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SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM 10-K

Securities Registered Pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

Securities Registered Pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act:

None

     Indicate by check mark whether the Registrants (1) have filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the Registrants were required to file such reports), and (2) have been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days. Yes þ      No o

     Indicate by check mark if disclosure of delinquent filers pursuant to Item 405 of Regulation S-K is not contained herein, and will not be contained, to the best of each Registrant’s knowledge, in definitive proxy or information statements incorporated by reference in Part III of this Form 10-K or any amendment to this Form 10-K. o

     Indicate by check mark whether the Registrant is an accelerated filer (as defined in Exchange Act Rule 12b-2). Yes þ      No o

     As of June 30, 2004, the aggregate market value of the Registrants’ voting and non-voting common equity (for purposes of this Joint Annual Report only, includes all Shares other than those held by the Registrants’ Directors, Trustees and executive officers) was $9,295,225,021.

     As of February 25, 2005, the Corporation had outstanding 212,467,631 Corporation Shares and the Trust had outstanding 212,467,631 Class B Shares and 100 Class A shares of beneficial interest, par value $0.01 per share (“Class A Shares”).

     For information concerning ownership of Shares, see the Proxy Statement for the Corporation’s Annual Meeting of Stockholders that is currently scheduled for May 5, 2005 (the “Proxy Statement”), which is incorporated by reference under various Items of this Joint Annual Report.

Document Incorporated by Reference:

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

      This Joint Annual Report is filed by Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc., a Maryland corporation (the “Corporation”), and its subsidiary, Starwood Hotels & Resorts, a Maryland real estate investment trust (the “Trust”). Unless the context otherwise requires, all references to the Corporation include those entities owned or controlled by the Corporation, including SLC Operating Limited Partnership, a Delaware limited partnership (the “Operating Partnership”), but excluding the Trust; all references to the Trust include the Trust and those entities owned or controlled by the Trust, including SLT Realty Limited Partnership, a Delaware limited partnership (the “Realty Partnership”); and all references to “we”, “us”, “our”, “Starwood”, or the “Company” refer to the Corporation, the Trust and their respective subsidiaries, collectively. The shares of common stock, par value $0.01 per share, of the Corporation (“Corporation Shares”) and the Class B shares of beneficial interest, par value $0.01 per share, of the Trust (“Class B Shares”) are attached and trade together and may be held or transferred only in units consisting of one Corporation Share and one Class B Share (a “Share”).

PART I

Forward-Looking Statements

      This Joint Annual Report contains statements that constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such statements appear in several places in this Joint Annual Report, including, without limitation, the section of Item 1. Business, captioned “Business Strategy” and Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations. Such forward-looking statements may include statements regarding the intent, belief or current expectations of Starwood, its Directors or Trustees or its officers with respect to the matters discussed in this Joint Annual Report. All forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements including, without limitation, the risks and uncertainties set forth below. The Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements to reflect current or future events or circumstances.

Where you can find more information

      We file annual, quarterly and special reports, proxy statements and other information with the SEC. Our SEC filings are available to the public over the Internet at the SEC’s web site at http://www.sec.gov. Our SEC filings are also available on our website at http://www.starwoodhotels.com/corporate/investor  relations.html as soon as reasonably practicable after they are filed with or furnished to the SEC. You may also read and copy any document we file with the SEC at its public reference rooms in Washington, D.C. Please call the SEC at (800) SEC-0330 for further information on the public reference rooms. Our filings with the SEC are also available at the New York Stock Exchange. For more information on obtaining copies of our public filings at the New York Stock Exchange, you should call (212) 656-5060. You may also obtain a copy of our filings free of charge by calling Alisa Rosenberg, Vice President, Investor Relations at (914) 640-5214.

Risks Relating to Hotel, Resort and Vacation Ownership Operations

      We Are Subject to All the Operating Risks Common to the Hotel and Vacation Ownership Industries. Operating risks common to the hotel and vacation ownership industries include:

      We are also impacted by our relationships with owners and franchisees. Our hotel management contracts are typically long-term arrangements, but most allow the hotel owner to replace us if certain financial or performance criteria are not met. Our ability to meet these financial and performance criteria is subject to, among other things, the risks described in this section. Additionally, our operating results would be adversely affected if we could not maintain existing management, franchise or representation agreements or obtain new agreements on as favorable terms as the existing agreements.

      General Economic Conditions May Negatively Impact Our Results. Moderate or severe economic downturns or adverse conditions may negatively affect our operations. These conditions may be widespread or isolated to one or more geographic regions. A tightening of the labor markets in one or more geographic regions may result in fewer and/or less qualified applicants for job openings in our facilities. Higher wages, related labor costs and the increasing cost trends in the insurance markets may negatively impact our results as wages, related labor costs and insurance premiums increase.

      We Must Compete for Customers. The hotel and vacation ownership industries are highly competitive. Our properties compete for customers with other hotel and resort properties, and, with respect to our vacation ownership resorts and residential projects, with owners reselling their vacation ownership interests (“VOIs”), including fractional ownership, or apartments. Some of our competitors may have substantially greater marketing and financial resources than we do, and they may improve their facilities, reduce their prices or expand or improve their marketing programs in ways that adversely affect our operating results.

      We Must Compete for Management and Franchise Agreements. We compete with other hotel companies for management and franchise agreements. As a result, the terms of such agreements may not be as favorable as our current agreements. In connection with entering into management or franchise agreements, we may be required to make investments in or guarantee the obligations of third parties or guarantee minimum income to third parties.

      The Hotel Industry Is Seasonal in Nature. The hotel industry is seasonal in nature; however, the periods during which we experience higher revenue vary from property to property and depend principally upon location. Our revenue historically has been lower in the first quarter than in the second, third or fourth quarters.

      Internet Reservation Channels May Negatively Impact our Bookings. Some of our hotel rooms are booked through internet travel intermediaries such as Travelocity.com®, Expedia.com® and Priceline.com®. As the percentage of internet bookings increases, these intermediaries may be able to obtain higher commissions, reduced room rates or other significant contract concessions from us. Moreover, some of these internet travel intermediaries are attempting to commoditize hotel rooms, by increasing the importance of price and general indicators of quality (such as “three-star downtown hotel”) at the expense of brand identification. These agencies hope that consumers will eventually develop brand loyalties to their reservations system rather than to our lodging brands. Although we expect to derive most of our business from traditional channels, if the amount of sales made through internet intermediaries increases significantly, our business and profitability may be significantly harmed.

      We Place Significant Reliance on Technology. The hospitality industry continues to demand the use of sophisticated technology and systems including technology utilized for property management, procurement, reservation systems, operation of our customer loyalty program, distribution and guest amenities. These technologies can be expected to require refinements and there is the risk that advanced new technologies will be introduced. There can be no assurance that as various systems and technologies become outdated or new technology is required we will be able to replace or introduce them as quickly as our competition or within budgeted costs for such technology. Further, there can be no assurance that we will achieve the benefits that may have been anticipated from any new technology or system.

      Our Businesses Are Capital Intensive. For our owned, managed and franchised properties to remain attractive and competitive, the property owners and we have to spend money periodically to keep the properties well maintained, modernized and refurbished. This creates an ongoing need for cash and, to the extent the property owners and we cannot fund expenditures from cash generated by operations, funds must be borrowed or otherwise obtained. This may depend on the financial condition of the third-party owners and franchisees. Their financial condition may also impact our ability to recover amounts that may be owed to us by owners, developers and franchisees such as indemnity payments. In addition, to continue growing our vacation ownership business and residential projects, we need to spend money to develop new units. Accordingly, our financial results may be sensitive to the cost and availability of funds and the carrying cost of VOI and residential inventory.

      Real Estate Investments Are Subject to Numerous Risks. We are subject to the risks that generally relate to investments in real property because we own and lease hotels and resorts. The investment returns available from equity investments in real estate depend in large part on the amount of income earned and capital appreciation generated by the related properties, and the expenses incurred. In addition, a variety of other factors affect income from properties and real estate values, including governmental regulations, real estate, insurance, zoning, tax and eminent domain laws, interest rate levels and the availability of financing. For example, new or existing real estate zoning or tax laws can make it more expensive and/or time-consuming to develop real property or expand, modify or renovate hotels. When interest rates increase, the cost of acquiring, developing, expanding or renovating real property increases and real property values may decrease as the number of potential buyers decreases. Similarly, as financing becomes less available, it becomes more difficult both to acquire and to sell real property. Finally, under eminent domain laws, governments can take real property. Sometimes this taking is for less compensation than the owner believes the property is worth. Any of these factors could have a material adverse impact on our results of operations or financial condition. In addition, equity real estate investments are difficult to sell quickly and we may not be able to adjust our portfolio of owned properties quickly in response to economic or other conditions. If our properties do not generate revenue sufficient to meet operating expenses, including debt service and capital expenditures, our income will be adversely affected.

      Hotel and Resort Development Is Subject to Timing, Budgeting and Other Risks. We intend to develop hotel and resort properties, including VOIs and residential components of hotel properties, as suitable

opportunities arise, taking into consideration the general economic climate. New project development has a number of risks, including risks associated with:

      We cannot assure you that any development project will be completed on time or within budget.

      Environmental Regulations. Environmental laws, ordinances and regulations of various federal, state, local and foreign governments regulate our properties and could make us liable for the costs of removing or cleaning up hazardous or toxic substances on, under, or in property we currently own or operate or that we previously owned or operated. These laws could impose liability without regard to whether we knew of, or were responsible for, the presence of hazardous or toxic substances. The presence of hazardous or toxic substances, or the failure to properly clean up such substances when present, could jeopardize our ability to develop, use, sell or rent the real property or to borrow using the real property as collateral. If we arrange for the disposal or treatment of hazardous or toxic wastes, we could be liable for the costs of removing or cleaning up wastes at the disposal or treatment facility, even if we never owned or operated that facility. Other laws, ordinances and regulations could require us to manage, abate or remove lead or asbestos containing materials. Similarly, the operation and closure of storage tanks are often regulated by federal, state, local and foreign laws. Certain laws, ordinances and regulations, particularly those governing the management or preservation of wetlands, coastal zones and threatened or endangered species, could limit our ability to develop, use, sell or rent our real property.

      International Operations Are Subject to Special Political and Monetary Risks. We have significant international operations which as of December 31, 2004 included 175 owned, managed or franchised properties in Europe, Africa and the Middle East (including 29 properties with majority ownership); 46 owned, managed or franchised properties in Latin America (including 12 properties with majority ownership); and 94 owned, managed or franchised properties in the Asia Pacific region (including 4 properties with majority ownership). International operations generally are subject to various political, geopolitical, and other risks that are not present in U.S. operations. These risks include the risk of war, terrorism, civil unrest, expropriation and nationalization. In addition, some international jurisdictions restrict the repatriation of non-U.S. earnings. Various international jurisdictions also have laws limiting the ability of non-U.S. entities to pay dividends and remit earnings to affiliated companies unless specified conditions have been met. In addition, sales in international jurisdictions typically are made in local currencies, which subject us to risks associated with currency fluctuations. Currency devaluations and unfavorable changes in international monetary and tax policies could have a material adverse effect on our profitability and financing plans, as could other changes in the international regulatory climate and international economic conditions. Other than Italy, where our risks are heightened due to the 13 properties we own, our international properties are geographically diversified and are not concentrated in any particular region.

Debt Financing

      As a result of our debt obligations, we are subject to: (i) the risk that cash flow from operations will be insufficient to meet required payments of principal and interest; and (ii) interest rate risk. Although we anticipate that we will be able to repay or refinance our existing indebtedness and any other indebtedness when

it matures, there can be no assurance that we will be able to do so or that the terms of such refinancings will be favorable. Our leverage may have important consequences including the following: (i) our ability to obtain additional financing for acquisitions, working capital, capital expenditures or other purposes, if necessary, may be impaired or such financing may not be available on terms favorable to us; (ii) a substantial decrease in operating cash flow or an increase in our expenses could make it difficult for us to meet our debt service requirements and force us to sell assets and/or modify our operations; and (iii) our higher level of debt and resulting interest expense may place us at a competitive disadvantage with respect to certain competitors with lower amounts of indebtedness and/or higher credit ratings. On January 7, 2004, Moody’s Investor Services and Standard & Poor’s placed the Company’s Ba1 and BB+ corporate credit ratings on review/watch for a possible downgrade. The review/watch was prompted by the Company’s announcement that it had invested $200 million in Le Meridien Hotels and Resorts Ltd. (“Le Meridien”) senior debt and would be in discussions to negotiate the potential recapitalization of Le Meridien. On January 27, 2005, Standard & Poor’s removed the Company from its credit review/watch and affirmed the Company’s BB+ rating with a stable outlook. Any downgrading of the Company’s credit rating may result in higher borrowing costs on future financings and impact our ability to access capital markets.

Risks Relating to So-Called Acts of God, Terrorist Activity and War

      Our financial and operating performance may be adversely affected by so-called acts of God, such as natural disasters, in locations where we own and/or operate significant properties and areas of the world from which we draw a large number of customers. Similarly, wars (including the potential for war), terrorist activity (including threats of terrorist activity), political unrest and other forms of civil strife and geopolitical uncertainty have caused in the past, and may cause in the future, our results to differ materially from anticipated results.

Some Potential Losses are Not Covered by Insurance

      We carry comprehensive insurance coverage for general liability, property, business interruption and other risks with respect to our owned and leased properties and we make available insurance programs for owners of properties we manage and franchise. These policies offer coverage features and insured limits that we believe are customary for similar type properties. Generally, our “all-risk” property policies provide that coverage is available on a per occurrence basis and that, for each occurrence, there is a limit as well as various sub-limits on the amount of insurance proceeds we can receive. In addition, there may be overall limits under the policies. Sub-limits exist for certain types of claims such as service interruption, abatement, expediting costs or landscaping replacement, and the dollar amounts of these sub-limits are significantly lower than the dollar amounts of the overall coverage limit. Our property policies also provide that for the coverage of critical earthquake (California and Mexico) and flood, all of the claims from each of our properties resulting from a particular insurable event must be combined together for purposes of evaluating whether the annual aggregate limits and sub-limits contained in our policies have been exceeded and any such claims will also be combined with the claims of owners of managed hotels that participate in our insurance program for the same purpose. Therefore, if insurable events occur that affect more than one of our owned hotels and/or managed hotels owned by third parties that participate in our insurance program, the claims from each affected hotel will be added together to determine whether the annual aggregate limit or sub-limits, depending on the type of claim, have been reached. If the limits or sub-limits are exceeded, each affected hotel will only receive a proportional share of the amount of insurance proceeds provided for under the policy. In addition, under those circumstances, claims by third party owners will reduce the coverage available for our owned and leased properties.

      In addition, there are also other risks such as war, certain forms of terrorism such as nuclear, biological or chemical terrorism, acts of God such as hurricanes and earthquakes and some environmental hazards that may be deemed to fall completely outside the general coverage limits of our policies or may be uninsurable or may be too expensive to justify insuring against.

      We may also encounter challenges with an insurance provider regarding whether it will pay a particular claim that we believe to be covered under our policy. Should an uninsured loss or a loss in excess of insured

limits occur, we could lose all or a portion of the capital we have invested in a hotel or resort, as well as the anticipated future revenue from the hotel or resort. In that event, we might nevertheless remain obligated for any mortgage debt or other financial obligations related to the property.

Acquisitions

      We intend to make acquisitions that complement our business. There can be no assurance, however, that we will be able to identify acquisition candidates or complete acquisitions on commercially reasonable terms or at all. On December 30, 2003, we announced our share ($200 million) of the acquisition with Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc. (“Lehman Brothers”) of all of the outstanding senior debt of Le Meridien. As part of this investment, we entered into an agreement with Lehman Brothers whereby they would negotiate with us on an exclusive basis towards a recapitalization of Le Meridien. The exclusivity period expired in early April 2004 although negotiations with Lehman Brothers are continuing. While negotiations are continuing, there can be no assurance that transaction agreements will be entered into or a transaction consummated and if consummated what the terms and form of such a transaction would be.

      If the Le Meridien transaction or additional acquisitions are made, there can be no assurance that any anticipated benefits will actually be realized. Similarly, there can be no assurance that we will be able to obtain additional financing for acquisitions, or that the ability to obtain such financing will not be restricted by the terms of our debt agreements.

Investing Through Partnerships or Joint Ventures Decreases Our Ability to Manage Risk

      In addition to acquiring or developing hotels and resorts directly, we have from time to time invested, and expect to continue to invest, as a co-venturer. Joint venturers often have shared control over the operation of the joint venture assets. Therefore, joint venture investments may involve risks such as the possibility that the co-venturer in an investment might become bankrupt or not have the financial resources to meet its obligations, or have economic or business interests or goals that are inconsistent with our business interests or goals, or be in a position to take action contrary to our instructions or requests or contrary to our policies or objectives. Consequently, actions by a co-venturer might subject hotels and resorts owned by the joint venture to additional risk. Although we generally seek to maintain sufficient control of any joint venture, we may be unable to take action without the approval of our joint venture partners. Alternatively, our joint venture partners could take actions binding on the joint venture without our consent. Additionally, should a joint venture partner become bankrupt, we could become liable for our partner’s share of joint venture liabilities.

Dispositions

      We periodically review our business to identify properties or other assets that we believe either are non-core, (including hotels where the return on invested capital is not adequate), no longer complement our business, are in markets which may not benefit us as much as other markets during an economic recovery or could be sold at significant premiums. We are focused on restructuring and enhancing real estate returns and monetizing investments and from time to time, attempt to sell these identified properties and assets. There can be no assurance, however, that we will be able to complete dispositions on commercially reasonable terms or at all.

Our Vacation Ownership Business Is Subject to Extensive Regulation and Risk of Default

      We market and sell VOIs, which typically entitle the buyer to ownership of a fully-furnished resort unit for a one-week period (or in the case of fractional ownership interests, generally for three or more weeks) on either an annual or an alternate-year basis. We also acquire, develop and operate vacation ownership resorts, and provide financing to purchasers of VOIs. These activities are all subject to extensive regulation by the federal government and the states in which vacation ownership resorts are located and in which VOIs are marketed and sold including regulation of our telemarketing activities under state and federal “Do Not Call” laws. In addition, the laws of most states in which we sell VOIs grant the purchaser the right to rescind the purchase contract at any time within a statutory rescission period. Although we believe that we are in material

compliance with all applicable federal, state, local and foreign laws and regulations to which vacation ownership marketing, sales and operations are currently subject, changes in these requirements or a determination by a regulatory authority that we were not in compliance, could adversely affect us. In particular, increased regulations of telemarketing activities could adversely impact the marketing of our VOIs.

      We bear the risk of defaults under purchaser mortgages on VOIs. If a VOI purchaser defaults on the mortgage during the early part of the loan amortization period, we will not have recovered the marketing, selling (other than commissions in certain events), and general and administrative costs associated with such VOI, and such costs will be incurred again in connection with the resale of the repossessed VOI. Accordingly, there is no assurance that the sales price will be fully or partially recovered from a defaulting purchaser or, in the event of such defaults, that our allowance for losses will be adequate.

Recent Privacy Initiatives

      We collect information relating to our guests for various business purposes, including marketing and promotional purposes. The collection and use of personal data are governed by privacy laws and regulations enacted in the United States and other jurisdictions around the world. Privacy regulations continue to evolve and on occasion may be inconsistent from one jurisdiction to another. Compliance with applicable privacy regulations may increase our operating costs and/or adversely impact our ability to market our products, properties and services to our guests. In addition, non-compliance with applicable privacy regulations by us (or in some circumstances non-compliance by third parties engaged by us) may result in fines or restrictions on our use or transfer of data.

Certain Interests

      Barry S. Sternlicht is the Executive Chairman of the Corporation and the Trust and, until October 1, 2004, was the Chief Executive Officer. Mr. Sternlicht also serves as the President and Chief Executive Officer of, and may be deemed to control, Starwood Capital Group, L.L.C. (“Starwood Capital”), a real estate investment firm. Starwood Capital and the Company have entered into a non-compete agreement whereby Starwood Capital may not purchase a hotel property in the United States without the consent of the Company. Although Starwood Capital is not subject to a non-compete agreement with the Company for hotel properties outside of the United States, as a matter of practice, all opportunities to purchase such properties are also first presented to the Company in accordance with the Company’s Corporate Opportunity Policy. In each case, to the extent that management of the Company recommends not to pursue an opportunity, the Governance and Nominating Committee of the Board of Directors (or other committee of independent directors) will make a decision as to whether or not the Company will pursue the opportunity. In addition, from time to time, the Company has entered into transactions in which Mr. Sternlicht has an interest. See Item 13. Certain Relationships and Related Transactions. To the extent any executive officer or director of the Company has an interest in businesses that seek to do business with the Company, any agreements with those businesses are subject to Governance and Nominating Committee (or other committee of independent directors) approval pursuant to the Company’s Corporate Opportunity Policy.

Ability to Manage Growth

      Our future success and our ability to manage future growth depend in large part upon the efforts of our senior management and our ability to attract and retain key officers and other highly qualified personnel. Competition for such personnel is intense. During 2004, we experienced changes in our senior management, including a new Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer. In addition, in February 2005 our President and Chief Operating Officer announced his intention to retire at the end of 2005. There can be no assurance that we will continue to be successful in attracting and retaining qualified personnel. Accordingly, there can be no assurance that our senior management will be able to successfully execute and implement our growth and operating strategies.

Tax Risks

      Failure of the Trust to Qualify as a REIT Would Increase Our Tax Liability. Qualifying as a real estate investment trust (a “REIT”) requires compliance with highly technical and complex tax provisions that courts and administrative agencies have interpreted only to a limited degree. Also, facts and circumstances that we do not control may affect the Trust’s ability to qualify as a REIT. The Trust believes that since the taxable year ended December 31, 1995, it has qualified as a REIT under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended. The Trust intends to continue to operate so it qualifies as a REIT. However, the Trust cannot assure you that it will continue to qualify as a REIT. If the Trust fails to qualify as a REIT for any prior tax year(s), the Trust would be liable to pay a significant amount of taxes for those year(s). Similarly, if the Trust fails to qualify as a REIT in the future, our liability for taxes would increase.

      Additional Legislation Could Eliminate or Reduce Certain Benefits of Our Structure. On January 6, 1999, we consummated a reorganization pursuant to an Agreement and Plan of Restructuring dated as of September 16, 1998, as amended, among the Corporation, ST Acquisition Trust, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Corporation, and the Trust (the “Reorganization”). Pursuant to the Reorganization, the Trust became a subsidiary of the Corporation, which, through a wholly-owned subsidiary, holds all the outstanding Class A shares of beneficial interest, par value $0.01 per share, of the Trust. The Reorganization was proposed in response to the Internal Revenue Service Restructuring and Reform Act of 1998 (“H.R. 2676”), which made it difficult for us to acquire and operate additional hotels while still maintaining our former status as a “grandfathered paired share real estate investment trust.” While we believe that the Reorganization was the best alternative in light of H.R. 2676 and that our current structure does not raise the same concerns that led Congress to enact such legislation, no assurance can be given that additional legislation, regulations or administrative interpretations will not be adopted that would eliminate or reduce certain benefits of the Reorganization and could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations, financial condition and prospects.

      As part of the Jobs and Growth Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2003, the tax rates on corporate dividends to shareholders were decreased to 15 and 5 percent, depending on the shareholders’ individual tax brackets. However, dividends paid by a REIT are generally not eligible for the reduced dividend tax rate. REIT dividends largely represent rents and other income that are passed through to shareholders as dividends deductible to the REIT, rather than corporate earnings subject to the corporate income tax. The implementation of this statute may cause individual investors to view stocks of non-REIT corporations as more attractive relative to shares of REITs than was the case previously.

      Furthermore, the American Jobs Creation Act of 2004 (the “Act”) was enacted on October 22, 2004. The Act made certain changes to the rules relating to REITs including, for example, changes to the “straight debt” safe harbor rules and provisions permitting a REIT in certain circumstances to pay a monetary penalty for failure to satisfy a REIT requirement in lieu of being subject to disqualification as a REIT. However, given the fact that the statute was only recently enacted, it is not entirely clear how the Internal Revenue Service will apply and interpret each new provision of the Act.

      We undertake global tax planning in the normal course of business. These activities may be subject to review by tax authorities. As a result of the review process, uncertainties exist and it is possible that some matters could be resolved adversely to us.

      Evolving government regulation could impose taxes or other burdens on our business. We rely upon generally available interpretations of tax laws and regulations in the countries and locales in which we operate. We cannot be sure that these interpretations are accurate or that the responsible taxing authority is in agreement with our views. The imposition of additional taxes could cause us to have to pay taxes that we currently do not collect or pay or increase the costs of our services or increase our costs of operations.

      Our current business practice with our internet reservation channels is that the intermediary collects hotel occupancy tax from its customer based on the price that the intermediary paid us for the hotel room. We then remit these taxes to the various tax authorities. Several jurisdictions have stated that they may take the position that the tax is also applicable to the intermediaries’ gross profit on these hotel transactions. If

jurisdictions take this position, they should seek the additional tax payments from the intermediary; however, it is possible that they may seek to collect the additional tax payment from us and we would not be able to collect these taxes from the customers. To the extent that any tax authority succeeds in asserting that the hotel occupancy tax applies to the gross profit on these transactions, we believe that any additional tax would be the responsibility of the intermediary. However, it is possible that we might have additional tax exposure. In such event, such actions could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition.

Risks Relating to Ownership of Our Shares

      No Person or Group May Own More Than 8% of Our Shares. Our governing documents provide (subject to certain exceptions) that no one person or group may own or be deemed to own more than 8% of our outstanding stock or Shares of beneficial interest, whether measured by vote, value or number of Shares. There is an exception for shareholders who owned more than 8% as of February 1, 1995, who may not own or be deemed to own more than the lesser of 9.9% or the percentage of Shares they held on that date, provided, that if the percentage of Shares beneficially owned by such a holder decreases after February 1, 1995, such a holder may not own or be deemed to own more than the greater of 8% or the percentage owned after giving effect to the decrease. We may waive this limitation if we are satisfied that such ownership will not jeopardize the Trust’s status as a REIT. In addition, if Shares which would cause the Trust to be beneficially owned by fewer than 100 persons are issued or transferred to any person, such issuance or transfer shall be null and void. This ownership limit may have the effect of precluding a change in control of us by a third party without the consent of our Board of Directors, even if such change in control would otherwise give the holders of Shares or other of our equity securities the opportunity to realize a premium over then-prevailing market prices, and even if such change in control would not reasonably jeopardize the status of the Trust as a REIT.

      Our Board of Directors May Issue Preferred Stock and Establish the Preferences and Rights of Such Preferred Stock. Our charter provides that the total number of shares of stock of all classes which the Corporation has authority to issue is 1,350,000,000, initially consisting of one billion shares of common stock, 50 million shares of excess common stock, 200 million shares of preferred stock and 100 million shares of excess preferred stock. Our Board of Directors has the authority, without a vote of shareholders, to establish the preferences and rights of any preferred or other class or series of shares to be issued and to issue such shares. The issuance of preferred shares or other shares having special preferences or rights could delay or prevent a change in control even if a change in control would be in the interests of our shareholders. Since our Board of Directors has the power to establish the preferences and rights of additional classes or series of shares without a shareholder vote, our Board of Directors may give the holders of any class or series preferences, powers and rights, including voting rights, senior to the rights of holders of our shares.

      Our Board of Directors May Implement Anti-Takeover Devices and our Charter and By-Laws Contain Provisions which May Prevent Takeovers. Certain provisions of Maryland law permit our Board of Directors, without stockholder approval, to implement possible takeover defenses that are not currently in place, such as a classified board. In addition, our charter contains provisions relating to restrictions on transferability of the Corporation Shares, which may be amended only by the affirmative vote of our shareholders holding two-thirds of the votes entitled to be cast on the matter. As permitted under the Maryland General Corporation Law, our Bylaws provide that directors have the exclusive right to amend our Bylaws.

      Our Shareholder Rights Plan Would Cause Substantial Dilution to Any Shareholder That Attempts to Acquire Us on Terms Not Approved by Our Board of Directors. We adopted a shareholder rights plan which provides, among other things, that when specified events occur, our shareholders will be entitled to purchase from us a newly created series of junior preferred stock, subject to the ownership limit described above. The preferred stock purchase rights are triggered by the earlier to occur of (i) ten days after the date of a public announcement that a person or group acting in concert has acquired, or obtained the right to acquire, beneficial ownership of 15% or more of our outstanding Corporation Shares or (ii) ten business days after the commencement of or announcement of an intention to make a tender offer or exchange offer, the consummation of which would result in the acquiring person becoming the beneficial owner of 15% or more of

our outstanding Corporation Shares. The preferred stock purchase rights would cause substantial dilution to a person or group that attempts to acquire us on terms not approved by our Board of Directors.

      Changes in Stock Option Accounting Rules May Adversely Impact Our Reported Operating Results Prepared in Accordance with Generally Accepted Accounting Principles, Our Stock Price and Our Competitiveness in the Employee Marketplace. We have a history of using broad based employee stock option programs to hire, incentivize and retain our workforce. Currently, Statement of Financial Accounting Standards (“SFAS”) No. 123, “Accounting for Stock-Based Compensation,” allows companies the choice of either using a fair value method of accounting for options, which would result in expense recognition for all options granted, or using an intrinsic value method, as prescribed by Accounting Principles Board Opinion (“APB”) No. 25, “Accounting for Stock Issued to Employees,” with a pro forma disclosure of the impact on net income of using the fair value recognition method. We have elected to apply APB No. 25 and accordingly, we do not recognize any expense with respect to employee stock options as long as such options are granted at exercise prices equal to the fair value of our Shares on the date of grant.

      In the fourth quarter of 2004, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) concluded that SFAS No. 123(R), “Share-Based Payment,” will be effective for public companies for interim or annual periods beginning after June 15, 2005. Under SFAS No. 123(R), companies must measure compensation cost for all share-based payments, including employee stock options, using a fair value based method and these payments must be recognized as expenses in our statements of operations. The implementation of SFAS No. 123(R) beginning in the third quarter of fiscal 2005 will require us to expense the fair value of our stock options in our consolidated statement of operations rather than disclosing the impact on results of operations within our footnotes in accordance with the disclosure provisions of SFAS No. 123 (see Note 2 of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements). The implementation of SFAS No. 123(R) will result in lower reported earnings per share, which could negatively impact our future stock price. In addition, this could negatively impact our ability to utilize employee stock plans to recruit and retain employees and could result in a competitive disadvantage to us in the employee marketplace.

General

      We are one of the world’s largest hotel and leisure companies. We conduct our hotel and leisure business both directly and through our subsidiaries. Our brand names include St. Regis®, The Luxury Collection®, Sheraton®, Westin®, W® and Four Points® by Sheraton. Through these brands, we are well represented in most major markets around the world. Our operations are grouped into two business segments, hotels and vacation ownership operations.

      Our revenue and earnings are derived primarily from hotel operations, which include the operation of our owned hotels; management and other fees earned from hotels we manage pursuant to management contracts; and the receipt of franchise and other fees.

      Our hotel business emphasizes the global operation of hotels and resorts primarily in the luxury and upscale segment of the lodging industry. We seek to acquire interests in, or management or franchise rights with respect to properties in this segment. At December 31, 2004, our hotel portfolio included owned, leased, managed and franchised hotels totaling 733 hotels with approximately 231,000 rooms in more than 80 countries, and is comprised of 140 hotels that we own or lease or in which we have a majority equity interest, 283 hotels managed by us on behalf of third-party owners (including entities in which we have a minority equity interest) and 310 hotels for which we receive franchise fees.

      Our revenues and earnings are also derived from the development, ownership and operation of vacation ownership resorts, marketing and selling VOIs in the resorts and providing financing to customers who purchase such interests. Generally these resorts are marketed under the brand names mentioned above. At December 31, 2004, we had 19 vacation ownership resorts in the United States and the Bahamas.

      The Trust was organized in 1969, and the Corporation was incorporated in 1980, both under the laws of Maryland. Sheraton Hotels & Resorts and Westin Hotels & Resorts, Starwood’s largest brands, have been

serving guests for more than 60 years. Starwood Vacation Ownership (and its predecessor, Vistana, Inc.) has been selling VOIs for more than 20 years.

      Our principal executive offices are located at 1111 Westchester Avenue, White Plains, New York 10604, and our telephone number is (914) 640-8100.

      For a discussion of our revenues, profits, assets and geographical segments, see the notes to financial statements of this Joint Annual Report. For additional information concerning our business, see Item 2. Properties, of this Joint Annual Report.

Competitive Strengths

      Management believes that the following factors contribute to our position as a leader in the lodging and vacation ownership industry and provide a foundation for the Company’s business strategy:

      Brand Strength. We have assumed a leadership position in markets worldwide based on our superior global distribution, coupled with strong brands and brand recognition. Our upscale and luxury brands continue to capture market share from our competitors by aggressively cultivating new customers while maintaining loyalty among the world’s most active travelers. The strength of our brands is evidenced, in part, by the superior ratings received from our hotel guests and from industry publications. In 2004 we had more than 30 of our hotels on the Condé Nast Traveler’s 2004 Readers Choice Awards List, including four hotels on their “Top 100 Best Hotels in the World.” For the third year in a row we were named the “World’s Leading Hotel Group” at the World Travel Awards.

      Frequent Guest Program. Our loyalty program, Starwood Preferred Guest® (“SPG”), has over 22 million members and since its inception in 1999, has been awarded the Hotel Program of the Year five times by consumers via the prestigious Freddie Awards. SPG has also received awards for Best Customer Service, Best Web Site, Best Elite-Level Program and Best Award Redemption. SPG, which was the first loyalty program in the hotel industry with a policy of no blackout dates and no capacity controls, enables members to redeem stays when they want and where they want. SPG yields repeat guest business due to rewarding frequent stays and purchasers of VOIs with points towards free hotel stays and other rewards, or airline miles with any of the participating 32 airline programs.

      Significant Presence in Top Markets. Our luxury and upscale hotel and resort assets are well positioned throughout the world. These assets are primarily located in major cities and resort areas that management believes have historically demonstrated a strong breadth, depth and growing demand for luxury and upscale hotels and resorts, in which the supply of sites suitable for hotel development has been limited and in which development of such sites is relatively expensive.

      Premier and Distinctive Properties. We control a distinguished and diversified group of hotel properties throughout the world, including the St. Regis in New York, New York; The Phoenician in Scottsdale, Arizona; the Hotel Gritti Palace in Venice, Italy; the St. Regis in Beijing, China; and the Westin Palace in Madrid, Spain. These are among the leading hotels in the industry and are at the forefront of providing the highest quality and service. Our properties are consistently recognized as the best of the best by readers of Condé Nast Traveler, who are among the world’s most sophisticated and discerning group of travelers. The November 2004 edition of the Condé Nast Traveler Magazine named four Starwood properties in the top 100 “Best in the World”, with over 30 properties listed in the Readers’ Choice Awards list. In addition, the Condé Nast Traveler Magazine January 2005 issue included 51 Starwood properties among its prestigious Gold List and Gold List Reserve, more than any other hotel company.

      Scale. As one of the largest hotel and leisure companies focusing on the luxury and upscale full-service lodging market, we have the scale to support our core marketing and reservation functions. We also believe that our scale will contribute to lower our cost of operations through purchasing economies areas such as insurance, energy, telecommunications, technology, employee benefits, food and beverage, furniture, fixtures and equipment and operating supplies.

      Diversification of Cash Flow and Assets. Management believes that the diversity of our brands, market segments served, revenue sources and geographic locations provides a broad base from which to enhance revenue and profits and to strengthen our global brands. This diversity limits our exposure to any particular lodging or vacation ownership asset, brand or geographic region.

      While we focus on the luxury and upscale portion of the full-service lodging and vacation ownership markets, our brands cater to a diverse group of sub-markets within this market. For example, the St. Regis hotels cater to high-end hotel and resort clientele while Four Points by Sheraton hotels deliver extensive amenities and services at more affordable rates.

      We derive our cash flow from multiple sources within our hotel and vacation ownership segments, including owned hotels activity and management and franchise fees, and are geographically diverse with operations around the world. The following tables reflect our hotel and vacation ownership properties by type of revenue source and geographical presence by major geographic area as of December 31, 2004:

Business Segment and Geographical Information

      Incorporated by reference in Note 21. Business Segment and Geographical Information, in the notes to financial statements set forth in Part II, Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data.

Business Strategy

      Our primary business objective is to maximize earnings and cash flow by increasing the profitability of our existing portfolio; selectively acquiring interests in additional assets; increasing the number of our hotel management contracts and franchise agreements; acquiring and developing vacation ownership resorts and selling VOIs; and maximizing the value of our owned real estate properties, including selectively disposing of non-core hotels (including hotels where the return on invested capital is not adequate) and “trophy” assets that may be sold at significant premiums. We plan to meet these objectives by leveraging our global assets, broad customer base and other resources and by taking advantage of our scale to reduce costs. The uncertainty relating to political and economic environments around the world and their consequent impact on travel in their respective regions and the rest of the world, make financial planning and implementation of our strategy more challenging.

      Growth Opportunities. Management has identified several growth opportunities with a goal of enhancing our operating performance and profitability, including:

      We intend to explore opportunities to expand and diversify our hotel portfolio through internal development, minority investments and selective acquisitions of properties domestically and internationally that meet some or all of the following criteria:

      We may also selectively choose to develop and construct desirable hotels and resorts to help us meet our strategic goals, such as the ongoing development of the St. Regis Museum Tower Hotel in San Francisco, California which is expected to have approximately 260 hotel rooms and 102 residential condominiums.

      Furthermore, we have developed plans along with third party developers for flexible new-build Sheraton and Westin prototypes, with the intent of expanding these brands into tertiary markets.

Competition

      The hotel industry is highly competitive. Competition is generally based on quality and consistency of room, restaurant and meeting facilities and services, attractiveness of locations, availability of a global distribution system, price, the ability to earn and redeem loyalty program points and other factors. Management believes that we compete favorably in these areas. Our properties compete with other hotels and resorts, including facilities owned by local interests and facilities owned by national and international chains, in their geographic markets. Our principal competitors include other hotel operating companies, ownership companies (including hotel REITs) and national and international hotel brands.

      We encounter strong competition as a hotel, resort and vacation ownership operator and developer. While some of our competitors are private management firms, several are large national and international chains that own and operate their own hotels, as well as manage hotels for third-party owners and develop and sell VOIs, under a variety of brands that compete directly with our brands. In addition, hotel management contracts are typically long-term arrangements, but most allow the hotel owner to replace the management firm if certain financial or performance criteria are not met.

Environmental Matters

      We are subject to certain requirements and potential liabilities under various federal, state and local environmental laws, ordinances and regulations (“Environmental Laws”). For example, a current or previous owner or operator of real property may become liable for the costs of removal or remediation of hazardous or toxic substances on, under or in such property. Such laws often impose liability without regard to whether the owner or operator knew of, or was responsible for, the presence of such hazardous or toxic substances. The presence of hazardous or toxic substances may adversely affect the owner’s ability to sell or rent such real property or to borrow using such real property as collateral. Persons who arrange for the disposal or treatment of hazardous or toxic wastes may be liable for the costs of removal or remediation of such wastes at the treatment, storage or disposal facility, regardless of whether such facility is owned or operated by such person. We use certain substances and generate certain wastes that may be deemed hazardous or toxic under applicable Environmental Laws, and we from time to time have incurred, and in the future may incur, costs related to cleaning up contamination resulting from historic uses of certain of our current or former properties or our treatment, storage or disposal of wastes at facilities owned by others. Other Environmental Laws require abatement or removal of certain asbestos-containing materials (“ACMs”) (limited quantities of which are present in various building materials such as spray-on insulation, floor coverings, ceiling coverings, tiles, decorative treatments and piping located at certain of our hotels) in the event of damage or demolition, or certain renovations or remodeling. These laws also govern emissions of and exposure to asbestos fibers in the air. Environmental Laws also regulate polychlorinated biphenyls (“PCBs”), which may be present in electrical equipment. A number of our hotels have underground storage tanks (“USTs”) and equipment containing chlorofluorocarbons (“CFCs”); the operation and subsequent removal or upgrading of certain USTs and the use of equipment containing CFCs also are regulated by Environmental Laws. In connection

with our ownership, operation and management of our properties, we could be held liable for costs of remedial or other action with respect to PCBs, USTs or CFCs.

      Environmental Laws are not the only source of environmental liability. Under the common law, owners and operators of real property may face liability for personal injury or property damage because of various environmental conditions such as alleged exposure to hazardous or toxic substances (including, but not limited to, ACMs, PCBs and CFCs), poor indoor air quality, radon or poor drinking water quality.

      Although we have incurred and expect to incur remediation and various environmental-related costs during the ordinary course of operations, management anticipates that such costs will not have a material adverse effect on the operations or financial condition of the Company.

Seasonality and Diversification

      The hotel industry is seasonal in nature; however, the periods during which our properties experience higher revenue activities vary from property to property and depend principally upon location. Generally, our revenues and operating income have been lower in the first quarter than in the second, third or fourth quarters.

Comparability of Owned Hotel Results

      We continually update and renovate our owned, leased and consolidated joint venture hotels. While undergoing renovation, these hotels are generally not operating at full capacity and, as such, these renovations can negatively impact our revenues and operating income.

Employees

      At December 31, 2004, we employed approximately 120,000 employees at our corporate offices, owned and managed hotels and vacation ownership resorts, of whom approximately 44% were employed in the United States. At December 31, 2004, approximately 35% of the U.S.-based employees were