This National Honeybee Day, get an up close and personal look at the important role honeybees and their beekeepers make in our everyday lives. From on-property beehives, educational experiences and honey tastings, this August 19th, travel to the below destinations and see what goes into caring for the little pollinators. Guests of all ages will leave with a deeper appreciation of their essential role!
Mauna Kea Resort | Kohala Coast, HI (pictured)
The iconic Mauna Kea Resort boasts its own on-property apiaries at Mauna Kea Beach Hotel and The Westin Hapuna Beach Resort, which produce fresh honey onsite and support the local environment by providing pollination for local farming, flowers and native plant production.
Perry Lane Hotel | Savannah, GA
Savannah Bee Company Experience: Guests of Perry Lane Hotel are invited to journey to Wilmington Island to see honeycombs up close, learn about the lives of bees, and experience North American’s only Bee Apitherapy Hut. Enjoy a private educational tour of working bee hives and learn about the lives and benefits of the bee community to the entire ecosystem. The tour includes a close look at a cross-section of an active hive, where guests can see the entire workings of the hive. Get outfitted with a bee net and get close up and personal with the hives if you wish. Learn about the Bee Apitherapy Hut, the only one in North America. Hives are located under the seating and the fumes given off when honey is created get trapped in the hut. It is a meditative experience and excellent for the skin and lungs. Reservations required. $8 for adults and $5 for children. This experience is available on Tuesdays and Fridays from 10:30am to 1:30pm. If guests want to stay closer to home, they are also able to head to downtown Savannah for a mead – honey wine – tasting. Mead, or honey wine, is one of the oldest alcoholic drinks known to man. It is made from honey and water via fermentation with yeast. It may be still, carbonated, or sparkling; it may be dry, semi-sweet, or sweet. Unlike beers and cider, meads (being wines) are drunk in small quantities.
Ojai Valley Inn | Ojai, CA
Explore a day in the life of an apiarist with Ojai Valley Inn's interactive Beekeeping and Honey Tasting Experience. Ojai's resident beekeeper explains the honey-making process, shows guests the insides of a working hive, identifies the queen bee, and leads a tasting of delicious and cold-pressed honey from Southern California. Beginning at the Discover Ojai Center, guests will meet with the property's resident beekeeper to briefly introduce our most vital pollinators, the European honeybee. Enjoy the beautiful Ojai vistas as the staff escorts the group to our bee yard in the heart of Mistletoe Meadows. Upon arrival, guests will experience firsthand how it feels to be inside an apiary and learn about the extraordinary life of the honeybee. The excursion will conclude with a honey tasting of local raw honey in a beautiful and serene setting. Rest assured, guests will wear protective beekeeping suits, and the beekeeper will have gently wisped smoke from local white sage over the beehives. This ritual calms the property's already docile bees and promotes a deeper state of peacefulness. Following the white sage ritual, guests will be escorted to the hives, where our experts will lead an engaging and educational experience with live European honeybee colonies. Attendees will see the working hives up close and in great detail as the apiarist demonstrates how the bees harmoniously work together throughout the honey-making process learning how a hive is created, how bees choose a new queen, how honey is made, and much more.
Bishop’s Lodge, Auberge Resorts Collection | Santa Fe, NM
The Tesuque Creek flowing through Bishop's Lodge, Auberge Resorts Collection is not only a source of hydration for the wildlife, but also for bees. This beautiful source of water is the backdrop for happy honey bees in two hives on-property, home for a guided bee experience available for bookings mid-June through early Fall. Head to the path behind the garden for an afternoon with the bees. Wear the provided beekeeper suits and the program’s beekeeper, Melanie Margarita Kirby, will show the hives and tell everything there is to know about bees. Guests can leave with a little jar of honey to take away as a souvenir of their experience. The program’s leader, Melanie Margarita Kirby, is an entomologist by education, agroecologist by practice, and a poet at heart. A registered tribal member of Tortugas Pueblo – a non-federally recognized mestizo indigenous community located in southern New Mexico, Melanie and her familia have been practicing their cultural and traditional beliefs and practices for generations.
Wildflower Farms, Auberge Resorts Collection | Hudson Valley, NY
Guests can enjoy an immersive and educational beekeeping class at Wildflower Farms that highlights the vital role of honey bees in the Hudson Valley ecosystem. Led by expert beekeeper Bob Mooney, this hands-on experience will take guests on a journey to discover the fascinating world of bees, including their habitats, behavior and importance to our local environment. As a highlight, the experience concludes with a visit to the resort’s own bee apiary, where you can witness these incredible creatures in action, working tirelessly to pollinate the beautiful wildflowers that surround us.
Four Seasons Resort Lanai | Lanai, HI
Located on the southeastern coast of the pristine island of Lanai, lies the 90,000 acre, secluded retreat of Four Seasons Resort Lanai, an oceanfront destination offering travelers a curated, personalized island getaway among lagoon-style pools and botanical gardens. The Resort recently converted to organic landscaping as part of its Reef Friendly Landscaping accreditation, and as a result has become a habitat that supports all varieties of wildlife, including butterflies, birds, dragon flies, and of course, bees. In addition, wild bee pollinator hotels were recently introduced on property, and Four Seasons Resort Lanai will benefit from the pollination, in-house honey production, and an increase in local bee population. Celebrate World Honey Bee Day with offerings:
Carmel Valley Ranch | Carmel, CA
A family-friendly summer-camp-inspired resort, Carmel Valley Ranch is situated on 500 wild acres in the foothills along California’s Central Coast near Big Sur and Monterey. A sophisticated playground for all ages, the resort is a mecca for family activities that connect with the local landscape, gardens and animals (including the local honeybees). Between the property’s own vineyard and wine label; farm boasting goats, chickens, horses and more; organic garden with its own apiary full of honeybees; and the Artisans-in-Residence program pairing individuals from the top of their profession to lead immersive workshops, Carmel Valley Ranch is the ultimate destination for a getaway to experience the magic of bees. Bee and honey-related workshops and offerings include:
The Tides Inn | Irvington, VA
Located in the historic town of Irvington in the heart of Virginia’s Northern Neck region, the Tides Inn is a 70-room waterfront resort situated on a tributary of the Chesapeake Bay. Delivering genuine Southern hospitality in an intimate setting, the Tides Inn is a renowned and locally-inspired culinary destination, packed with unique and memorable programming that any type of traveler will enjoy. And one very buzzworthy program is the on-site Beehive Experience. Guests will follow the property’s Horticulturist Matt Little to the Bee Meadow, home of the resident bees and wildflower field. Here Matt will guide guests for an up-close look into the beehives, to learn about the life and hierarchy of bees, the anatomy of the hive, how to harvest honey and even how to create your own apiary at home.
Hive & Honey at Marriott Irvine Spectrum | Irvine, CA
A lively social scene, Hive & Honey’s open-air rooftop showcases a quintessential Southern California experience adorned with chic lounge furniture, fire pits, and an expansive bar, along with Instagram-worthy cocktails, unique dishes and unforgettable views at every turn. True to its name, its signature cocktails incorporate homemade honey syrup and boast cheeky names such as The Vixen, Seeing is Bee-Lieving, Wasp’s Nest and Golden Hour. The curated menu helmed by Executive Chef Leonel de Leon and Executive Sous Chef Nelson Sanchez offers a variety of shareable, tapa-style plates including prime rib sliders; heritage chicken wings topped with chipotle honey and blue cheese crumbles; spiced honey sweet potato fries with gorgonzola aioli; salmon poke; and its newest dessert, The Mallow, a chocolate brownie topped with graham cracker dish, marshmallow brulee, honeycomb and vanilla ice cream.
Waldorf Astoria Park City | Park City, Utah
Tucked into the pristine and expansive Wasatch Mountains, the luxurious all-seasons resort, Waldorf Astoria Park City, is home to two on-site beehives which house local Carniolan bees and Saskatraz bees which are tended to by the resort. In addition to pollinating the local flora and fauna, the bees contribute to the hotel’s seasonal and mountain-inspired menu at Powder, the hotel’s overall food and beverage program, and banquet offerings. Guests can sample the fresh honey when indulging in the hotel’s charcuterie board, dressings, desserts, and more.
Southall | Franklin, TN
Southall is a luxury resort set on 325 idyllic acres and centered entirely around its working farm, dedicated to sustainability, agricultural and culinary discovery and honoring the circle of life. Southall’s Pollination Program Manager, Jay Williams, oversees the millions of bees that populate Southall’s grounds, and is responsible for creating and implementing a property-wide, technology-driven pollination plan that governs Southall’s six apiaries and multiple bee species. Guests also have the opportunity to experience a guided apiary tour with Southall’s beekeeper and learn about the pollination program and the essential role honeybees play in agriculture, as well as enjoy a taste of the property’s award-winning honey.
Adare Manor | County Limerick, Ireland
In the spring of 2017, seven beehives were introduced to the gardener’s nursery at Adare Manor. Throughout spring, summer, and autumn, the property’s honeybees roam the estate foraging for nectar and gathering pollen on their back legs. The nectar and pollen they collect and bring back to the hive are used to create 100% pure Irish honey, which in turn, is utilized throughout the hotel’s decadent dining outlets, as well as sold on the property’s online boutique for guests all over the world to enjoy.
Shangri-La Le Touessrok, Mauritius | Trou d’Eau Douce, Mauritius
Tony, one of the resort's Beach Villa butlers, is a passionate beekeeper. Few years ago, he contributed to the installation of the resort's first bee-farm in a remote location at the hotel. Since then, more than 10 bee hives have been set up, and with his support, guests can sample the organic honey and learn about the process. Harvesting occurs twice a year, and the resort is working to make this activity more productive and sustainable.
Shangri-La Toronto | Toronto, Canada
Shangri-La Toronto built a B-Wall in 2015 in partnership with Birks, Canada’s leading jeweler, and Alvéole, a Montreal-based organization that promotes and assists with beehive installation, maintenance and honey extraction. With roughly 50,000 bees, the hive produces approximately 20 kilos (almost 45 pounds) of honey each year; aiding in the hotel’s promise to promote sustainability and using locally sourced ingredients. The harvested honey is used in the hotel’s culinary creations including custom cocktails. With this raw, unpasteurized, hyperlocal ingredient, Shangri-La Toronto partnered with Flying Monkeys Craft Brewery to brew their own B-Wall Honey Lager; offered in newly designed 437-milliliter cans, where guests can enjoy the canned lager as an in-room amenity, as well as on draft in the comfort of the Lobby Lounge.
Hostellerie La Cheneaudière | Colroy-la-Roche, France
This property sells a line of natural beauty products called Simples et Miel that can only be found at La Cheneaudière. The line is paraben-free and dye-free, plus all the products are made with pure water from the Colroy-la-Roche springs, honey from the property's beehives, berries from the Vosges forest and plants from the surrounding prairies (common plantain, common mullein or velvet-plant, black elderberry, heather and blueberries). Guests can also enjoy the honey at breakfast along with delectable breads and other dishes – even the cereal and muesli are made by hand here!
The Admiral | Mobile, AL
The Admiral is located in the buzzing neighborhood of Mobile’s Entertainment and Central Business Districts. It has over 150 guest rooms, outdoor pool, and on-site restaurant, Corner 251. While dining at Corner 251, guests will taste flavorful ingredients in their food and beverages. These ingredients are freshly harvested honey and herbs sourced from the hotel’s rooftop bee colony and herb garden. After tasting the delicious honey, guests will be pining for more and luckily they can purchase a jar to take home with them as the perfect, mouth watering souvenir.
Jordan Vineyard & Winery | Healdsburg, CA
Healdsburg is home to some of Sonoma’s best and eco-friendly wineries, including Jordan Vineyard & Winery, a certified sustainable vineyard and winery, practicing biodiversity in farming and having been carbon neutral since 2014. Not just a home to grapevines and trees, Jordan serves as the home to thousands of native bees and honeybees as they serve as a critical step in the pollination of the estate’s wildflowers and chef’s garden. Named a Certified Bee Friendly Farm, Jordan Vineyard & Winery provides a haven for bees. In addition to its own colony, other honeybee colonies tend to “vacation” at Jordan, with professional beekeepers from the Sacramento Valley bringing their colonies to the idyllic estate for winter foraging since 1996.
MacArthur Place | Sonoma, CA
Sonoma’s iconic MacArthur Place Hotel & Spa, a luxury boutique 64-room hotel, offers guests an intimate and luxurious escape in the heart of California Wine Country. Not only is MacArthur Place a haven for relaxation, it’s also a safe haven for honeybees. In partnership with Marin Coastal Bee Co, MacArthur Place Hotel & Spa welcomes two locally raised bee colonies to the six-acre property. Identified as the Western Honey Bee, the beehives are installed with upwards of 10,000 bees (and one queen for each respective hive) reaching over 40,000 bees in the summers as the weather becomes warmer and flowers begin to bloom. Honey bees are vital to pollination and local farm production across Wine Country and MacArthur Place is proud to incorporate fresh and local honey across property programming and continuing our work with the bees to pollinate the fresh spring blooms found throughout the winding pathways.
Prince Waikiki | Honolulu, HI
Located at the gateway to Waikiki, certified “Hawaii Green Business” partner Prince Waikiki, is an upscale 4 Diamond hotel in the heart of Honolulu. Committed to sustainability, supporting the local community and island businesses, Prince Waikiki is deeply rooted in its eco-conscious efforts. Located at Prince Waikiki's Hawaii Prince Golf Course, the resort operates a sustainable garden which includes 5 bee hives working to pollinate the stunning eco-friendly garden complete with aquaponics, papaya, guava, taro root, mango, avocado, citrus trees and more, in bloom year round. After harvest, the honey will be used at Prince Waikiki's award winning restaurant, 100 Sails Restaurant & Bar, in delicious locally inspired dishes and cocktails.
Relais & Châteaux, the global hospitality association, is a known champion of sustainability, and its members are too (many have on-site bee programs!) Below are a few examples from all around the world. Map of all bee programs here.
The Inn at Nicewonder Farm & Vineyards | Bristol, VA
Spanning over 450 acres of breathtaking scenery, the family-owned Nicewonder Farm & Vineyards is the perfect weekend getaway destination, inviting guests to escape to The Inn’s 28 rooms and suites or the property’s nine standalone luxury yurts that offer a more secluded experience. In addition to vineyard and winery tours, guests can also explore the farm, where a farmstand offers artisanal goods including hickory syrup, peony blossom jam and fresh honey straight from the apiary. The honey harvested from the farm’s five beehives is also used in the dishes at the property’s signature restaurant, Hickory, while the beeswax is processed into goods including lip balm, hand salve and vapor rub.
