Hotel booking decisions used to revolve around location, room rate, star rating, guest reviews and loyalty points. Those things still matter, of course. A beautiful lobby and a breakfast buffet with great coffee will never go out of fashion. Yet another factor is quietly becoming more visible in the booking journey: verified sustainability performance.
As corporate travel programs tighten their focus on emissions, energy use and responsible procurement, hotel sustainability credentials are beginning to move from the facilities office into the booking platform.
Travel managers, procurement teams and business travellers increasingly want accommodation that aligns with their organisation’s environmental goals. Hotels are no longer being judged only on comfort and convenience. They are also being assessed on how well they can demonstrate efficient and responsible building performance.
This is where NABERS for hotels becomes important. NABERS (National Australian Built Environment Rating System) is a government-backed rating system that measures the actual environmental performance of buildings across energy, water and waste.
For hotel owners and operators, a NABERS rating can become more than an internal benchmark. It can become a public signal of credibility at the exact point where a booking decision is being made.
Key Points
NABERS for hotels is based on real operational data, not design targets or marketing claims.
Since July 2024, Australian Government employees are required to consider a hotel’s NABERS Energy rating when booking accommodation.
NABERS hotel ratings are now visible on Google Travel and are accepted by the Travalyst coalition, whose partners include Booking.com, Expedia Group, Google, Skyscanner and Tripadvisor. CTM has also integrated NABERS ratings into its Lightning corporate booking tool.
Hotel ratings grew 50% year-on-year in FY24 and a further 40% in FY25, reflecting a sharp shift in the sector.
Interval energy data and sub-metering give hotel operators the visibility needed to manage performance and support a NABERS assessment.
SATEC’s NMI-approved meters and Expertpower energy management platform provide the metering infrastructure hotels need to capture, manage and report on energy performance.
Sustainability Is Becoming Part Of The Booking Decision
Sustainability information is becoming easier for travellers and corporate bookers to see. The reach of NABERS hotel ratings across booking platforms is expanding quickly and the infrastructure now in place means that reach will only grow.
NABERS has been accepted by Travalyst, the independent global coalition that puts sustainability data at the heart of travel booking decisions. Founded in 2019, Travalyst brings together some of the world’s largest travel and technology companies, including Booking.com, Expedia Group, Google, Skyscanner, Tripadvisor, Trip.com, Amadeus and Sabre.
Through the Travalyst platform, sustainability certifications such as NABERS can be distributed across member booking channels, making verified environmental credentials visible to travellers at the point of comparison and purchase.
On Google Travel specifically, hotels with a publicly listed NABERS certification already carry an “eco-certified” tag under the Sustainability section of their property profile. NABERS has confirmed that work is underway to secure recognition on further booking sites, and the Travalyst coalition infrastructure provides the pathway for that to happen across its broader network of partners.
In the corporate travel segment, Corporate Travel Management (CTM) has partnered with NABERS as the first travel management company to display NABERS hotel ratings directly within an online booking tool.
CTM’s Lightning platform shows the NABERS energy or water star rating alongside hotel search results, allowing travel managers and bookers to quickly identify which properties have been independently assessed for sustainability. For organisations with climate neutrality targets or supplier sustainability requirements, that visibility at the point of booking is significant.
The Australian Government’s own online booking tool has displayed NABERS Energy ratings alongside applicable hotels since 1 July 2024. The NSW Government has also committed to displaying NABERS hotel ratings in its own booking system as part of its Net Zero Government Operations Policy, released in December 2024.
That breadth of exposure changes the commercial value of hotel energy performance. A strong sustainability rating is no longer something to mention in an annual report or ESG presentation. It now has the potential to influence how a hotel is compared and selected across government booking tools, corporate travel platforms and some of the world’s largest consumer booking channels at the same time.
For corporate travel managers, this matters. Many Australian organisations have targets around carbon reduction, supplier sustainability and responsible travel. If two hotels offer a similar price, location and guest experience, the one with recognised sustainability credentials may have a stronger case for selection.
For hotels, that creates both opportunity and pressure. Those with good environmental performance can use it as a competitive advantage. Those without clear data may find themselves unable to prove their credentials, even if they have already made genuine improvements behind the scenes.
Government Policy Is Driving The Shift
The policy settings in Australia are moving quickly. Since 1 July 2024, Australian Government employees have been required to consider a hotel’s NABERS Energy rating when booking accommodation. The rating is displayed alongside hotel listings in the Australian Government’s online booking tool as part of the federal Net Zero in Government Operations Strategy.
The setting of minimum NABERS standards for government-booked accommodation is being considered for 2026–27. Mandatory NABERS ratings for hotels are also being explored through a possible expansion of the national Commercial Building Disclosure program. A KPMG feasibility study identified Australia’s more than 88,000 hotels, motels and serviced apartments as a top priority for inclusion.
In New South Wales, planning policy already requires minimum 4-star NABERS Energy and Water ratings for large new hotels. The NSW Government’s Net Zero Government Operations Policy, released in December 2024, also includes a commitment to display NABERS hotel ratings in the NSW Government booking system. The direction of travel is clear: sustainability performance is becoming a compliance issue as much as a commercial one.
NABERS For Hotels Starts With Operational Data
The key thing to understand about NABERS for hotels is that it is based on actual building performance. It is not a design claim, a marketing statement or a list of good intentions. It relies on operational data that reflects how the hotel performs in use.
That distinction is important. Hotels are complex energy environments. They operate around the clock and must maintain guest comfort while also running kitchens, laundries, lifts, lighting, hot water systems, HVAC, car parks, conference spaces, pools, gyms, restaurants and back-of-house areas.
A hotel may have an efficient chiller or LED lighting upgrade yet still struggle with high energy consumption because of poor controls, hidden loads, plant scheduling issues or equipment running when spaces are unoccupied. Without accurate energy data, these problems can stay buried in the monthly bill.
NABERS brings attention to what is actually happening across the property. It encourages hotels to look beyond total consumption and start asking better questions. Where is energy being used? Which systems are driving peak demand? Are upgrades delivering measurable improvements? Is performance consistent across seasons? Are guest areas and back-of-house loads behaving as expected?
Those questions cannot be answered properly without good data.
Energy Data Is The Foundation Of Improvement
A hotel cannot manage what it cannot measure. It also cannot confidently promote what it cannot verify.
Utility bills can tell a hotel how much electricity it used overall but they rarely provide enough detail to support meaningful operational improvement. By the time the bill arrives, the opportunity to investigate a specific event, spike or abnormal load may have passed.
Interval energy data gives hotel operators a much clearer view. It shows when energy is being used, how demand changes throughout the day and whether consumption patterns match actual hotel activity. This is especially valuable in hotels where occupancy, events, weather and guest behaviour can all influence energy demand significantly.
Sub-metering adds another layer of insight. Instead of looking at one whole-site figure, hotels can monitor major plant, individual floors, kitchens, car parks, laundries, common areas and other significant loads. This helps facility teams identify which parts of the property are performing well and which areas need attention.
For a hotel preparing for a NABERS assessment or aiming to improve its rating over time, this visibility can make the process far more practical. NABERS ratings can be supported by interval data captured directly by the meter, reducing reliance on building management system connections and simplifying the assessment process. Energy data becomes a management tool, not just a reporting requirement.
The Link Between Guest Comfort And Energy Performance
Hotels face a challenge that many other building types do not. They must reduce energy use without compromising the guest experience.
No hotel wants to be remembered for a stuffy room, a cold shower or lights that turn off at the wrong moment. Guest comfort is the product. Energy efficiency needs to be achieved with care.
Good energy data helps hotels make smarter decisions. It allows operators to see whether a plant is running too early, too late or unnecessarily. It can highlight abnormal overnight loads, demand spikes or equipment that may need investigation. It can also help hotels compare performance across time periods and understand the impact of operational changes.
This is where energy management becomes less about cutting and more about control. The goal is not to make guests uncomfortable. The goal is to remove waste, improve visibility and operate the building more intelligently.
For hotels chasing stronger NABERS outcomes, that balance matters. Better data helps operators improve performance while still protecting the guest experience that drives reviews, repeat stays and brand reputation.
Why Hotel Sustainability Claims Need Evidence
Travellers and corporate clients are increasingly alert to vague sustainability claims. Phrases like “eco-conscious” and “green hotel” can sound appealing but they do not tell customers much about actual performance.
Verified ratings help close that credibility gap. NABERS for hotels gives operators a recognised framework for measuring and communicating environmental performance. That is especially useful when dealing with corporate clients, government travel programs, conference organisers or procurement teams that need evidence rather than broad claims.
This is why the quality of energy data matters. If a hotel wants to support its sustainability story, it needs reliable data behind it. A strong NABERS rating is far more powerful than a general statement about caring for the environment.
As sustainability information becomes more visible across booking channels, hotels with verified performance have a clearer advantage. They are not simply saying they are sustainable. They are showing measurable performance through a recognised, government-backed rating.
SATEC Meters And Expertpower: Energy Visibility For Hotels
Accurate energy metering is the foundation of any NABERS journey for a hotel. The metering infrastructure needs to capture reliable interval data across the property, covering major plant and key load areas to give operators the visibility they need.
SATEC’s NMI-approved electricity meters are suitable for commercial hotel applications, including embedded network environments where on-billing to tenancies may be required. The meters are supplied with NITP-14 test verification certification and meet Australian legal requirements for trade measurement under NMI M 6-1.
For hotels with multiple load areas to monitor, the BFM136 multi-circuit energy monitor is covered under NMI M 6-1 and can monitor up to 36 single-phase circuits or 12 three-phase circuits in a single compact device. That makes it a practical option for monitoring HVAC systems, kitchens, laundries, common areas, car parks and other significant loads across a property. The EM133-XM smart energy meter delivers Class 0.5S accuracy with Ethernet connectivity and is well suited to billing and analytics applications in commercial settings.
Interval data from SATEC meters can be accessed directly or via the Expertpower cloud platform, which provides hotel operators with energy monitoring, trend analysis, benchmarking and reporting in one place. No software installation is required and multi-user access with configurable security levels means data can be shared with the right people across a property or portfolio.
This combination supports what NABERS requires. A rating process depends on credible interval data and ongoing performance improvement depends on visibility. With 50-plus years of energy metering experience, SATEC’s solutions give hotels a solid, compliant and practical foundation for both.
Turning Energy Visibility Into A Competitive Advantage
The rise of verified sustainability ratings across travel platforms should be a wake-up call for hotel operators. Energy performance is no longer hidden in the background. It is becoming part of how hotels are compared, selected and trusted.
For hotels, this creates a clear opportunity. A strong NABERS rating can support ESG reporting, reduce operating costs, strengthen corporate travel appeal and help a property stand out in a competitive market.
The starting point is not a glossy sustainability statement. It is energy data.
Hotels that invest in accurate metering and better visibility are in a stronger position to understand their performance, improve their operations and support stronger NABERS outcomes over time. They can identify waste, track change and build a sustainability story based on evidence rather than intention.
As booking platforms continue to make sustainability information more visible, hotels with verified performance have a real edge. For those wanting to compete for government travellers, corporate bookers and sustainability-conscious guests, energy data is no longer just a facilities issue. It is part of the customer journey.
Before you can improve a NABERS rating, promote it or benefit from it commercially, you need to know what your building is actually doing. That starts with reliable energy data.
FAQs - Want The Edge On Hotel Booking Sites? Start With Your Energy Data
What is NABERS for hotels and how is it scored?
NABERS for hotels is a government-backed rating system that measures the actual energy, water and waste performance of hotel buildings in Australia. Hotels are rated on a six-star scale, with three stars representing average performance and six stars indicating market-leading efficiency.
Are Australian Government employees required to consider NABERS ratings when booking hotels?
Yes. Since 1 July 2024, Australian Government employees have been required to consider a hotel’s NABERS Energy rating when booking accommodation, as part of the federal Net Zero in Government Operations Strategy.
Which booking platforms currently display NABERS hotel ratings?
NABERS hotel certifications are displayed on Google Travel with an “eco-certified” tag and are accepted by the Travalyst coalition, whose partners include Booking.com, Expedia Group, Google, Skyscanner and Tripadvisor. CTM also displays NABERS ratings within its Lightning corporate booking tool and the Australian Government’s online booking tool has shown NABERS Energy ratings since July 2024. NABERS has confirmed that work is underway to extend recognition to further booking sites.
What metering does a hotel need to support a NABERS assessment?
A NABERS assessment relies on 12 months of operational energy data. Interval meters provide the time-based consumption data that supports the rating process and sub-metering across key loads gives operators the added visibility needed to identify where energy is being used and where improvements can be made.
