A place of

Passion

We love chocolate and we want to share this passion with as many people as possible - that's why we turned our traditional family hotel in Westerstede into Germany's first and only chocolate hotel in 2016.

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Philosophy

We stand for enjoyment with a clear conscience

Chocolate is good for you - but it doesn't always do good things. The brands of large food companies often stand for unfairly paid farmers, ecologically questionable cultivation, child labor and other injustices.

 

We never wanted and will never accept that. What is even more important to us than enjoyment is that the cocoa we use is produced under fair conditions, without child labor, in first-class quality, ecologically, sustainably and in a climate-friendly way.

Our chocolate makes your life better - and that of the cocoa farmers

That's why we source our chocolates from conscientious chocolate manufacturers, primarily Original Beans. This provider does not operate anonymously on the global raw material exchanges, but sources its cocoa directly from individual cocoa farmers at fair prices.

But Original Beans does even more: the farmers receive training and support and are supported in their development in a variety of ways. We were able to see this for ourselves on a trip to Colombia with our own eyes and in many conversations. You can find more information about our craft chocolate from Original beans here.

Anyone who comes to the chocolate hotel will not only do something good for their soul by enjoying chocolate, but also for the environment and the producers of what we consider to be the most valuable luxury food on this planet.

Travel by Bernd and Tanja Voss to Colombia

Bernd and Tanja Voss met local farmers who were growing the cocoa for our Voss chocolate with enthusiasm and passion. We think you can taste that in every piece of our chocolate today.

 

And the more guests we attract to the chocolate side of life in our hotel, the more cocoa farmers we can help to farm in harmony with nature and lead a sufficient and contented life.

Projects we have already supported

Donkey project: Together with our guests, we collected donkeys that were donated to school children in Colombia. Since there are no roads there, but muddy paths and the walk to school would take several hours, this is a better means of transport than a bicycle.


Drinking water project: In Caribia, next to the Luker Chocolate cocoa forest in Necoclí, there was still no drinking water supply. The Luker Foundation addressed this problem and began building a water supply in 2018. We have supported this project from the beginning and can now proudly say that since the beginning of 2021, after 3 years of hard work, Caribia is the first municipality with drinking water in the municipality of Necoclí.

host

Family

Voss

The Chocolate Hotel Westerstede has been owned by the Voss family for four generations. Founded by Hans and Sophie Voss, every generation since then has further developed the house and shaped it with its own unique ideas.

Bernd and Tanja Voss took over the business from parents Claus and Erika Voss in 1995 and turned the well-established traditional country hotel with event halls into a modern, top-class wellness and conference hotel. They were also the ones who, with their passion for chocolate, had the idea of making Hotel Voss the first and only chocolate hotel in Germany.

With Kathlyn and Christian Voss, the fourth generation will take over the helm on January 1st, 2023 and has no fewer plans and ambitions than their parents and grandparents. Both bring experience from top gastronomy, got to know each other in the Michelin-starred restaurant Jagdhaus Eiden, and gained many impressions during joint work stays in Australia, at the hotel management school and other work stations in the catering industry.

A short history of our house

The family atmosphere and the passion with which we are hosts - these are attributes that many of our guests particularly like. No wonder, because our house has been a passionate family project for almost a century.

 

In 1935, Hans and Sophie Voss purchased what was then Gasthof Buhr in Westerstede - a popular but simple inn with a bowling alley that was mainly visited by locals. During the turmoil of the Second World War, the house was confiscated several times, later used as a prison camp and refugee accommodation and run solely by Sophie Voss until Hans Voss' return from captivity. The economic miracle years finally brought the necessary money and the confidence for new plans: Hans and Sophie converted the hall into 11 guest rooms and thus laid the foundation for today's hotel operation. In 1963, after training as a chef, serving in the Bundeswehr and attending hotel management school, Claus Voss took over the business together with his wife Erika. Over many years they repeatedly rebuilt and expanded, renovated and expanded, bought neighboring buildings, built a swimming pool and parking lot and finally, after more than thirty successful years, handed over a modern and well-run four-star hotel to Bernd and Tanja Voss, who run the hotel - and conference operations, further expanded and modernized them, incorporated their passion for chocolate into the hospitality concept and finally had the Hotel Voss officially registered and protected as “Germany’s only chocolate hotel” in 2016.

 

What will the fourth, young generation bring to the family project? Let yourself be surprised. We have many plans. One thing is certain: our personal service, family atmosphere, enthusiasm for culinary delights and individual, warm hospitality will always remain part of our family DNA.

Team

With heart

and chocolate love

Find out more about our team and don't miss any more news

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