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New Valley LLC (Investment in Real Estate Ventures) (Details) $ in Thousands		1 Months Ended		3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2017 USD ($) venture	Apr. 30, 2017 USD ($)	Mar. 31, 2017 USD ($)	Jun. 30, 2017 USD ($) venture	Jun. 30, 2016 USD ($)	Jun. 30, 2017 USD ($) venture	Jun. 30, 2016 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2016 USD ($)
Schedule of Investments [Line Items]
Investments in real estate ventures	$ 201,356			$ 201,356		$ 201,356		$ 221,258
Total contributions						8,454	$ 11,806
Distributions from real estate ventures						27,655	11,993
Distributions from investments in real estate ventures						23,338	17,983
Equity in earnings from real estate ventures				15,291	$ 2,813	26,404	2,306
New Valley LLC
Schedule of Investments [Line Items]
Investments in real estate ventures	201,356			201,356		201,356		$ 221,258
Total contributions						8,454	11,806
Distributions						50,993	29,976
Equity in earnings from real estate ventures				15,291	2,813	26,404	2,306
Total maximum exposure to loss	$ 208,695			$ 208,695		208,695
Interest costs capitalized						$ 3,766	4,836
New Valley LLC \| Monad Terrace [Member]
Schedule of Investments [Line Items]
Range of ownership	22.20%			22.20%		22.20%		24.30%
New Valley LLC \| Variable Interest Entity, Primary Beneficiary
Schedule of Investments [Line Items]
Number of real estate ventures \| venture	2			2		2
VIE's assets	$ 14,533			$ 14,533		$ 14,533		$ 14,385
New Valley LLC \| Variable Interest Entity, Not Primary Beneficiary \| Witkoff GP Partners LLC [Member]
Schedule of Investments [Line Items]
Range of ownership			3.00%
Payments to acquire equity method investments	4,286		$ 1,170
Total maximum exposure to loss	5,463			5,463		5,463
Committed future contributions	14,544			14,544		14,544
New Valley LLC \| Variable Interest Entity, Not Primary Beneficiary \| New Brookland East LLC [Member]
Schedule of Investments [Line Items]
Range of ownership		9.80%
Payments to acquire equity method investments		$ 402
Total maximum exposure to loss	$ 410			$ 410		$ 410
New Valley LLC \| New York City SMSA \| Minimum
Schedule of Investments [Line Items]
Range of ownership	3.10%			3.10%		3.10%
New Valley LLC \| New York City SMSA \| Maximum
Schedule of Investments [Line Items]
Range of ownership	49.50%			49.50%		49.50%
New Valley LLC \| Condominium and Mixed Use Development
Schedule of Investments [Line Items]
Investments in real estate ventures	$ 154,783			$ 154,783		$ 154,783		172,720
Total contributions						6,917	8,801
Distributions						49,229	19,985
Equity in earnings from real estate ventures				16,253	2,962	28,141	1,779
Total maximum exposure to loss	162,122			162,122		162,122
New Valley LLC \| Condominium and Mixed Use Development \| New York City SMSA
Schedule of Investments [Line Items]
Investments in real estate ventures	128,168			128,168		128,168		131,770
Total contributions						675	1,259
Distributions						31,280	9,940
Equity in earnings from real estate ventures				17,116	3,279	29,296	2,610
Total maximum exposure to loss	129,745			129,745		129,745
New Valley LLC \| Condominium and Mixed Use Development \| All other U.S. areas
Schedule of Investments [Line Items]
Investments in real estate ventures	26,615			26,615		26,615		40,950
Total contributions						6,242	7,542
Distributions						17,949	10,045
Equity in earnings from real estate ventures				(863)	(317)	(1,155)	(831)
Total maximum exposure to loss	$ 32,377			$ 32,377		$ 32,377
New Valley LLC \| Condominium and Mixed Use Development \| All other U.S. areas \| Minimum
Schedule of Investments [Line Items]
Range of ownership	3.00%			3.00%		3.00%
New Valley LLC \| Condominium and Mixed Use Development \| All other U.S. areas \| Maximum
Schedule of Investments [Line Items]
Range of ownership	48.50%			48.50%		48.50%
New Valley LLC \| Apartment Buildings
Schedule of Investments [Line Items]
Investments in real estate ventures	$ 7,458			$ 7,458		$ 7,458		8,287
Distributions						182	8,707
Equity in earnings from real estate ventures				(724)	1,630	(647)	2,146
Total maximum exposure to loss	7,458			7,458		7,458
New Valley LLC \| Apartment Buildings \| All other U.S. areas
Schedule of Investments [Line Items]
Investments in real estate ventures	7,458			7,458		7,458		8,287
Distributions						182	8,707
Equity in earnings from real estate ventures				(724)	1,630	(647)	2,146
Total maximum exposure to loss	$ 7,458			$ 7,458		$ 7,458
New Valley LLC \| Apartment Buildings \| All other U.S. areas \| Minimum
Schedule of Investments [Line Items]
Range of ownership	7.60%			7.60%		7.60%
New Valley LLC \| Apartment Buildings \| All other U.S. areas \| Maximum
Schedule of Investments [Line Items]
Range of ownership	16.30%			16.30%		16.30%
New Valley LLC \| Hotels
Schedule of Investments [Line Items]
Investments in real estate ventures	$ 24,727			$ 24,727		$ 24,727		24,932
Total contributions						1,537	3,005
Distributions				239	0
Equity in earnings from real estate ventures				(265)	(189)	(1,502)	(844)
Total maximum exposure to loss	24,727			24,727		24,727
New Valley LLC \| Hotels \| New York City SMSA
Schedule of Investments [Line Items]
Investments in real estate ventures	$ 22,226			$ 22,226		$ 22,226		21,895
Range of ownership	5.20%			5.20%		5.20%
Total contributions						$ 1,537	2,515
Equity in earnings from real estate ventures				$ (519)	(494)	(1,206)	(1,074)
Total maximum exposure to loss	$ 22,226			22,226		22,226
New Valley LLC \| Hotels \| International
Schedule of Investments [Line Items]
Investments in real estate ventures	$ 2,501			$ 2,501		$ 2,501		3,037
Range of ownership	49.00%			49.00%		49.00%
Total contributions						$ 0	490
Distributions				$ 239			0
Equity in earnings from real estate ventures				254	305	(296)	230
Total maximum exposure to loss	$ 2,501			2,501		2,501
New Valley LLC \| Commercial
Schedule of Investments [Line Items]
Investments in real estate ventures	12,664			12,664		12,664		13,290
Distributions						193	235
Equity in earnings from real estate ventures				(188)	(1,744)	(433)	(1,532)
Total maximum exposure to loss	12,664			12,664		12,664
New Valley LLC \| Commercial \| New York City SMSA
Schedule of Investments [Line Items]
Investments in real estate ventures	$ 2,820			$ 2,820		$ 2,820		3,290
Range of ownership	49.00%			49.00%		49.00%
Distributions						$ 101	235
Equity in earnings from real estate ventures				$ (124)	(1,744)	(369)	(1,532)
Total maximum exposure to loss	$ 2,820			2,820		2,820
New Valley LLC \| Commercial \| All other U.S. areas
Schedule of Investments [Line Items]
Investments in real estate ventures	$ 9,844			$ 9,844		$ 9,844		10,000
Range of ownership	2.10%			2.10%		2.10%
Distributions							0
Distributions from real estate ventures						$ 92
Equity in earnings from real estate ventures				$ (64)	0	(64)	0
Total maximum exposure to loss	$ 9,844			9,844		9,844
New Valley LLC \| Other
Schedule of Investments [Line Items]
Investments in real estate ventures	$ 1,724			$ 1,724		$ 1,724		$ 2,029
Range of ownership	50.00%			50.00%		50.00%
Distributions						$ 1,150	1,049
Equity in earnings from real estate ventures				$ 215	$ 154	845	757
Total maximum exposure to loss	$ 1,724			$ 1,724		1,724
Douglas Elliman Realty, LLC
Schedule of Investments [Line Items]
Proceeds from commissions received						$ 5,371	$ 8,079