Honeybee Hotel
The Waldorf Astoria’s Rooftop Garden and the Heart of NYC
The story of Honeybee Hotel begins with the Waldorf Astoria’s storied past and its once-celebrated rooftop garden, revived in the early 2000s by executive chef David Garcelon. His vision—six hives housing hundreds of thousands of honeybees—grew into something larger than a culinary experiment. The garden became a living connection point, bringing together hotel staff, guests, horticulturists, and beekeepers, while also supplying fresh food and honey to a nearby homeless shelter.
Through interviews and meticulous research, Leslie Day offers an insider’s look at this unexpected ecosystem, weaving together the histories of the Waldorf, its rooftop garden, and the people behind it. Along the way, she explores the lives of urban bees, the science of pollination, and the quiet ways nature persists in the city.
Both intimate and expansive, Honeybee Hotel reveals a hidden world above the streets—one that reminds us how deeply connected we are to nature, even in the heart of New York.
Praise for Honeybee Hotel
"A fascinating and heartwarming story of how nature checked into one of New York’s most fabled hotels—and everyone was the better for it. Nobody knows the natural world of the city like Leslie Day."
—Kevin Baker
"Like a bee moving from flower to flower, this beautifully written book travels from the Waldorf Astoria to a homeless shelter to the inner workings of a single honeycomb. The through line is honey—and the result is as sweet and satisfying as its subject."
—Suzi Siegel