Ended	96 Months Ended	12 Months Ended				1 Months Ended																	12 Months Ended	1 Months Ended					5 Months Ended	8 Months Ended	12 Months Ended			1 Months Ended	9 Months Ended	12 Months Ended				1 Months Ended		12 Months Ended		12 Months Ended	1 Months Ended					12 Months Ended		1 Months Ended		1 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010	Dec. 31, 2009	Dec. 31, 2011 New Valley LLC [Member]	Dec. 31, 2010 New Valley LLC [Member]	Oct. 31, 2010 Sesto Holdings S r. l. [Member] Acre	Dec. 31, 2011 Douglas Elliman Realty LLC [Member] New Valley LLC [Member] Acre	Dec. 31, 2010 Douglas Elliman Realty LLC [Member] New Valley LLC [Member]	Dec. 31, 2009 Douglas Elliman Realty LLC [Member] New Valley LLC [Member]	Dec. 31, 2009 Douglas Elliman Realty LLC [Member] New Valley LLC [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Douglas Elliman Realty LLC [Member] New Valley LLC [Member] Acre	Dec. 31, 2011 New Valley Oaktree Chelsea Eleven LLC [Member] New Valley LLC [Member]	Dec. 31, 2010 New Valley Oaktree Chelsea Eleven LLC [Member] New Valley LLC [Member]	Dec. 31, 2009 New Valley Oaktree Chelsea Eleven LLC [Member] New Valley LLC [Member]	Sep. 30, 2008 New Valley Oaktree Chelsea Eleven LLC [Member] New Valley LLC [Member]	Oct. 31, 2010 Fifty Third-Five Building LLC [Member] New Valley LLC [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Fifty Third-Five Building LLC [Member] New Valley LLC [Member]	Dec. 31, 2010 Fifty Third-Five Building LLC [Member] New Valley LLC [Member]	Sep. 30, 2010 Fifty Third-Five Building LLC [Member] New Valley LLC [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Sesto Holdings S r. l. [Member] New Valley LLC [Member]	Dec. 31, 2010 Sesto Holdings S r. l. [Member] New Valley LLC [Member]	Oct. 31, 2010 Sesto Holdings S r. l. [Member] New Valley LLC [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Toy Center [Member] New Valley LLC [Member]	Dec. 31, 2010 Toy Center [Member] New Valley LLC [Member]	Oct. 31, 2011 Hill Street Partners [Member] New Valley LLC [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Lofts 21 LLC [Member] New Valley LLC [Member]	Feb. 28, 2011 Lofts 21 LLC [Member] New Valley LLC [Member]	Dec. 31, 2010 Lofts 21 LLC [Member] New Valley LLC [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Hotel Taiwana [Member] New Valley LLC [Member]	Oct. 31, 2011 Hotel Taiwana [Member] New Valley LLC [Member] units	Dec. 31, 2010 Hotel Taiwana [Member] New Valley LLC [Member]	Oct. 31, 2011 Hotel Taiwana [Member] Hill Street Partners [Member]	Dec. 31, 2008 Aberdeen Townhomes LLC [Member]	Jun. 30, 2011 Aberdeen Townhomes LLC [Member] New Valley LLC [Member]	Feb. 28, 2011 Aberdeen Townhomes LLC [Member] New Valley LLC [Member]	Aug. 31, 2010 Aberdeen Townhomes LLC [Member] New Valley LLC [Member] units	Sep. 30, 2009 Aberdeen Townhomes LLC [Member] New Valley LLC [Member] units	Jun. 30, 2008 Aberdeen Townhomes LLC [Member] New Valley LLC [Member] units	Jun. 30, 2011 Aberdeen Townhomes LLC [Member] New Valley LLC [Member] units	Aug. 31, 2010 Aberdeen Townhomes LLC [Member] New Valley LLC [Member] units	Dec. 31, 2011 Aberdeen Townhomes LLC [Member] New Valley LLC [Member]	Dec. 31, 2010 Aberdeen Townhomes LLC [Member] New Valley LLC [Member]	Dec. 31, 2009 Aberdeen Townhomes LLC [Member] New Valley LLC [Member]	Dec. 31, 2009 St Regis Hotel Washngton D C [Member]	Sep. 30, 2011 St Regis Hotel Washngton D C [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 St Regis Hotel Washngton D C [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 NV Socal LLC [Member] New Valley LLC [Member]	Nov. 03, 2011 NV Socal LLC [Member] New Valley LLC [Member]	Dec. 31, 2010 NV Socal LLC [Member] New Valley LLC [Member]	Oct. 28, 2011 NV Socal LLC [Member] sqft properties	Oct. 28, 2011 NV Socal LLC [Member] Class C [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 HFZ East 68th Street [Member] New Valley LLC [Member] sqft story	Dec. 31, 2010 HFZ East 68th Street [Member] New Valley LLC [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Chelsea Eleven LLC [Member] New Valley LLC [Member]	Jul. 31, 2010 Chelsea Eleven LLC [Member] New Valley Oaktree Chelsea Eleven LLC [Member]	Sep. 30, 2008 Chelsea Eleven LLC [Member] New Valley Oaktree Chelsea Eleven LLC [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Chelsea Eleven LLC [Member] New Valley Oaktree Chelsea Eleven LLC [Member] commerical_units	Dec. 31, 2011 Chelsea Eleven LLC [Member] New Valley Oaktree Chelsea Eleven LLC [Member] units	Jul. 02, 2011 Chelsea Eleven LLC [Member] New Valley Oaktree Chelsea Eleven LLC [Member]	Dec. 31, 2009 Escena [Member]	Dec. 31, 2008 Escena [Member]	Jun. 30, 2009 Escena [Member] New Valley LLC [Member]	Mar. 31, 2008 Escena [Member] New Valley LLC [Member] lots Acre units	Feb. 15, 2012 Sales Closed [Member] Chelsea Eleven LLC [Member] New Valley Oaktree Chelsea Eleven LLC [Member] units
Schedule of Investments [Line Items]
Ownership Percentage						42.00%	50.00%				50.00%				40.00%				50.00%			7.20%	5.00%		17.39%		12.00%					37.00%																26.00%				18.00%				29.00%
Equity income from non-consolidated real estate businesses	$ 19,966	$ 23,963	$ 15,213					$ 22,303		$ 11,429	$ 16,571	$ 3,000	$ 900	$ 1,500																															$ 300		$ 95
Interest Income (Expense), Net							0	158	966
Negative Goodwill Amortization							158	182	145
Management fee income	0	0	0				2,300	1,300	1,100
Distributions from non-consolidated real estate businesses	8,450	3,539	6,730				9,022	11,968	8,517			7,638	1,042																															2,084		300
Investments in non-consolidated real estate businesses	124,469	80,416		124,469	80,416		53,970	46,421			53,970	6,320	10,958		12,000	15,500	18,000	18,000	2,500	5,037	5,037	5,000	5,489	0	2,658	900	900	0	2,658		0																25,095	25,000	0			7,000	0
Debt Instrument, Face Amount																																																		796,000	117,900					29,000			47,100				20,000
Accrued interest and other costs																																																															1,445
Payments to Acquire Interest in Subsidiaries and Affiliates																																																								1,000
Number of units available																														30						4		5		4																	1	54					450
Number of units closed																																																																52
Repayments of Long-term Debt																																																							37,200
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Effective Percentage																																																									60.25%	60.25%
Interest Reserve																																																										3,750
Interest Paid																																																						1,500
Total assets																																																										17,628
Total liabilities																																																										1,345
Payments to Acquire Defaulted Real Estate Loans																35,500
Maximum exposure to loss as a result of this investment																	18,000			5,037			5,489			900			2,658																		25,095					7,000		6,320
First mortgage loan originated in July 2007																																																		796,000	117,900					29,000			47,100				20,000
Purchase price of C-Note																																																			96,700
Collateralized property portfolio																																																		31
Basis points																																															3.10%
Square Footage of Real Estate Property																																																		4,500,000		105,000
Number of Stories in Real Estate Property																																																				12
Area Of Real Estate Property						322	450				450																																																				450
Payments to Acquire Real Estate Held-for-investment																																						10,000
Provision for loss on non-consolidated real estate businesses	0	0	3,500																														3,500										3,500
Units sold																																					1		2	2
Mortgage Loans on Real Estate, Cost of Mortgages Sold																																					8,700			14,350
Sale of Aberdeen townhome																																		7,994	11,635	375	1,752			971
Mortgage acquired																																				13,500
Real Estate Investments, Joint Ventures	0	16,275																																								16,275
Gain (Loss) On Real Estate Investment Activity																																										760
Variable Interest Entity, Operating Income																																										352
Gain on sale of townhomes																																									3,843
Number of Residential Lots																																																															867
Number of Acres Approved, Pledged as Collateral																																																															7
Proceeds from Guarantor Settlement																																																														500
Asset Impairment Charges																																																												$ 5,000	$ 4,000