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.
We stand for enjoyment with a clear conscience
Chocolate is good for you—but it doesn't always do good things. The brands of major food corporations often represent unfairly paid farmers, ecologically questionable cultivation, child labor, and other abuses.
We never wanted to accept that and will never accept it. Even more important to us than enjoyment is that the cocoa we use is produced under fair conditions, without child labor, in top quality, ecologically, sustainably, and in a climate-friendly manner.
Our chocolate makes your life more beautiful - and that of the cocoa farmers
That's why we source our chocolate from conscientious chocolate manufacturers, primarily from Original Beans. This supplier doesn't operate anonymously on the global commodity 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 a variety of ways in their development. We were able to see this firsthand on a trip to Colombia 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 the most valuable luxury item on this planet.
Bernd and Tanja Voss's trip to Colombia
Bernd and Tanja Voss met local farmers who, back then, cultivated the cocoa for our Voss chocolate with enthusiasm and passion. We believe you can still taste that in every piece of our chocolate today.
And the more guests we attract to the sweet side of life at our hotel, the more cocoa farmers we can help to farm in harmony with nature and lead a comfortable and contented life.
Projects we have already supported
Donkey Project: Together with our guests, we collected donations for donkeys that were donated to schoolchildren 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 transportation than a bicycle.
Drinking Water Project: In Caribia, next to Luker Chocolate's cocoa forest in Necoclí, there was no drinking water supply. The Luker Foundation addressed this problem and began building a water supply in 2018. We supported this project from the beginning and are now proud to say that since the beginning of 2021, after three years of hard work, Caribia is the first community in the municipality of Necoclí with drinking water.
host
Family
Voss
The Chocolate Hotel Westerstede has been owned by the Voss family for four generations. Founded by Hans and Sophie Voss, each generation has developed the hotel further and shaped it with their own unique influences.
Bernd and Tanja Voss took over the business from their parents, Claus and Erika Voss, in 1995 and transformed the well-established, traditional country hotel with event spaces into a modern, top-class wellness and conference hotel. With their passion for chocolate, they were also the ones who came up with the idea of making Hotel Voss the first and only chocolate hotel in Germany.
Kathlyn and Christian Voss, the fourth generation, will take over the reins on January 1, 2023, bringing with them just as much ambition and ambition as their parents and grandparents. Both bring experience in top-class gastronomy, having met at the Michelin-starred restaurant Jagdhaus Eiden, and gained a wealth of experience during shared work placements in Australia, at hotel management school, and during other positions in the hospitality industry.
Tanja Voss
Christian Voss
A short history of our house
The family atmosphere and the passion with which we host – these are attributes that many of our guests particularly appreciate. It's no wonder, since our house has been a passionate family project for almost a century.
In 1935, Hans and Sophie Voss acquired what was then the Gasthof Buhr in Westerstede – a popular but simple inn with a bowling alley, frequented primarily by locals. In the chaos of World War II, the building was confiscated several times, later used as a prison camp and refugee shelter, and run solely by Sophie Voss until Hans Voss's return from captivity. The years of the economic miracle finally brought the necessary money and confidence for new plans: Hans and Sophie converted the hall into 11 guest rooms, laying the foundation for the hotel business today. In 1963, after completing culinary training, military service, and hotel management school, Claus Voss took over the business together with his wife Erika. Over many years, they repeatedly remodeled, renovated, and expanded, purchased neighboring buildings, built a swimming pool and parking lot, and finally, after more than thirty successful years, handed over a modern and thriving four-star hotel to Bernd and Tanja Voss, who continued to expand and modernize the hotel and conference business, incorporating their passion for chocolate into their hospitality concept, and finally, in 2016, had Hotel Voss officially registered and protected as "Germany's only chocolate hotel."
What will the fourth, younger generation bring to the family project? Prepare to be surprised. We have many plans. One thing is certain: our personalized service, family-like atmosphere, passion for culinary arts, and individual, warm hospitality will always remain part of our family DNA.
Team
With heart
and chocolate love
