The buzz about bee-friendly hotels
From rooftop hives to honey tastings, top properties are helping save nature's endangered pollinators – with sweet results for guests

With every one in three bites of food we eat dependant on bees, it's little surprise recent years have seen a growing concern for these most essential of insects. Their value to the environment is well known, but for restaurants and hotels, tapping into the buzz around beekeeping can have other benefits too, bringing delicious, local and sustainably sourced honey straight to their dining tables.
Hospitality group Relais & Chateaux is one of the leaders of the swarm, with a number of its hotels around the world home to one or more beehives, whether on the roof or in the kitchen garden. As well as a commitment to protecting the local ecosystem, it enables them to offer added perks to guests – Hostellerie La Cheneaudiere in Colroy-la-Roche, France, for example, sells a line of natural beauty products made from honey produced on site, while visitors to Abadia Retuerta LeDomaine in Sardon de Duero, Spain, can play beekeeper with a guided tour.
For a chance to sample the sweet treats from these locations and more, the group is holding an experiential art installation at 19 Greek Street, London, on 7 and 8 October. Produced in collaboration with culinary experimenters Bompas & Parr, The Joy of Bees includes a guided tasting led by honey sommeliers Dale Gibson and Sarah Lewis from Bermondsey Street Bees, as well as a visit to an indoor garden planted with bee-friendly botanicals. Tickets cost £9, with all proceeds donated to the British Beekeepers Association.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Relais & Chateaux is just one example of the industry's dedication to the cause. Fairmont has bee yards at more than 20 of its properties globally, placing the issue at the heart of its wider sustainability programme. Meanwhile, as urban beekeeping rises in popularity, a number of city hotels have got in on the act. Ham Yard Hotel in London produced its first batch of honey last year and it appears on its cocktail menu, while the third floor of the capital's St Ermin's Hotel is home to 350,000 bees shacked up in their very own "Bee and Bee Hotel".
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
EPA is reportedly killing Energy Star program
speed read The program for energy-efficient home appliances has saved consumers billions in energy costs since its 1992 launch
-
Supreme Court allows transgender troop ban
speed read The US Supreme Court will let the Trump administration begin executing its ban on transgender military service members
-
'You might be surprised by how much you find yourself cheering for them'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
The Ritz-Carlton, Bangkok: a serene oasis in the heart of the Thai capital
The Week Recommends The skyscraper hotel offers guests tranquillity amid the bustle of the city
-
Escape to the Scottish countryside at Dunkeld House Hotel
The Week Recommends Roam, revive and relax at this luxury hotel in a wooded riverside Perthshire estate
-
Fonab Castle: a regal stay in the Scottish Highlands
The Week Recommends Prepare for the royal treatment in Pitlochry
-
Desert wellness in Scottsdale: the best of Arizona's Old West
The Week Recommends Boost body, mind and soul in this hub of healthy living
-
Rockliffe Hall's soothing sleep retreat
The Week Recommends From guided meditation to a calming massage, this spa break will have you nodding off in no time
-
Four Seasons Sharm El Sheikh: a family-friendly haven in Egypt
The Week Recommends From face painting to snorkelling, there are plenty of activities to keep kids entertained at this luxury resort
-
Rome: historic haunts – and one new hotel – to explore
The Blend From the Garden of Ninfa to the Hendrik Christian Andersen Museum, here are some top places to visit in and around Italy's Eternal City
-
Chiva-Som Hua Hin: Thailand's wellness pioneer is second to none
The Blend Resort celebrates 30 years as the least 'institutionalised' institution in the wellness world