Beeswax and breakfast in bed: What’s abuzz at this London hotel’s rooftop hives

Pearls of sweat appeared on my forehead as summer heat began to sting. Bodies surrounded me, contorting in any available space in the midst of a swarm; I felt a buzz of anticipation as I edged closer to my destination, until finally we came to a halt.

Doors sprang open, and we bumbled off the Central Line train, strangers unglued from strangers, pollination of awkwardness complete.

I emerged at Lancaster Gate, the drone of the London Underground now faded, opposite an entrance to Hyde Park. Perhaps two minutes around the corner, I reached the grand entrance Royal Lancaster London hotel – but what had brought me here wasn’t on street level.

The Royal Lancaster was the first hotel in London to install bee hives on its roof, back in 2009. Since then, it’s become somewhat of a trend: St Ermin’s, Ham Yard and The Ritz have all welcomed colonies. But here, more than a decade later, they’re firmly integrated into the fabric of the property.

“Once guests clock that we have bees, it really connects with them and they start to see the honeycomb pattern everywhere,” said general manager Sally Beck. It’s true. Once I’d noticed one motif, I began to spy them in the shape of the lighting and the patterns on carpets. Even the stands brought to the table for afternoon tea are hexagonal.

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The relationship between insect and hotel goes deeper than the aesthetic. Sally told me that they “believe it’s important to protect these pollinators, who play a key role in maintaining the balance of ecosystems”. My visit coincides with the launch of the “Bee Our Guest” package, where £10 from every stay supports the partnership between the hotel and Bees Abroad, a charity that helps educate and mentor communities in best beekeeping practices, allowing bee farmers to get better prices for quality honey. The Royal Lancaster has twinned with a project on Kome Island, Tanzania, that is focused on empowering rural women.

From my room, I spotted the honey farm, 10 hives on a grass-topped flat roof; you’re guaranteed a view of them if you book the package, so if you bafflingly miss the thread running through the place – which extends in my suite to a vivid bee pillow and charge of in-house honey – you have an inescapable reminder.

Perhaps more impressive…