This research analyzed how hotel's marketing preference for certain guests from different world regions would influence their energy consumption and the revenue generated by them who travel and lodge in Taiwan. Energy consumption data, building information, and hotel operation data were collected from 49 Taiwanese international tourist hotels and 24 standard tourist hotels, which are equivalent to five and four-star hotels. The statistical results show that the energy use among hotels under surveyed ranges between 83 and 408 MJ/guest per night, and could create averaged revenue of US$149 for each guest accommodated. To identify a hotel's primary marketing preference for accommodating certain region of guests, factors of certain regional guest ratios were employed. Multiple-regression model was established to characterize the hotel energy consumption via regional guest ratios. It indicates that the energy consumption varied with hotels' regional guest ratios. It also reveals that hotels with their marketing preference for accommodating guests from Europe and North America would have higher energy use characteristic followed by those aiming for guests from Australia, Asia (excluding Japan and China), Japan, domestic Taiwan, and China in descending order. Multiple regression models were used to investigate relationships between the yearly energy consumption and total revenue of hotels. The models established are statistically reliable and could be beneficial for hotel's marketing, room price fixing, or operating references. The study also reveals that guests from the well developed countries would generally create more revenue. However, additional expenses on energy will also incur for hotels whose marketing preference towards them, which may possibly exceed their profit. In profit-energy costs perspective, it is recommended that hotel targeted for guests from Japan might be the most beneficial in Taiwan. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.