Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. was founded in 1969. Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, operates as a hotel and leisure company worldwide. The company primarily operates luxury and upscale full service hotels, retreats, and residences. It also engages in the development, ownership, and operation of vacation ownership resorts; marketing and selling vacation ownership interests in the resorts; and provision of financing to customers who purchase such interests. In addition, the company develops, markets, and sells residential units at mixed use hotel projects. As of December 31, 2009, its hotel portfolio included 979 owned, leased, managed, and franchised hotels with approximately 292,000 rooms. The company also had 22 vacation ownership resorts and residential properties in the United States, Mexico, and the Bahamas. It operates hotels and resorts under various brand names comprising St. Regis, The Luxury Collection, W, Westin, Le Meridien, Sheraton, Four Points, aloft, and Element.