New Valley LLC (Details) (USD $)	12 Months Ended									12 Months Ended			12 Months Ended		0 Months Ended	12 Months Ended							1 Months Ended						12 Months Ended																			1 Months Ended							1 Months Ended	12 Months Ended					0 Months Ended	12 Months Ended						12 Months Ended					12 Months Ended						12 Months Ended	1 Months Ended			12 Months Ended								1 Months Ended			1 Months Ended	0 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011	Sep. 10, 2012 sqft	Dec. 31, 2013 Douglas Elliman Realty LLC [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 11 Beach Street [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 Coral Beach [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 New Valley LLC [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 New Valley LLC [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 New Valley LLC [Member] Aberdeen Townhomes LLC [Member]	Jun. 30, 2011 New Valley LLC [Member] Aberdeen Townhomes LLC [Member] residential_unit	Jun. 30, 2008 New Valley LLC [Member] Aberdeen Townhomes LLC [Member] residential_unit	Dec. 31, 2012 New Valley LLC [Member] New Valley Chelsea LLC [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 New Valley LLC [Member] New Valley Chelsea LLC [Member]	Dec. 13, 2013 New Valley LLC [Member] Douglas Elliman Realty LLC [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 New Valley LLC [Member] Douglas Elliman Realty LLC [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 New Valley LLC [Member] Douglas Elliman Realty LLC [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 New Valley LLC [Member] Douglas Elliman Realty LLC [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 New Valley LLC [Member] Escena [Member]	Oct. 30, 2013 New Valley LLC [Member] Escena [Member] acre units	Dec. 31, 2012 New Valley LLC [Member] Escena [Member]	Mar. 31, 2008 New Valley LLC [Member] Escena [Member] acre	Oct. 31, 2010 New Valley LLC [Member] Sesto Holdings S r. l. [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 New Valley LLC [Member] Sesto Holdings S r. l. [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 New Valley LLC [Member] Sesto Holdings S r. l. [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 New Valley LLC [Member] 1107 Broadway [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 New Valley LLC [Member] 1107 Broadway [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 New Valley LLC [Member] 1107 Broadway [Member] spft	Dec. 31, 2013 New Valley LLC [Member] The Whitman [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 New Valley LLC [Member] The Whitman [Member]	Feb. 28, 2011 New Valley LLC [Member] The Whitman [Member] residential_unit	Dec. 31, 2013 New Valley LLC [Member] The Marquand [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 New Valley LLC [Member] The Marquand [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 New Valley LLC [Member] The Marquand [Member] spft story	Dec. 31, 2013 New Valley LLC [Member] 11 Beach Street [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 New Valley LLC [Member] 11 Beach Street [Member]	Jun. 30, 2012 New Valley LLC [Member] 11 Beach Street [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 New Valley LLC [Member] 701 Seventh Avenue [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 New Valley LLC [Member] 701 Seventh Avenue [Member]	Oct. 31, 2012 New Valley LLC [Member] 701 Seventh Avenue [Member] spft	Sep. 30, 2012 New Valley LLC [Member] 701 Seventh Avenue [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 New Valley LLC [Member] 101 Murray Street [Member]	May 31, 2013 New Valley LLC [Member] 101 Murray Street [Member] sqft story residential_unit	Dec. 31, 2012 New Valley LLC [Member] 101 Murray Street [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 New Valley LLC [Member] Leroy Street [Member]	Mar. 31, 2013 New Valley LLC [Member] Leroy Street [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 New Valley LLC [Member] Leroy Street [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 New Valley LLC [Member] 8701 Collins Avenue [Member]	Mar. 31, 2013 New Valley LLC [Member] 8701 Collins Avenue [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 New Valley LLC [Member] 8701 Collins Avenue [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 New Valley LLC [Member] 23-10 Queens Plaza South [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 New Valley LLC [Member] 23-10 Queens Plaza South [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 New Valley LLC [Member] 23-10 Queens Plaza South [Member] Residential Real Estate [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 New Valley LLC [Member] 23-10 Queens Plaza South [Member] Retail Site [Member]	Jul. 31, 2012 New Valley LLC [Member] Maryland Portfolio [Member] units	Dec. 31, 2013 New Valley LLC [Member] Maryland Portfolio [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 New Valley LLC [Member] Maryland Portfolio [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 New Valley LLC [Member] ST Portfolio [Member]	Nov. 30, 2013 New Valley LLC [Member] ST Portfolio [Member] spft residential_unit	Dec. 31, 2012 New Valley LLC [Member] ST Portfolio [Member]	Sep. 28, 2012 New Valley LLC [Member] NV Socal LLC [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 New Valley LLC [Member] NV Socal LLC [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 New Valley LLC [Member] NV Socal LLC [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 New Valley LLC [Member] NV Socal LLC [Member]	Nov. 03, 2011 New Valley LLC [Member] NV Socal LLC [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 New Valley LLC [Member] Chrystie Street [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 New Valley LLC [Member] Chrystie Street [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 New Valley LLC [Member] Park Lane Hotel [Member]	Jul. 31, 2013 New Valley LLC [Member] Park Lane Hotel [Member] room story	Dec. 31, 2012 New Valley LLC [Member] Park Lane Hotel [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 New Valley LLC [Member] Hotel Taiwana [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 New Valley LLC [Member] Hotel Taiwana [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 New Valley LLC [Member] Coral Beach [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 New Valley LLC [Member] Coral Beach [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 New Valley LLC [Member] Coral Beach [Member] Hotel One [Member] acre units	Dec. 31, 2013 New Valley LLC [Member] Coral Beach [Member] Hotel Two [Member] units	Dec. 31, 2013 New Valley LLC [Member] Other [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 New Valley LLC [Member] Other [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 New Valley LLC [Member] New Valley Oaktree Chelsea Eleven LLC [Member]	May 31, 2013 New Valley LLC [Member] Fifty Third-Five Building LLC [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 New Valley LLC [Member] Fifty Third-Five Building LLC [Member]	Oct. 31, 2010 New Valley LLC [Member] Fifty Third-Five Building LLC [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 New Valley LLC [Member] Fifty Third-Five Building LLC [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 New Valley LLC [Member] Fifty Third-Five Building LLC [Member]	Sep. 30, 2010 New Valley LLC [Member] Fifty Third-Five Building LLC [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 New Valley LLC [Member] Hill Street Partners LLP [Member]	Oct. 31, 2011 New Valley LLC [Member] Hill Street Partners LLP [Member]	Oct. 31, 2011 Hill Street Partners LLP [Member] Hotel Taiwana [Member] pool units	Dec. 31, 2012 Chrystie Street [Member] Chrystie Venture LLC [Member] story	Oct. 31, 2010 Sesto Holdings S.r.l. [Member] acre	Sep. 30, 2008 New Valley Chelsea LLC [Member] New Valley Oaktree Chelsea Eleven LLC [Member]	Apr. 30, 2012 Chelsea Eleven LLC [Member] residential_unit	Sep. 30, 2008 Chelsea Eleven LLC [Member] commerical_units	Sep. 30, 2008 New Valley Oaktree Chelsea Eleven LLC [Member] Chelsea Eleven LLC [Member]	Oct. 28, 2011 New Valley and Winthrop Realty Trust [Member] NV Socal LLC [Member] properties spft	Oct. 28, 2011 New Valley and Winthrop Realty Trust [Member] NV Socal LLC [Member] Class C [Member]
Schedule of Investments [Line Items]
Basis spread on variable rate																																																																																															3.10%
Ownership percentage in affiliate																70.59%
Area of land																				0																																																							52															322
Investments in non-consolidated real estate businesses	$ 128,202,000	$ 119,219,000			$ 84,859,000	$ 1,519,000	$ 3,030,000	$ 128,202,000	$ 119,219,000			$ 10,000,000			$ 60,842,000	$ 0	$ 65,171,000							$ 5,037,000	$ 5,037,000	$ 6,579,000	$ 5,566,000	$ 5,489,000	$ 1,165,000	$ 900,000	$ 900,000	$ 7,000,000	$ 7,000,000	$ 7,000,000	$ 11,160,000	$ 9,642,000	$ 9,642,000	$ 11,148,000	$ 9,307,000	$ 1,507,000	$ 7,800,000	$ 19,256,000		$ 0	$ 1,150,000	$ 1,150,000	$ 0	$ 3,794,000	$ 3,750,000	$ 0	$ 8,058,000	$ 7,350,000			$ 5,000,000	$ 3,498,000	$ 4,615,000	$ 15,984,000	$ 16,365,000	$ 0					$ 25,000,000	$ 2,048,000	$ 1,973,000	$ 19,514,000	$ 19,331,000	$ 0	$ 7,428,000	$ 2,658,000	$ 2,964,000	$ 0			$ 2,419,000	$ 0				$ 15,500,000			$ 2,500,000		$ 2,658,000								$ 96,700,000
Ownership percentage in equity method investment															50.00%								7.20%					5.00%			12.00%			18.00%			49.50%				11.50%		25.00%			5.00%			15.00%			45.37%			30.00%				16.34%						26.00%		49.00%		5.00%				49.00%						40.00%						50.00%		17.00%	37.00%	37.50%	42.00%	40.00%			29.00%
Additional interest acquired															20.59%
Payments to acquire additional interest	0														60,000,000																																																																															1,000,000
Equity income (loss) from non-consolidated real estate businesses	22,925,000	29,764,000	19,966,000							3,843,000			3,137,000			22,974,000	16,741,000	16,571,000											525,000																			44,000								(542,000)	(269,000)	(381,000)				4,857,000	7,180,000	95,000				183,000					(66,000)										125,000	2,900,000
Management fee income	0	0	0													2,204,000	2,300,000
Distributions from non-consolidated real estate businesses	3,142,000	49,221,000	8,450,000											3,000,000		3,286,000	5,540,000	9,022,000											260,000																											575,000	117,000				32,275,000		4,857,000																9,483,000	125,000	20,900,000
Payment to acquire interest in equity method investments																							5,000,000																																																																				12,000,000
Amount loaned																						20,000,000																																																																								29,000,000	796,000,000	117,900,000
Number of units in real estate property											2	5								450											4												150												5,500				761										605						56	31												30				54	1
Maximum exposure to loss as a result of this investment								1,013,000					0													6,579,000			1,165,000				7,000,000		11,160,000			11,148,000								1,150,000			3,794,000		8,058,000					3,498,000		15,984,000				0				2,048,000		19,514,000			7,428,000		2,964,000										0
Payments to acquire defaulted real estate loans																																																																																		35,500,000
Units sold																															3
Area of real estate property																						450																					31,000
Number of stories in real estate property																																		12									15																										47																				29
Possible additional future capital contributions																																								14,000,000		19,256,000																																												4,770,000
Interest Rate																																										12.00%
Investments in consolidated subsidiaries	$ 0	$ 0						$ 20,911,000	$ 13,295,000										$ 10,625,000		$ 13,295,000																														$ 708,000
Joint venture, percentage of ownership in real estate																																																							25.00%
Number of pools (in pools)																																																																																								6
Collateralized property portfolio																																																																																															31
Square Footage of Real Estate				12,390																								260,000						105,000						120,000													287,000	10,000					25,000																																				4,500,000