Ready to get a buzz on? This is the time of year when beekeepers harvest that sticky goodness. And it’s a sweet time to remember how vital those hardworking bees flitting from flower to flower are to our ecosystem and food supply by pollinating fruits, veggies, nuts, seeds—altogether a third of all the foods we eat. These hotels use honey right from their own hives.
Mauna Kea Beach Hotel, Autograph Collection
Waimea, Hawaii
The “Bee Mauna Kea” program at this Island of Hawaii property on the Kohala Coast includes honey harvesting from several on-property apiaries and educational tours for guests. And at its Mediterranean restaurant Meridia, they can sip a Meridia Spritz of Aperol, sparkling wine, lemon juice and resort honey syrup.
Shangri-La Toronto
Canada
The sleek, Asian-inspired luxury hotel in one of the city’s tallest buildings has a “B-Wall,” a decorative hive designed by iconic Canadian jeweler Birks Maison. Mott 32, its acclaimed Cantonese restaurant, offers a Wildflower Elixir built with oolong ginseng-infused vodka, St-Germain Elderflower Sake, kiwi, lemon and honey syrup.
Fairmont Washington D.C. Georgetown
Washington, D.C.
Beekeeping has become a hallmark of Fairmont sustainability at many of its hotels, and this posh lodging about a mile from the White House serves a signature cocktail in the Lobby Lounge called the Beetini; it combines top-shelf vodka and gin with St-Germain, lemon, orange and “rooftop honey.”
Marriott Marquis San Diego Marina (pictured above)
California
The “Marquis Honeybees” have resided on the rooftop of this bayfront hotel since 2015 as buzz-worthy pillars of its sustainability and culinary programs. The Marina Kitchen bar delights diners with a signature cocktail called Purple Prickly Pear of gin, elderflower liqueur, pear nectar, lemon and honey syrup.
