Every business has a beginning.
Ours started right here in the East Yorkshire countryside, with two glamping pods, a holiday cottage and a conversation about what they could become.
Before Bumblebee Escapes
The accommodation here existed before Bumblebee Escapes did.
The two glamping pods were originally built by Ben’s dad, and the cottage and pods had been operated as holiday accommodation for several years by somebody outside the family.
Over time, though, things had started to slow down.
The properties needed some love, bookings weren’t where they could be and we could both see so much potential in what was already here.
Eventually, after lots of conversations, we asked ourselves a fairly big question:
What if we took it on ourselves?
Bumblebee Escapes Is Born
In early 2024, that’s exactly what we did.
We took over the cottage and two pods, created the Bumblebee Escapes name and began putting our own stamp on everything.
Our first pod guests arrived in March 2024, followed by the first guests under our management at Bumblebee Cottage in April.
Those first few weeks were a mixture of excitement, nerves, very long days and a lot of learning!
But from the beginning, we knew what we wanted Bumblebee Escapes to feel like.
Not corporate.
Not impersonal.
And definitely not just a key code and a bed for the night.
We wanted it to feel homely, welcoming and cared for.
Building Something of Our Own
We didn’t take over a perfect, established, finished business.
And actually, we’re glad we didn’t.
Part of the Bumblebee Escapes story has been gradually improving what was already here.
We’ve refreshed décor, replaced furniture and equipment, introduced more energy-efficient hot tubs, developed our welcome packs, improved our guest information, strengthened our accessibility information, invested in the grounds and continued finding new ways to make every stay better.
Some improvements are big and immediately noticeable.
Others are tiny details that most guests will never know we’ve changed.
But they all matter to us.
Supporting Where We Live
Another important part of Bumblebee Escapes has become our connection with the wider East Yorkshire community.
We love being able to introduce guests to independent cafés, restaurants, attractions, shops, makers and producers nearby.
Where we can, we source locally, collaborate with other businesses and encourage our guests to explore beyond the accommodation itself.
Because when somebody books a stay with us, we’d love that booking to benefit more than just Bumblebee Escapes.
We want guests to go home talking about the little café they discovered in Hornsea, the local shop they bought something from, the farm shop they visited and the beach they’d never heard of before.
And We’re Still Only Beginning…
Bumblebee Escapes has changed enormously since we took over in 2024, but we’re nowhere near finished.
There are always new ideas, improvements and projects on our list.
Some will happen quickly.
Some might take us years.
But that’s part of the fun.
We’re building Bumblebee Escapes gradually, learning from our guests and creating the kind of place we’d love to stay ourselves.
Taking that first leap in 2024 was a big decision.
Looking back now, we’re incredibly glad we did.
And to every guest who has booked, returned, recommended us, left a review or simply followed along with our journey:
Thank you for helping us build Bumblebee Escapes. 
Katie & Ben