Condensed Consolidating Financial Information Balance Sheets (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Mar. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Mar. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 209,048	$ 240,368	$ 270,572	$ 326,365
Investment securities available for sale	152,700	181,976
Accounts receivable - trade, net	20,449	23,889
Intercompany receivables	0	0
Inventories	92,451	86,516
Deferred income taxes	0
Income taxes receivable, net	4,621	2,841
Restricted assets	9,628	9,195
Other current assets	37,748	38,954
Total current assets	526,645	583,739
Property, plant and equipment, net	73,608	75,632
Real estate held for sale, net	23,366	23,318
Long-term investments	59,488	62,726
Investments in real estate ventures	225,033	217,168
Investments in consolidated subsidiaries	0	0
Restricted assets	14,887	12,303
Goodwill and other intangible assets, net	263,413	263,959
Prepaid pension costs	20,976	20,650
Other assets	21,373	21,120
Total assets	1,228,789	1,280,615
Current liabilities:
Current portion of notes payable and long-term debt	25,927	8,919
Current portion of employee benefits	914	915
Intercompany payables	0	0
Income taxes payable, net	0	96
Litigation accruals and current payments due under the Master Settlement Agreement	51,391	52,145
Other current liabilities	113,085	154,217
Total current liabilities	191,317	216,292
Notes payable, long-term debt and other obligations, less current portion	864,554	856,108
Fair value of derivatives embedded within convertible debt	134,348	144,042
Non-current employee benefits	55,171	55,055
Deferred income taxes, net	85,069	79,429
Other liabilities, primarily litigation accruals and payments due under the Master Settlement Agreement	52,190	51,850
Total liabilities	$ 1,382,649	$ 1,402,776
Commitments and contingencies (Note 7)
Total Vector Group Ltd. stockholders' deficiency	$ (234,071)	$ (206,047)
Non-controlling interest	80,211	83,886
Total stockholders' deficiency	(153,860)	(122,161)
Total liabilities and stockholders' deficiency	1,228,789	1,280,615
Parent/Issuer [Member]
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	94,637	111,470	155,176	211,751
Investment securities available for sale	111,659	131,810
Accounts receivable - trade, net	0	0
Intercompany receivables	14,986	11,293
Inventories	0	0
Deferred income taxes	0
Income taxes receivable, net	23,815	8,213
Restricted assets	0	0
Other current assets	1,422	575
Total current assets	246,519	263,361
Property, plant and equipment, net	1,671	1,711
Real estate held for sale, net	0	0
Long-term investments	58,525	61,747
Investments in real estate ventures	0	0
Investments in consolidated subsidiaries	518,783	532,501
Restricted assets	1,716	1,713
Goodwill and other intangible assets, net	0	0
Prepaid pension costs	0	0
Other assets	7,332	7,582
Total assets	834,546	868,615
Current liabilities:
Current portion of notes payable and long-term debt	0	0
Current portion of employee benefits	0	0
Intercompany payables	0	0
Income taxes payable, net	0	0
Litigation accruals and current payments due under the Master Settlement Agreement	0	0
Other current liabilities	24,938	38,140
Total current liabilities	24,938	38,140
Notes payable, long-term debt and other obligations, less current portion	857,493	848,368
Fair value of derivatives embedded within convertible debt	134,348	144,042
Non-current employee benefits	39,660	39,244
Deferred income taxes, net	7,167	2,675
Other liabilities, primarily litigation accruals and payments due under the Master Settlement Agreement	5,011	2,193
Total liabilities	$ 1,068,617	$ 1,074,662
Commitments and contingencies (Note 7)
Total Vector Group Ltd. stockholders' deficiency	$ (234,071)	$ (206,047)
Non-controlling interest	0	0
Total stockholders' deficiency	(234,071)	(206,047)
Total liabilities and stockholders' deficiency	834,546	868,615
Subsidiary Guarantors [Member]
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	23,664	12,375	26,104	9,724
Investment securities available for sale	41,041	50,166
Accounts receivable - trade, net	10,451	15,913
Intercompany receivables	0	0
Inventories	92,451	86,516
Deferred income taxes	0
Income taxes receivable, net	0	0
Restricted assets	8,214	7,781
Other current assets	3,588	3,747
Total current assets	179,409	176,498
Property, plant and equipment, net	52,723	54,097
Real estate held for sale, net	0	0
Long-term investments	462	478
Investments in real estate ventures	0	0
Investments in consolidated subsidiaries	0	0
Restricted assets	13,171	10,590
Goodwill and other intangible assets, net	107,511	107,511
Prepaid pension costs	20,976	20,650
Other assets	11,817	11,769
Total assets	386,069	381,593
Current liabilities:
Current portion of notes payable and long-term debt	25,836	8,733
Current portion of employee benefits	914	915
Intercompany payables	315	586
Income taxes payable, net	18,949	5,464
Litigation accruals and current payments due under the Master Settlement Agreement	51,391	52,145
Other current liabilities	54,885	74,083
Total current liabilities	152,290	141,926
Notes payable, long-term debt and other obligations, less current portion	6,815	7,519
Fair value of derivatives embedded within convertible debt	0	0
Non-current employee benefits	15,511	15,811
Deferred income taxes, net	33,493	33,791
Other liabilities, primarily litigation accruals and payments due under the Master Settlement Agreement	42,279	44,982
Total liabilities	$ 250,388	$ 244,029
Commitments and contingencies (Note 7)
Total Vector Group Ltd. stockholders' deficiency	$ 135,681	$ 137,564
Non-controlling interest	0	0
Total stockholders' deficiency	135,681	137,564
Total liabilities and stockholders' deficiency	386,069	381,593
Subsidiary Non-Guarantors [Member]
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	90,747	116,523	89,292	104,890
Investment securities available for sale	0	0
Accounts receivable - trade, net	9,998	7,976
Intercompany receivables	0	0
Inventories	0	0
Deferred income taxes	0
Income taxes receivable, net	0	0
Restricted assets	1,414	1,414
Other current assets	32,738	34,632
Total current assets	134,897	160,545
Property, plant and equipment, net	19,214	19,824
Real estate held for sale, net	23,366	23,318
Long-term investments	501	501
Investments in real estate ventures	225,033	217,168
Investments in consolidated subsidiaries	0	0
Restricted assets	0	0
Goodwill and other intangible assets, net	155,902	156,448
Prepaid pension costs	0	0
Other assets	2,224	1,769
Total assets	561,137	579,573
Current liabilities:
Current portion of notes payable and long-term debt	91	186
Current portion of employee benefits	0	0
Intercompany payables	14,671	10,707
Income taxes payable, net	245	4
Litigation accruals and current payments due under the Master Settlement Agreement	0	0
Other current liabilities	33,262	41,994
Total current liabilities	48,269	52,891
Notes payable, long-term debt and other obligations, less current portion	246	221
Fair value of derivatives embedded within convertible debt	0	0
Non-current employee benefits	0	0
Deferred income taxes, net	44,409	42,963
Other liabilities, primarily litigation accruals and payments due under the Master Settlement Agreement	4,900	4,675
Total liabilities	$ 97,824	$ 100,750
Commitments and contingencies (Note 7)
Total Vector Group Ltd. stockholders' deficiency	$ 383,102	$ 394,937
Non-controlling interest	80,211	83,886
Total stockholders' deficiency	463,313	478,823
Total liabilities and stockholders' deficiency	561,137	579,573
Consolidating Adjustments [Member]
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	0	0	$ 0	$ 0
Investment securities available for sale	0	0
Accounts receivable - trade, net	0	0
Intercompany receivables	(14,986)	(11,293)
Inventories	0	0
Deferred income taxes	0
Income taxes receivable, net	(19,194)	(5,372)
Restricted assets	0	0
Other current assets	0	0
Total current assets	(34,180)	(16,665)
Property, plant and equipment, net	0	0
Real estate held for sale, net	0	0
Long-term investments	0	0
Investments in real estate ventures	0	0
Investments in consolidated subsidiaries	(518,783)	(532,501)
Restricted assets	0	0
Goodwill and other intangible assets, net	0	0
Prepaid pension costs	0	0
Other assets	0	0
Total assets	(552,963)	(549,166)
Current liabilities:
Current portion of notes payable and long-term debt	0	0
Current portion of employee benefits	0	0
Intercompany payables	(14,986)	(11,293)
Income taxes payable, net	(19,194)	(5,372)
Litigation accruals and current payments due under the Master Settlement Agreement	0	0
Other current liabilities	0	0
Total current liabilities	(34,180)	(16,665)
Notes payable, long-term debt and other obligations, less current portion	0	0
Fair value of derivatives embedded within convertible debt	0	0
Non-current employee benefits	0	0
Deferred income taxes, net	0	0
Other liabilities, primarily litigation accruals and payments due under the Master Settlement Agreement	0	0
Total liabilities	$ (34,180)	$ (16,665)
Commitments and contingencies (Note 7)
Total Vector Group Ltd. stockholders' deficiency	$ (518,783)	$ (532,501)
Non-controlling interest	0	0
Total stockholders' deficiency	(518,783)	(532,501)
Total liabilities and stockholders' deficiency	$ (552,963)	$ (549,166)