Vacation Ownership Notes Receivable - Notes Receivable (Net of Reserves) Related to Vacation Ownership Loans (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Millions	Mar. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015
Accounts Notes And Loans Receivable [Line Items]
Net notes receivable	$ 621	$ 616
Vacation ownership loans – securitized	(31)	(32)
Vacation ownership loans – unsecuritized	(44)	(41)
Notes receivable noncurrent	546	543
Vacation ownership loans - securitized [Member]
Accounts Notes And Loans Receivable [Line Items]
Net notes receivable	158	173
Vacation ownership loans - unsecuritized [Member]
Accounts Notes And Loans Receivable [Line Items]
Net notes receivable	$ 463	$ 443

Securitized vacation ownership notes receivable net of allowance for doubtful accounts, current.

No definition available.

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Namespace Prefix:	hot_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Unsecuritized vacation ownership notes receivable net of allowance for doubtful accounts, current.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
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- Definition

Line items represent financial concepts included in a table. These concepts are used to disclose reportable information associated with domain members defined in one or many axes to the table.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

An amount representing an agreement for an unconditional promise by the maker to pay the Entity (holder) a definite sum of money at a future date more than one year from the balance sheet date, net of any write-downs taken for collection uncertainty on the part of the holder. Such amount may include accrued interest receivable in accordance with the terms of the debt. The debt also may contain provisions and related items including a discount or premium, payable on demand, secured, or unsecured, interest bearing or noninterest bearing, among a myriad of other features and characteristics. This amount does not include amounts related to receivables held-for-sale.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 210
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-02.17)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6877327&loc=d3e13212-122682

+ Details

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Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Net amount of the investment in a contractual right to receive money on demand or on fixed or determinable dates that is recognized as an asset in the creditor's statement of financial position. Examples include, but are not limited to, credit card receivables, notes receivable and receivables relating to lessor's rights to payments from leases other than operating leases that have been recorded as assets. Excludes trade accounts receivable with contractual maturity of one year or less and arose from the sale of goods or services.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 210
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-02.3)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6877327&loc=d3e13212-122682

+ Details

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Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Details

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- Details

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