In 2009, Royal Lancaster London became one of the first hotels in the Capital to introduce beehives on its rooftop, championing urban biodiversity at a time when pollinator populations were much needed in the city. This initiative inspired a new generation of hotel beekeeping across London, helping to raise awareness of the vital role bees play in our eco system.
By 2026, growing evidence highlighted that managed honeybee populations can, in some areas, place additional pressure on wild pollinators through increased competition for foraging.
In response, we have chosen to redirect our efforts towards supporting Bees Abroad, an organisation dedicated to creating sustainable livelihoods and protecting pollinator populations around the world.
While the hives you see on our rooftop no longer house bees, they remain a meaningful symbol of our partnership with Bees Abroad and our enduring commitment to responsible environmental action. They stand as a visible reminder of our We Always Care values, ensuring that our dedication to people, communities and the planet continues to thrive for years to come.
We’ve chosen to support Bees Abroad’s Africa Wealth Initiative (AWI), a transformative beekeeping project, empowering smallholder farmers in Southwest Nigeria.
The AWI project addresses a critical challenge facing rural farming communities: post-harvest losses that undermine food security and income stability. Through sustainable beekeeping training, 20 core participants, half of them women, are learning practical skills that will create new income streams and contribute to resilient livelihoods. These trained beekeepers will become community trainers themselves, spreading their knowledge across 100 farming clusters and creating a ripple effect of economic opportunity.
Over the next three years, participants will progress from initial training and apiary setup, through advanced techniques like honey harvesting, with ongoing mentorship and monitoring to ensure lasting success.
This partnership reflects our shared commitment to creating meaningful, human-centered impact aligned with our hotel values. We recognise that real change happens when communities are equipped with skills, resources, and opportunity.
By supporting Bees Abroad’s work in Nigeria, we’re helping to write a new story, one where smallholder farmers thrive, women lead, and entire communities benefit from the power of beekeeping.