<?xml version="1.0"?>
<ownershipDocument>

    <schemaVersion>X0202</schemaVersion>

    <documentType>4</documentType>

    <periodOfReport>2005-02-10</periodOfReport>

    <issuer>
        <issuerCik>0000316206</issuerCik>
        <issuerName>STARWOOD HOTEL &amp; RESORTS WORLDWIDE INC</issuerName>
        <issuerTradingSymbol>HOT</issuerTradingSymbol>
    </issuer>

    <reportingOwner>
        <reportingOwnerId>
            <rptOwnerCik>0001105606</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>YIH DANIEL W</rptOwnerName>
        </reportingOwnerId>
        <reportingOwnerAddress>
            <rptOwnerStreet1>GTCR GOLDER RAUNER, LLC</rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2>6100 SEARS TOWER</rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>CHICAGO</rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState>IL</rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode>60606</rptOwnerZipCode>
            <rptOwnerStateDescription></rptOwnerStateDescription>
        </reportingOwnerAddress>
        <reportingOwnerRelationship>
            <isDirector>1</isDirector>
            <isOfficer>0</isOfficer>
            <isTenPercentOwner>0</isTenPercentOwner>
            <isOther>0</isOther>
        </reportingOwnerRelationship>
    </reportingOwner>

    <derivativeTable>
        <derivativeTransaction>
            <securityTitle>
                <value>Option to Purchase Shares</value>
            </securityTitle>
            <conversionOrExercisePrice>
                <value>59.135</value>
            </conversionOrExercisePrice>
            <transactionDate>
                <value>2005-02-10</value>
            </transactionDate>
            <transactionCoding>
                <transactionFormType>4</transactionFormType>
                <transactionCode>A</transactionCode>
                <equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved>
                <footnoteId id="F1"/>
            </transactionCoding>
            <transactionAmounts>
                <transactionShares>
                    <value>4500</value>
                </transactionShares>
                <transactionPricePerShare>
                    <value>0</value>
                </transactionPricePerShare>
                <transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
                    <value>A</value>
                </transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
            </transactionAmounts>
            <exerciseDate>
                <value>2005-02-10</value>
            </exerciseDate>
            <expirationDate>
                <value>2013-02-10</value>
            </expirationDate>
            <underlyingSecurity>
                <underlyingSecurityTitle>
                    <value>Shares</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F2"/>
                </underlyingSecurityTitle>
                <underlyingSecurityShares>
                    <value>4500</value>
                </underlyingSecurityShares>
            </underlyingSecurity>
            <postTransactionAmounts>
                <sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
                    <value>4500</value>
                </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
            </postTransactionAmounts>
            <ownershipNature>
                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                    <value>D</value>
                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
                <natureOfOwnership>
                    <value></value>
                </natureOfOwnership>
            </ownershipNature>
        </derivativeTransaction>
    </derivativeTable>

    <footnotes>
        <footnote id="F1">Under the terms of the Starwood's Long Term Incentive Plan (the &quot;LTIP&quot;), certain eligible Directors of Starwood receive an annual grant of options to purchase shares in amounts specified by the LTIP.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F2">Each holder of shares of common stock (&quot;Corporation Shares&quot;) of Starwood Hotels &amp; Resorts Worldwide, Inc. (&quot;Starwood&quot;) owns an equivalent number of Class B shares of beneficial interest (&quot;Trust Shares&quot;) of Starwood Hotels &amp; Resorts, a real estate investment trust and subsidiary of Starwood.  Corporation Shares and Trust Shares may be held and traded only in units consisting of one Corporation Share and one Trust Share (&quot;Shares&quot;).</footnote>
    </footnotes>

    <remarks></remarks>

    <ownerSignature>
        <signatureName>Kenneth S. Siegel, Attorney-In-Fact</signatureName>
        <signatureDate>2005-02-14</signatureDate>
    </ownerSignature>
</ownershipDocument>
