In 2022, Airbnb announced a one-room stay on an olive farm near Grottole, southern Italy, where guests could sleep beside nine apiaries said to hold about one million working bees. A viewing box in the ceiling let visitors look into a hive, and the announced experience included an introductory lesson about bees. Whether the stay is bookable now has not been verified.
What was the “Air bee and bee”?
Airbnb announced the project on May 18, 2022. Beekeeper and Airbnb host Rocco Filomeno created the small room in his olive garden as a way to encourage awareness of and respect for bees. Airbnb said the project was developed with guidance from Wonder Grottole, with design work by self-build specialist Davide Tagliabue.
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The room was surrounded by nine apiaries. Airbnb described them as containing about one million working bees; the announcement did not explain how that estimate was counted. A purpose-built box in the ceiling allowed guests to view a working hive from inside the room.
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What would guests experience?
A close-up view of a hive
The ceiling box offered a view into a working hive without requiring guests to enter it. The point of the stay was to experience the bees’ presence and learn about them, rather than to take part in beekeeping.
#1 Best Overall
- Lures Pollinators & Beneficial Bugs：This insect hotel, bee hotel & mason bee house attracts mason bees, pollinating bees. As a pollinator habitat, it pairs with garden bee houses to boost yields, plus draws ladybugs for natural balance
- Multi-Zone for Insect Habitats：It integrates bee home, ladybug house, butterfly house—reed tubes for mason bee, nooks for ladybugs. Fits bug hotel, insect house needs, and works as mason bee houses for the garden
- Durable for Garden Use：This bee hotel for the garden, made of solid wood, has a waterproof roof. Safe as bee houses, insect habitat—it’s chemical-free, ensuring safety for mason bees and all beneficial bugs
- Aids Organic Gardening：As bug house, pollinator habitat & mason bee house, it relies on natural balance instead of artificial products. It pairs with bee houses for pollinating bees to nurture ecosystems, supporting biodiversity
- Versatile & Kid-Friendly：This bug habitat fits garden corners or hangs, doubling as butterfly habitat. It’s a kid-safe bug house for kids, blending with gardens while serving as a functional bee home
A simple room and hosted introduction
Airbnb said Filomeno would welcome guests and give them an introductory lesson about bees and living alongside them. New Atlas’s 2022 report described the interior as small and simple, with no kitchen or bathroom.
Breakfast with local honey
The launch announcement described breakfast as including ricotta, strawberries, homemade biscuits, and local honey. Those were the arrangements Airbnb announced in 2022; they should not be assumed to remain part of a stay today.
Rank #2
- Shelter for Insect: Lulu Home wooden insect house attracts insects to your garden, and provides them with a safe environment to live, lay eggs, pass the winter or just take shelter from the rain.
- Beneficial for Plants: Some insects are really useful that, when they living in the bug house in your garden, they help to recycle decaying vegetation, pollinate plants, and in some cases even prey on more harmful insects.
- Diverse Rooms in One: To settle more species of insects, each gird of the insect hotel is filled with different material and designed differently. Lulu Home garden bug hotel serves to provide habitat for bees, butterflies, ladybirds, lacewings, etc.
- Premium, Sturdy and Weatherproof: Made of high quality fir wood with exquisite workmanship, it is sturdy and nice-looking. And non-toxic and odorless paint on the proof makes it weather resistant. The materials filled in each grid, such as bamboo, wood shavings, small stakes, are all natural and premium.
- Interesting Decoration: A wonderful ornament to be placed at your garden, balcony, patio, yard, or any place you want. And there is a loop on back for hanging. The bug hotel also provides a great chance for you to find and observe these little creatures in your garden.
What the project cost and supported
Airbnb reported that construction cost $17,000 and that 25 local volunteers helped build the structure. These are figures from Airbnb’s announcement, not independently audited totals. Airbnb also said proceeds from the listing would support Wonder Grottole bee-conservation projects at that time; the announcement does not establish where proceeds go now.
Can you book it now?
Current availability is uncertain. A search for a matching listing on October 4, 2026, did not surface one, but that does not prove the property is unavailable or that it is not listed under another name. Confirm directly with the host or platform before making travel plans, and verify the present-day room facilities, food, instruction, and any conservation contribution.
Rank #3
- Dimensions: 9 x 16 x 3 Inch,More capacity, More uses.
- The mason bee house has more holes to accommodate for more Butterflys, bees and ladybugs to habitat, hatcheries or shelter from rain.
- Made of natural materials, such as pine wood, bamboo and pine cone, and not painted. The different filling materials attract a variety of different bugs.
- The metal roof will help protect it from the weather.Waterproof to protect the hotel from erosion,and help stop rain from soaking the bits and pieces that are supposed to keep the ladybirds and lacewings dry.
- Suspension design (via hooks on the back),You can hang it on garden walls, fences, trees, or anywhere else you can hang it.Keep it as dry as possible
Is “bee-therapy” a health treatment?
Filomeno described the stay as a way to experience the “distinctive sound and aroma” of bees and called it “‘bee-therapy’ in the most authentic and natural way,” in a quote carried by Airbnb. That is his promotional description. The available reporting does not establish that bee sounds improve sleep or that “bee-therapy” has medical benefits.
Quick Recap
Best Value
- Heavy Wax Coated: The mason bee house is full body coated with wax, helping extend its service life for outdoor use
- Assembled Wooden Bee House: The handmade wooden mason bee nest you receive is assembled and ready to use and with stainless steel screw clasp on the back of the bee house, you can hang it on a tree or wall
- Mason Bee House: Effectively attract mason bees through our bee house to help increase pollination efficiency in gardens and orchards, promoting plant growth and fruit production
- Mason Bee House Tube Size: For mason bee and easy to get the mason bee cocoons, same 5/16" diameter size hole and 6" long which is a suitable size for mason bee; easily for mason beekeeper to remove the cocoons
- Package Include: 1 Completed mason bee house assembled with hook and nails,1 meter rope to hang on a tree or wall to attract mason bees and butterflies to live in your garden, creates a comfortable environment for pollinator bees and enhance productivity of pollination
Rank #4
- Durable Bee House: Our Mason Bee House is a beautifully crafted, wax-coated bee hotel designed to provide a suitable habitat for peaceful pollinators in your garden. This durable bee house is ready to use straight out of the box
- Long-lasting Design: The natural wooden construction of this Mason Bee Box features a wax coating that boosts its longevity, supporting steady use in outdoor surroundings while attracting mason bees effectively
- Optimal Habitat: Each tube in our bee hotel is made from kraft paper with a diameter of 5/16 inches and a length of 6 inches, providing an ideal space for mason bees to nest and thrive in their new insect hotel
- Easy Installation: The back of the bee house includes a sturdy metal wall hook for easy mounting on walls or garden stakes. For hanging in trees, we also provide a special rope, ensuring versatile placement options in any outdoor setting
- Enhance Pollination Efficiency: Attracting mason bees to your garden not only beautifies your surroundings but also significantly improves pollination efficiency for flowers and fruit trees, making our Habitat Home Hotel an essential addition for any gardener
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