Thursday, August 15, 2024 Choice Hotels International , a leading global hospitality company, has introduced three beehives at their corporate headquarters in the Pike & Rose development in North Bethesda. This initiative, done in collaboration with Bee Downtown, aims to enhance sustainability and support local biodiversity. With an estimated 150,000 honeybees, the hives are expected to pollinate a 3-mile radius, potentially benefiting 18,000 acres of surrounding land.
Remarkably, each colony has the capacity to produce over 100 pounds of honey within a few months. Choice Hotels’ associates played an active role in selecting the “Bee Hotel” design for the hives through a company-wide vote. In addition to the installation, Choice Hotels and Bee Downtown are providing educational opportunities for associates, including honey and cheese tastings, beekeeping Q&A sessions, and tours of the hives.
Honeybees, vital to agriculture, pollinate 70 of the top 100 food crops in the United States. This partnership highlights Choice Hotels’ dedication to environmental responsibility and engagement, aligning with their Room to Be Green program. This initiative emphasizes five pillars: Energy, Water, Waste, Biodiversity, and Engagement, to foster sustainability across all Choice Hotels brands globally.
As part of this program, Choice-branded hotels are expected to implement utility data reporting and measures to conserve waste, water, and energy by early 2025. “Choice Hotels puts pe.