The Golden Bee has a Mysterious and Intriguing Origin Story
The Broadmoor Resort in Colorado Springs opened its doors in 1918, a grand hotel where European elegance met Western hospitality in a setting of unparallelled beauty. Today, the Broadmoor–the longest consecutive winner of the Forbes Five- Star and AAA Five-Diamond awards for excellence–stands true to that vision.
Over the years, The Broadmoor has undergone a number of expansion and improvement projects to update its functionality and enhance its charm and versatility. One of the more fascinating projects was the renovation and addition of The Golden Bee, an authentic English pub located in the Broadmoor International Center.
The Golden Bee is not a re-creation or a replica, but a genuine English pub interior built in the 1880s and later transported panel-by-panel across the Atlantic. Believed to be known as The Golden Lion in the 19th century and likely located near the Thames River in London, it served as a posh aftertheater venue for an illustrious clientele.
The details are murky, but what is certain is that at some point the Golden Lion was dismantled and shipped from London to New York, where it was reassembled and established as a pub in an area near the London Terrace section of New York, which was a fashionable residential district at the time. The pub was later converted into an ice cream parlor, and its mahogany woodwork was covered over with white paint. Eventually, the interior structure was disassembled once again and put in storage until the 1950s, when it was discovered in a warehouse in the Chelsea district of New York.
This historical photograph captures what the Golden Bee looked like in 1961.
When the Broadmoor decided to build a bar and began looking for some authentic pub fixtures, they found an entire pub instead, covered with dust and languishing in a warehouse. The Broadmoor’s interior design firm, W.J. Sloan, arranged to purchase the dismantled pub structure for $20,000.
The pub, rechristened as The Golden Bee, opened in the Broadmoor’s International Center in 1961, where it occupies the back of a convention and exhibition venue featuring a hyperbolic paraboloid roof.
Cindy Leonard, The Broadmoor’s resident historian, has painstakingly researched details of the pub’s provenance, craftsmanship and journey to Colorado. “It is solid African mahogany paneling dating back to the 18th century,” she confirms. “Mahogany interiors were very fashionable during the Victorian period and were typically very ornate and decorative.”
The Golden Bee woodwork features beautiful hand-carved mahogany cherubs, birds, vines and clusters of fruit, and caryatids (draped female figures which support the top of the bar and mirrors). “A restoration expert spent eight weeks removing 15 to 20 coats of paint and varnish and restoring the precious wood to original luster,” Leonard said. Other wooden fixtures in the pub include an antique mahogany encased clock with a swaying brass pendulum, an ancient oaken ale tub, chairs from an English schooner and white oak flooring. The emblem of the bee is incorporated into flocked golden wallpaper of the room.
A promotional photograph for the Golden Bee dated 1964.
The entire Golden Bee’s five-month renovation in 2017-2018 was part of a comprehensive resort-wide refresh, aimed at updating capacity, comfort, and culinary variety, while being true to the roots of both the pub and The Broadmoor. The refresh preserved the Golden Bee’s iconic 19th-century charm but doubled seating capacity, giving the Bee an updated feel without forgetting its past. The completed renovation also added a front room as well as a tented rooftop terrace, reminiscent of a 19th century pub.
While the original mahogany interior fixtures of the pub were undoubtedly carved by hand, the renovation employed more modern technology to precisely replicate the original paneling, seating, booths and banquettes. Using CNC modeling and CAD software, digital models were rendered and then used to ensure the woodwork throughout the pub matched the existing mahogany wood and stayed true to the pub’s original design template.
“It’s interesting to compare the woodwork that went into this kind of work a century ago and how the same result was achieved a decade ago,” said Bob McGrath, CEO of Bob McGrath Construction. “The interior mahogany woodwork is really what makes The Golden Bee so special and that precise modeling and matching is quite an amazing story.”
Renovations and restorations throughout the Broadmoor are designed and executed to complement The Broadmoor’s classic ambiance and original grandeur, with material choices and construction methods reflecting the original era of the hotel.
Bob McGrath Construction has been involved in more than 400 renovation projects at The Broadmoor since 1999. “The Broadmoor is not just some remodeled hotel, and you won’t find a synthetic board there. The resort is 107 years old, and all reconstructions were done with intent, purpose and dedication to their original vision, using high quality wood products,” McGrath said.
All of this speaks to the overall architectural spirit of the resort and the integrity of The Broadmoor’s place in history. Steeped in a glorious history spanning more than 100 years, The Broadmoor is rich in tradition and culture, and the Golden Bee is one of its truly remarkable traditions.
IWPA will hold its 2026 annual World of Wood convention at The Broadmoor in Colorado Springs! Join us and grab a pint at the Golden Bee.
Frequently asked questions
What is the origin of The Golden Bee pub at The Broadmoor?+
The Golden Bee is a genuine English pub interior built in the 1880s, believed to have originally been known as The Golden Lion and located near the Thames River in London. It was dismantled, shipped to New York, later converted into an ice cream parlor, and eventually rediscovered in a Chelsea warehouse in the 1950s.
How did The Broadmoor acquire The Golden Bee?+
When The Broadmoor was searching for authentic pub fixtures for a new bar, their interior design firm W.J. Sloan discovered an entire dismantled pub in a New York warehouse. They purchased the structure for $20,000, and it opened as The Golden Bee in the Broadmoor's International Center in 1961.
What type of wood is used in The Golden Bee's interior?+
The pub features solid African mahogany paneling dating back to the 18th century, typical of ornate Victorian-era interiors. Other wooden fixtures include an antique mahogany encased clock, an ancient oaken ale tub, chairs from an English schooner, and white oak flooring.
How was the original mahogany woodwork restored?+
A restoration expert spent eight weeks removing 15 to 20 coats of paint and varnish that had been applied when the pub was converted into an ice cream parlor. This restored the precious mahogany wood to its original luster.
What decorative carvings are featured in The Golden Bee?+
The woodwork features hand-carved mahogany cherubs, birds, vines, and clusters of fruit, along with caryatids—draped female figures that support the top of the bar and mirrors.
How was modern technology used in the 2017-2018 renovation of The Golden Bee?+
The renovation used CNC modeling and CAD software to render digital models of the original woodwork. This ensured the new paneling, seating, booths, and banquettes precisely matched the existing mahogany and stayed true to the pub's original design.
What was added during The Golden Bee's 2017-2018 renovation?+
The five-month renovation doubled the pub's seating capacity while preserving its 19th-century charm. It also added a front room and a tented rooftop terrace reminiscent of a 19th-century pub.