The hotel industry is one of the most energy-intensive subsectors of the tourism industry, with about 50% of the overall energy consumption due to space conditioning. The thermal comfort standards applied in defining the required levels of thermal comfort in hotels have a substantial effect on the overall energy use in this sector.

This paper discusses the influence on energy consumption and environmental degradation of thermal comfort standards typically used in the hotel industry. Possibilities of using the adaptive approach in dealing with thermal comfort issues in different climatic environments are discussed. The environmental, economic and social benefits of using the adaptive model are outlined.