Bees Get Some Much-Needed R&R in the 'Grand Beedapest Hotel'

The bee population is up against a lot these days, including pesticides, parasites, and deforestation. With a hive of mounting troubles, the noble insect needs a place to blow off some steam. To that end, tea company Taylors of Harrogate built an elaborate hotel, which serves as a place for bees to relax, and a way to raise awareness of their many plights. The English company modeled the miniature after Wes Anderson's titular Grand Budapest Hotel.

The Grand Beedapest Hotel (see what they did there) has rooms dedicated to different flavored teas, and the company gives credit where credit is due, noting that there would be no tea without the buzzy brood. There's the "Lemongrass and Ginger Bar," the "Rose Lemonade Restaurant" and the "Sour Cherry Bedroom." Each vibrant space matches the flavor to a paint that, according to scientific research, helps to attract the bees.

"Bees are so important in helping to provide great flavor, but less attention has been paid to show how urban areas can be made more pollinator-friendly,’ said Kate Halloran of Taylors of Harrogate in a press release. "The aim of the bee hotel is to not only educate and entertain, but to also inspire action. from the peppermint leaf gym for a complete wing work out, through to the luxury sweet rhubarb suite with its decadent rhubarb sugar water bath and UV disco, their every need will be taken care of."

It isn't just for looks, though. The luxurious hotel has all the bells and whistles of a five-star hotel. Inside, bees can find bedrooms, a gym, a pool, and even a dance floor. Each has a bee-friendly spin, making them very inviting to the fuzzy yellow insects. For example, the rose lemonade restaurant serves pollen, while the peppermint leaf gym and spa has sugar water. The furniture is made from balsa wood and the bedrooms have hollow tubes for the bees to nest in. Best of all, there is some pretty great artwork on the walls. We spotted Magritte's The Son of Man, Van Gogh's Sunflowers, and a portrait of Beyoncé in the Sweet Rhubarb Queen Bee Suite. 

[h/t designboom]

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