Fair value measurements (Details) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Assets of discontinued operations held for sale	$ 34,416,000	$ 57,040,000
Impairment of long-lived assets to be disposed of	7,031,000	3,166,000	65,144,000
Impairment of goodwill	0	2,055,000	11,907,000
Impairment of intangible assets		0	0
Impairment of other assets		1,299,000
Property, plant and equipment
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Impairment of property, plant and equipment		2,538,000	8,153,000
La Samanna
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Property, plant and equipment, fair value disclosure	80,680,000
La Samanna | Property, plant and equipment
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Impairment of property, plant and equipment	35,680,000
Grand Hotel Europe
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Property, plant and equipment, fair value disclosure	750,000
Grand Hotel Europe | Property, plant and equipment
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Impairment of property, plant and equipment	750,000
Great South Pacific Express
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Property, plant and equipment, fair value disclosure		6,059,000
Impairment of property, plant and equipment		3,837,000
Other assets, fair value disclosure		1,299,000
Impairment of other assets		1,299,000
Great South Pacific Express | Property, plant and equipment
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Impairment of property, plant and equipment		2,538,000
Casa de Sierra Nevada
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Property, plant and equipment, fair value disclosure			14,153,000
Casa de Sierra Nevada | Property, plant and equipment
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Impairment of property, plant and equipment			8,153,000
Discontinued operations
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Impairment of goodwill	3,187,000
Impairment of intangible assets	2,815,000
Discontinued operations | Property, plant and equipment
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Impairment of long-lived assets to be disposed of	1,029,000
Continuing operations
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Impairment of goodwill	0
Continuing operations | Property, plant and equipment
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Impairment of property, plant and equipment	36,430,000
Porto Cupecoy
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Assets of discontinued operations held for sale	720,000	22,078,000	1,677,000
Impairment of long-lived assets to be disposed of	0	3,166,000	38,545,000
Porto Cupecoy | Fair value
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Assets of discontinued operations held for sale		22,040,000	0
Porto Cupecoy | Real estate
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Assets of discontinued operations held for sale		25,206,000
Impairment of long-lived assets to be disposed of		3,166,000	36,868,000
Keswick Hall
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Assets of discontinued operations held for sale			43,934,000
Impairment of long-lived assets to be disposed of	0	0	23,934,000
Keswick Hall | Fair value
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Assets of discontinued operations held for sale			20,000,000
Bora Bora Lagoon Resort
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Impairment of long-lived assets to be disposed of		0	2,150,000
Bora Bora Lagoon Resort | Fair value
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Assets of discontinued operations held for sale			2,850,000
The Westcliff
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Assets of discontinued operations held for sale			515,000
Impairment of long-lived assets to be disposed of	0	0	515,000
The Westcliff | Fair value
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Assets of discontinued operations held for sale			0
Ubud Hanging Gardens
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Impairment of long-lived assets to be disposed of	7,031,000	0	0
Goodwill, fair value disclosure	3,187,000
Finite-lived intangible assets, fair value disclosure	2,815,000
Ubud Hanging Gardens | Property, plant and equipment
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Impairment of long-lived assets to be disposed of	1,029,000
Ubud Hanging Gardens | Discontinued operations
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Property, plant and equipment, fair value disclosure	1,029,000
Impairment of goodwill	3,187,000
Ubud Hanging Gardens | Discontinued operations | Favorable lease assets
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Impairment of intangible assets	2,815,000
Reid's Palace
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Goodwill, fair value disclosure		9,570,000
Impairment of goodwill		2,055,000
Maroma, La Residencia, Mount Nelson
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Goodwill, fair value disclosure			11,907,000
Impairment of goodwill			11,907,000
Derivative liabilities | Level 3
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Change in unrealized gains or losses included in earnings	0	0	0
Fair value measurements, non-recurring
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Assets of discontinued operations held for sale		22,040,000	63,522,000
Property, plant and equipment, fair value disclosure		3,521,000	6,000,000
Goodwill, fair value disclosure		7,515,000	0
Other assets, fair value disclosure		0
Fair value measurements, non-recurring | La Samanna
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Property, plant and equipment, fair value disclosure	45,000,000
Fair value measurements, non-recurring | Grand Hotel Europe
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Property, plant and equipment, fair value disclosure	0
Fair value measurements, non-recurring | Great South Pacific Express
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Property, plant and equipment, fair value disclosure		3,521,000
Other assets, fair value disclosure		0
Fair value measurements, non-recurring | Casa de Sierra Nevada
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Property, plant and equipment, fair value disclosure			6,000,000
Fair value measurements, non-recurring | Discontinued operations
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Property, plant and equipment, fair value disclosure	0
Goodwill, fair value disclosure	0
Finite-lived intangible assets, fair value disclosure	0
Fair value measurements, non-recurring | Continuing operations
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Property, plant and equipment, fair value disclosure	45,000,000
Fair value measurements, non-recurring | Ubud Hanging Gardens
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Goodwill, fair value disclosure	0
Finite-lived intangible assets, fair value disclosure	0
Fair value measurements, non-recurring | Ubud Hanging Gardens | Discontinued operations
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Property, plant and equipment, fair value disclosure	0
Fair value measurements, non-recurring | Reid's Palace
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Goodwill, fair value disclosure		7,515,000
Fair value measurements, non-recurring | Maroma, La Residencia, Mount Nelson
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Goodwill, fair value disclosure			0
Fair value measurements, non-recurring | Level 3
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Assets of discontinued operations held for sale		22,040,000	63,522,000
Property, plant and equipment, fair value disclosure		3,521,000	6,000,000
Goodwill, fair value disclosure		7,515,000	0
Other assets, fair value disclosure		0
Fair value measurements, non-recurring | Level 3 | Discontinued operations
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Property, plant and equipment, fair value disclosure	0
Goodwill, fair value disclosure	0
Finite-lived intangible assets, fair value disclosure	0
Fair value measurements, non-recurring | Level 3 | Continuing operations
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Property, plant and equipment, fair value disclosure	$ 45,000,000