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Investments in Consolidated Real Estate Businesses

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New Valley LLC (Details) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended
New Valley LLC (Details) $ in Thousands	Mar. 31, 2016 USD ($) units	Mar. 31, 2015 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2015 USD ($)	Apr. 30, 2015 USD ($)
Schedule of Investments [Line Items]
Equity income (loss) from real estate ventures	$ (507)	$ 338
Distributions from non-consolidated real estate businesses	(12)	0
Investments in real estate ventures	225,033		$ 217,168
Investments accounted for under the equity method	19,539		21,495
Operating income (loss)	62,159	43,718
Escena
Schedule of Investments [Line Items]
Operating income (loss)	508	725
New Valley LLC [Member]
Schedule of Investments [Line Items]
Investments in real estate ventures	225,033		217,168
Interest costs capitalized	$ 3,520
New Valley LLC [Member] \| Douglas Elliman Realty LLC [Member]
Schedule of Investments [Line Items]
Ownership percentage	70.59%
New Valley LLC [Member] \| Condominium and Mixed Use Development [Member]
Schedule of Investments [Line Items]
Equity income (loss) from real estate ventures	$ (1,183)	536
Investments in real estate ventures	171,179		164,023
Maximum exposure to loss as a result of this investment	$ 153,669
New Valley LLC [Member] \| Condominium and Mixed Use Development [Member] \| Minimum [Member]
Schedule of Investments [Line Items]
Ownership percentage	3.10%
New Valley LLC [Member] \| Condominium and Mixed Use Development [Member] \| Maximum [Member]
Schedule of Investments [Line Items]
Ownership percentage	49.50%
New Valley LLC [Member] \| 10 Madison Square Park West (1107 Broadway)
Schedule of Investments [Line Items]
Investments in real estate ventures	$ 12,123		11,391
New Valley LLC [Member] \| The Marquand
Schedule of Investments [Line Items]
Equity income (loss) from real estate ventures		300
Number of units in real estate property sold \| units	2
Investments in real estate ventures	$ 13,054		13,900
New Valley LLC [Member] \| 11 Beach Street
Schedule of Investments [Line Items]
Investments in real estate ventures	13,527		13,209
New Valley LLC [Member] \| 20 Times Square (701 Seventh Avenue)
Schedule of Investments [Line Items]
Investments in real estate ventures	16,024		14,985
New Valley LLC [Member] \| 111 Murray Street
Schedule of Investments [Line Items]
Investments in real estate ventures	25,387		25,567
New Valley LLC [Member] \| 160 Leroy Street
Schedule of Investments [Line Items]
Investments in real estate ventures	4,530		3,952
New Valley LLC [Member] \| 215 Chrystie Street
Schedule of Investments [Line Items]
Investments in real estate ventures	5,666		5,592
New Valley LLC [Member] \| The Dutch (25-19 43rd Avenue)
Schedule of Investments [Line Items]
Investments in real estate ventures	1,107		1,077
New Valley LLC [Member] \| Queens Plaza (23-10 Queens Plaza South)
Schedule of Investments [Line Items]
Investments in real estate ventures	16,553		16,177
New Valley LLC [Member] \| 87 Park (8701 Collins Avenue)
Schedule of Investments [Line Items]
Investments in real estate ventures	8,770		8,658
New Valley LLC [Member] \| 125 Greenwich Street
Schedule of Investments [Line Items]
Distributions from non-consolidated real estate businesses	(258)
Investments in real estate ventures	9,870		9,750
New Valley LLC [Member] \| West Hollywood Edition (9040 Sunset Boulevard)
Schedule of Investments [Line Items]
Investments in real estate ventures	14,416		10,510
New Valley LLC [Member] \| 76 Eleventh Avenue
Schedule of Investments [Line Items]
Investments in real estate ventures	18,487		17,967
New Valley LLC [Member] \| Monad Terrace
Schedule of Investments [Line Items]
Investments in real estate ventures	6,849		6,608
New Valley LLC [Member] \| Takanasee
Schedule of Investments [Line Items]
Investments in real estate ventures	4,816		4,680
New Valley LLC [Member] \| Apartment Buildings
Schedule of Investments [Line Items]
Equity income (loss) from real estate ventures	516	(48)
Investments in real estate ventures	16,270		15,754
Maximum exposure to loss as a result of this investment	$ 16,270
New Valley LLC [Member] \| Apartment Buildings \| Minimum [Member]
Schedule of Investments [Line Items]
Ownership percentage	7.60%
New Valley LLC [Member] \| Apartment Buildings \| Maximum [Member]
Schedule of Investments [Line Items]
Ownership percentage	16.30%
New Valley LLC [Member] \| Maryland Portfolio
Schedule of Investments [Line Items]
Distributions from non-consolidated real estate businesses		(212)
Investments in real estate ventures	$ 0		0
New Valley LLC [Member] \| ST Portfolio
Schedule of Investments [Line Items]
Investments in real estate ventures	16,270		15,754
New Valley LLC [Member] \| Hotels
Schedule of Investments [Line Items]
Equity income (loss) from real estate ventures	(655)	(747)
Investments in real estate ventures	29,988		29,925
Maximum exposure to loss as a result of this investment	$ 29,988
New Valley LLC [Member] \| Hotels \| Minimum [Member]
Schedule of Investments [Line Items]
Ownership percentage	5.20%
New Valley LLC [Member] \| Hotels \| Maximum [Member]
Schedule of Investments [Line Items]
Ownership percentage	49.00%
New Valley LLC [Member] \| Park Lane Hotel
Schedule of Investments [Line Items]
Investments in real estate ventures	$ 19,835		19,697
Investments accounted for under the equity method	718
New Valley LLC [Member] \| Hotel Taiwana
Schedule of Investments [Line Items]
Investments in real estate ventures	7,451		7,069
New Valley LLC [Member] \| Coral Beach and Tennis Club
Schedule of Investments [Line Items]
Investments in real estate ventures	2,702		3,159
Investments accounted for under the equity method		533
New Valley LLC [Member] \| Commercial
Schedule of Investments [Line Items]
Investments in real estate ventures	5,526		5,449
New Valley LLC [Member] \| The Plaza at Harmon Meadow
Schedule of Investments [Line Items]
Investments in real estate ventures	5,526		5,449
New Valley LLC [Member] \| Other
Schedule of Investments [Line Items]
Investments in real estate ventures	$ 2,070		$ 2,017
New Valley LLC [Member] \| Insurance consulting company
Schedule of Investments [Line Items]
Ownership percentage	50.00%
New Valley LLC [Member] \| Chelsea Eleven LLC
Schedule of Investments [Line Items]
Equity income (loss) from real estate ventures		236
Distributions from non-consolidated real estate businesses		(236)
New Valley LLC [Member] \| 20 Times Square, 160 Leroy Street, West Hollywood Edition, and Monad Terrace
Schedule of Investments [Line Items]
Investments accounted for under the equity method	$ 5,077
New Valley LLC [Member] \| 215 Chrystie Street and the Dutch
Schedule of Investments [Line Items]
Investments accounted for under the equity method		1,352
New Valley LLC [Member] \| Harmon Meadow
Schedule of Investments [Line Items]
Distributions from non-consolidated real estate businesses	(135)
Investments in real estate ventures		$ 5,931
New Valley LLC [Member] \| Commercial real estate
Schedule of Investments [Line Items]
Ownership percentage		49.00%
Equity income (loss) from real estate ventures	212
Maximum exposure to loss as a result of this investment	5,526
New Valley LLC [Member] \| Sagaponack
Schedule of Investments [Line Items]
Investments in consolidated real estate businesses				$ 12,502
Douglas Elliman Realty LLC [Member]
Schedule of Investments [Line Items]
Proceeds from commissions received	$ 2,405