[INTERVIEW] DoubleTree by Hilton turns hotel rooftop into urban bee farm in Pangyo

A beekeeper of Urban Bees Seoul takes out a hive frame from a rooftop bee farm at DoubleTree by Hilton Seoul Pangyo in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, during the hotel's first harvest ceremony, June 2. Courtesy of DoubleTree by Hilton Seoul Pangyo

By Lee Hae-rin

SEONGNAM, Gyeonggi Province ― "Here, you can see all these bees growing safe and healthy in the beehive. No need to be afraid of them," urban beekeeper Park Jin said, lifting a wooden hive frame filled with glittering honey and buzzing bees on the rooftop of a newly built hotel in Pangyo in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province.

"Honey bees usually forage within a radius of about two kilometers, so this very colony of bees nestled on this rooftop makes significant contributions to building a healthy ecosystem in the area," he said, looking around at the building's surroundings, full of mountains with acacia forests.

Clad head-to-toe in his beekeeping suit, Park and DoubleTree by Hilton Seoul Pangyo's staffers took the first harvest of honey produced on this rooftop on June 2, in celebration of the United Nations-designated World Environment Day, which fell on June 5.

The hotel is now a buzzing home to 10 beehives, housing some 200,000 bees which produce a total of around 100 kilograms to 120 kilograms of fresh honey every year. Amid the declining number of pollinators worldwide due to urbanization and pesticide use, such practice aims to maintain the urban bee population, Park added.

Since its opening in April, the new DoubleTree by Hilton Seoul Pangyo, conveniently situated a 30-minute drive from southern Seoul, has been operating the urban bee farm with the help of Urban Bees Seoul, a pioneering urban beekeeping company in Korea founded by Park.

The idea to build an urban bee sanctuary on a two-tower hotel and residence was proposed by the hotel's general manager, Peta Ruiter, who viewed that the property's proximity to the city center, mountains and an urban stream seemed fitting for the hotel to participate in the environmentally responsible initiative.

Peta Ruiter, center, the general manager at DoubleTree by Hilton Seoul Pangyo, poses with Urban Bees Seoul CEO Park Jin, second from left, and hotel staff during the harvest ceremony at the hotel's rooftop bee farm, June 2. Courtesy of DoubleTree by Hilton Seoul Pangyo

"Honey bees are true superheroes of nature … They are not just adorable but vital to our ecosystem," Ruiter said, quoting the United Nations statistics that honey bees around the world ensure the survival of 90 percent of the world's wild flowering plants and over 75 percent of food crops.

"It's not just about honey, it's about our commitment to travel with purpose, which is a Hilton initiative to drive responsible travel and make a positive impact on the environment and the communities," she added, referring to the brand's environmental, social and corporate governance (ESG) initiative to promote responsible travel global and cut the waste produced at its hotels in half by 2030.

With its own harvest, the hotel offers a wide spectrum of honey-infused culinary creations, ranging from cocktails with a natural honeycomb to honey pancakes, "Bee My Honey" afternoon tea sets and more. "Each bite and sip is the delicious celebration of our rooftop's golden treasure," she said.

Seen is the "Bee My Honey" afternoon tea set, featuring desserts made of honey from DoubleTree by Seoul Pangyo's rooftop bee farm in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province. Courtesy of DoubleTree by Seoul Pangyo

Despite its urban setting, the honey is high quality, according to the beekeeper. "It's completely safe and clean and meets all the regulatory standards of product quality, because bees extract nectar from flowers and fan them several times and prevent contamination," Park explained.

To ensure the safety and security of guests and staff from the bees and the seasonal arrival of wasps, the hotel covers its fresh air intakes with insect screens.

During an interview with The Korea Times after the harvest ceremony, the general manager shared how her animal-friendly upbringing in her Australian hometown of Kingaroy and pet parenting experience in Korea led her to this and previous animal advocating projects in the hotel industry.

DoubleTree by Hilton Seoul Pangyo General Manager Peta Ruiter speaks during the hotel's first honey harvest ceremony, June 2. Courtesy of DoubleTree by Hilton Seoul Pangyo

"Animals on the farm were my friends," she said, "I grew up riding horses and … I was very much connected to nature and animals. That's continued through my life."

When she moved to Korea to be the commercial director for the Conrad Seoul in 2019 after working at hotels in Hanoi, Hong Kong, Tokyo and other Asian cities, she had to be separated from her dog Ruby for the first six to seven weeks due to the lack of pet-friendly accommodation options, which she recalls was quite tough.

The experience motivated her to provide a hotel experience that welcomes animals and promotes animal welfare to guests who consider companion animals as their own family just as she does, she said.

Thus, she pushed to launch a pet-friendly package there and also made a percentage of its proceeds to be donated to Korean Animal Rights Advocates (KARA), a domestic animal rights group.

Similarly, DoubleTree by Hilton Seoul Pangyo in May launched a pet-friendly program titled "Little Buddy," which offers pet strollers and rooms equipped with high-quality and eco-friendly-made dog sofa beds, blankets, toys and recyclable poop bags. The hotel also plans to donate another 1 percent of its proceeds to a domestic animal advocacy group, which is yet to be selected.

Furthermore, she believes hotels should be more socially inclusive and environmentally responsible, which is why she replaced plastic key cards and pens with wooden and paper materials, while offering food menus in braille at all of its food and beverage facilities. The hotel also operates 17 rooms with enhanced accessibility for people with mobility difficulties, while also planning to actively hire people with disabilities.

All these initiatives, according to Ruiter, are not a short-term project but an investment in a better future and travel experience. "These are small things we can do to make the difference," she said. "Every small part helps."