Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide, Inc. is an American hotel and leisure company headquartered in Stamford, Connecticut.One of the world's largest hotel companies, it owns, operates, franchises and manages hotels, resorts, spas, residences, and vacation ownership properties under its nine owned brands. As of 1 December 2012, Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide, Inc. owned, managed, or franchised 1,162 properties employing over 171,000 people, of whom approximately 26% were employed in the United States.