Condensed Consolidating Financial Information Statements of Operations (Details) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended								6 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014	Sep. 30, 2014	Jun. 30, 2014	Mar. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Sep. 30, 2013	Jun. 30, 2013	Mar. 31, 2013	Jun. 30, 2012	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Revenues	$ 417,590	$ 419,876	$ 406,613	$ 347,236	$ 299,585	$ 277,941	$ 256,226	$ 246,169	$ 1,095,533	$ 1,591,315	$ 1,079,921	$ 1,095,533
Expenses:
Cost of sales										1,097,060	767,031	832,328
Operating, selling, administrative and general expenses										278,392	112,748	108,272
Litigation , settlement and judgment expense										2,475	88,106	0
Management fee expense										0	0	0
Operating (loss) income	47,374	62,984	60,308	42,722	61,985	(37,285)	44,240	43,096		213,388	112,036	154,933
Other income (expenses):
Interest expense										(160,991)	(132,147)	(110,102)
Changes in fair value of derivatives embedded within convertible debt										19,409	18,935	(7,476)
Acceleration of interest expense related to debt conversion										(5,205)	(12,414)	(14,960)
Loss on extinguishment of debt										0	(21,458)	0
Equity income from real estate ventures										4,103	22,925	29,764
Equity (loss) income on long-term investments										1,242	2,066	(1,261)
(Loss) gain on sale of investment securities available for sale										(11)	5,152	1,640
Gain on acquisition of Douglas Elliman										0	60,842	0
Equity income in consolidated subsidiaries										0	0	0
Management fee income										0	0	0
Other, net										10,552	7,550	1,179
Income before provision for income taxes										82,487	63,487	53,717
Income tax benefit (expense)										(33,251)	(24,795)	(23,095)
Net income										49,236	38,692	30,622
Net (income) loss attributed to non-controlling interest										(12,258)	252	0
Net income attributed to Vector Group Ltd.	11,594	14,879	7,925	2,580	64,005	(36,891)	13,511	(1,681)		36,978	38,944	30,622
Comprehensive (income) loss attributed to non-controlling interest										(12,258)	252	0
Comprehensive income										48,658	72,072	24,031
Parent/Issuer [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Revenues										0	0	0
Expenses:
Cost of sales										0	0	0
Operating, selling, administrative and general expenses										23,312	22,835	26,039
Litigation , settlement and judgment expense										0	0
Management fee expense										0	0	0
Operating (loss) income										(23,312)	(22,835)	(26,039)
Other income (expenses):
Interest expense										(157,321)	(130,417)	(105,465)
Changes in fair value of derivatives embedded within convertible debt										19,409	18,935	(7,476)
Acceleration of interest expense related to debt conversion										(5,205)	(12,414)	(14,960)
Loss on extinguishment of debt											(21,458)
Equity income from real estate ventures										0	0	0
Equity (loss) income on long-term investments										1,242	2,066	(1,261)
(Loss) gain on sale of investment securities available for sale										(11)	(272)	0
Gain on acquisition of Douglas Elliman											0
Equity income in consolidated subsidiaries										124,001	144,689	120,036
Management fee income										9,870	9,508	9,163
Other, net										5,334	4,439	1,022
Income before provision for income taxes										(25,993)	(7,759)	(24,980)
Income tax benefit (expense)										62,971	46,703	55,602
Net income										36,978	38,944
Net (income) loss attributed to non-controlling interest										0	0
Net income attributed to Vector Group Ltd.										36,978	38,944	30,622
Comprehensive (income) loss attributed to non-controlling interest										0	0
Comprehensive income										48,658	72,072	24,031
Subsidiary Guarantors [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Revenues										1,030,157	1,014,341	1,084,546
Expenses:
Cost of sales										743,032	729,393	823,452
Operating, selling, administrative and general expenses										90,208	77,780	78,054
Litigation , settlement and judgment expense										2,475	88,106
Management fee expense										9,870	9,508	9,163
Operating (loss) income										184,572	109,554	173,877
Other income (expenses):
Interest expense										(4,241)	(1,716)	(4,614)
Changes in fair value of derivatives embedded within convertible debt										0	0	0
Acceleration of interest expense related to debt conversion										0	0	0
Loss on extinguishment of debt											0
Equity income from real estate ventures										0	0	0
Equity (loss) income on long-term investments										0	0	0
(Loss) gain on sale of investment securities available for sale										0	5,424	1,640
Gain on acquisition of Douglas Elliman											0
Equity income in consolidated subsidiaries										0	0	0
Management fee income										0	0	0
Other, net										1,044	2,763	21
Income before provision for income taxes										181,375	116,025	170,924
Income tax benefit (expense)										(78,794)	(30,758)	(67,294)
Net income										102,581	85,267
Net (income) loss attributed to non-controlling interest										0	0
Net income attributed to Vector Group Ltd.										102,581	85,267	103,630
Comprehensive (income) loss attributed to non-controlling interest										0	0
Comprehensive income										102,669	102,344	104,520
Subsidiary Non-Guarantors [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Revenues										561,467	65,580	10,987
Expenses:
Cost of sales										354,028	37,638	8,876
Operating, selling, administrative and general expenses										165,181	12,133	4,179
Litigation , settlement and judgment expense										0
Management fee expense										0	0	0
Operating (loss) income										42,258	15,809	(2,068)
Other income (expenses):
Interest expense										(41)	(14)	(23)
Changes in fair value of derivatives embedded within convertible debt										0	0	0
Acceleration of interest expense related to debt conversion										0	0	0
Loss on extinguishment of debt											0
Equity income from real estate ventures										4,103	22,925	29,764
Equity (loss) income on long-term investments										0	0	0
(Loss) gain on sale of investment securities available for sale										0	0	0
Gain on acquisition of Douglas Elliman											60,842
Equity income in consolidated subsidiaries										0	0	0
Management fee income										0	0	0
Other, net										4,786	348	136
Income before provision for income taxes										51,106	99,910	27,809
Income tax benefit (expense)										(17,428)	(40,740)	(11,403)
Net income										33,678	59,170
Net (income) loss attributed to non-controlling interest										(12,258)	252
Net income attributed to Vector Group Ltd.										21,420	59,422	16,406
Comprehensive (income) loss attributed to non-controlling interest										(12,258)	252
Comprehensive income										21,420	59,422	16,406
Consolidating Adjustments [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Revenues										(309)	0	0
Expenses:
Cost of sales										0	0	0
Operating, selling, administrative and general expenses										(309)	0	0
Litigation , settlement and judgment expense										0
Management fee expense										(9,870)	(9,508)	(9,163)
Operating (loss) income										9,870	9,508	9,163
Other income (expenses):
Interest expense										612	0	0
Changes in fair value of derivatives embedded within convertible debt										0	0	0
Acceleration of interest expense related to debt conversion										0	0	0
Loss on extinguishment of debt											0
Equity income from real estate ventures										0	0	0
Equity (loss) income on long-term investments										0	0	0
(Loss) gain on sale of investment securities available for sale										0	0	0
Gain on acquisition of Douglas Elliman											0
Equity income in consolidated subsidiaries										(124,001)	(144,689)	(120,036)
Management fee income										(9,870)	(9,508)	(9,163)
Other, net										(612)	0	0
Income before provision for income taxes										(124,001)	(144,689)	(120,036)
Income tax benefit (expense)										0	0	0
Net income										(124,001)	(144,689)
Net (income) loss attributed to non-controlling interest										0	0
Net income attributed to Vector Group Ltd.										(124,001)	(144,689)	(120,036)
Comprehensive (income) loss attributed to non-controlling interest										0	0
Comprehensive income										$ (124,089)	$ (161,766)	$ (120,926)