A place of

Passion

We love chocolate, and we want to share this passion with as many people as possible—which is why, in 2016, we transformed our traditional family hotel in Westerstede into Germany’s first and only chocolate hotel.

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A group of people is standing in a field, talking about cocoa beans

Philosophy

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A group of people is posing in front of a building for a photo.
A black-and-white photo of a building called The Chateau

History

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The staff of the Chocolate Hotel pose for a photo in the restaurant.
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Philosophy

A sign providing information about the Chocolate Hotel's sustainability efforts.
We stand for enjoyment with a clear conscience

Chocolate is good for you—but it doesn't always do good. The brands of major food companies are often associated with farmers who are paid unfairly, environmentally unsustainable farming practices, child labor, and other abuses.

 

We have never accepted this, and we never will. That is why, even more important to us than the taste is ensuring that the cocoa we use is produced under fair conditions, without child labor, and to the highest quality standards—in an eco-friendly, sustainable, and climate-friendly manner.

Our chocolate makes your life better—and that of cocoa farmers

That is why we source our chocolate from conscientious chocolate manufacturers, primarily Original Beans. This supplier does not operate anonymously on the global commodity markets, but instead sources its cocoa directly from individual cocoa farmers at fair prices.

A person's hand reaches for a red cacao pod on a tree.

But Original Beans does even more: Farmers receive training and financial support, and are assisted in their development in a variety of ways. We saw this for ourselves during a trip to Colombia and through many conversations we had there. You can find more information about our craft chocolate from Original Beans here.

Anyone who visits the Chocolate Hotel will not only be doing their soul a favor by enjoying chocolate, but also helping the environment and the producers of what is, for us, the most precious delicacy on this planet.

Kathlyn & Christian's Trip to Peru in 2025

Chocolate is a part of our daily lives. It’s part of our history, our work, and our passion. But at some point, we asked ourselves: Where does our cocoa actually come from?

To find out, we had the special opportunity in 2025 to travel to Peru—right to the place where cacao grows.

For a week, we had the opportunity to immerse ourselves in the world of cacao. In the heart of the Peruvian dry forest, we planted trees, harvested cacao pods, and followed the bean’s entire journey: from fermentation and drying to tasting at a cacao factory with professional quality control.

We visited cooperatives, stayed with a small-scale farming family, sampled a wide variety of Peruvian cuisine, and even made our own real drinking chocolate.

Above all, we've learned an incredible amount.

We understand just how much knowledge, craftsmanship, and passion go into high-quality cocoa. And we’ve seen that sustainable cocoa farming means so much more than just good chocolate.

When cocoa is grown in agroforestry systems, it sequesters CO₂, promotes biodiversity, and helps protect valuable forests. At the same time, these systems cultivate heirloom cocoa varieties that were long considered low-yielding and had therefore nearly disappeared. Today, it is precisely these varieties that deliver exceptional flavors and a diversity of taste rarely found in industrial chocolate.

And because this quality has value, the local people benefit as well. It not only provides a fair income, but also fosters a genuine sense of identification, pride, and passion for their own product.

It was precisely this passion that made such an impression on us.

The dedication with which cocoa farmers tend to their plants is also reflected in our work here at the Chocolate Hotel. For us, chocolate is much more than just a sweet treat.

It brings together people, stories, heritage, and craftsmanship.

That’s why, when you enjoy our chocolate, you can do so with a clear conscience—and you can taste and experience the passion that goes into it.

Projects we have already supported
Building a Future Together - Wall in Loma Larga:

To mark our company’s anniversary, we didn’t just want to celebrate—we wanted to give something back.

That is why, together with our guests, we have launched a fundraising campaign to build a much-needed protective wall in Loma Larga, Peru. The local cocoa farmers contributed significantly to the construction through their own labor, and thanks to the help of our guests, we were able to make an important contribution to securing their livelihoods and supporting fair cocoa farming.

Today we are especially pleased that the project has been successfully completed: The protective wall is now in place. It now provides greater security for the cocoa farmers, their families, and the local cooperative. At the same time, it protects vital infrastructure and helps ensure the long-term sustainability of cocoa farming.

Our guests were able to make donations directly via the QR code on our anniversary materials. In addition, as part of our campaign, we donated €20 per direct booking using the booking code “Peru.” As a small token of appreciation, a handmade Piura chocolate was waiting in the room upon arrival.

We are grateful for the tremendous support and the many positive comments we have received. Together with our guests, we were able to demonstrate that enjoyment, responsibility, and genuine connection go hand in hand.

A heartfelt thank you to everyone who made this project possible. The completed wall is a visible symbol of what can be achieved when people across continents work together on a shared vision.


Donkey Project 2018: Together with our guests, we collected donations for donkeys, which were donated to schoolchildren in Colombia. Since there are no roads there, only muddy paths, and the walk to school would take several hours, a donkey is a better means of transportation than a bicycle.

Host

Family

Voss

The Schokoladenhotel Westerstede has been family-owned by the Voss family for four generations. Founded by Hans and Sophie Voss, each generation has since built on the hotel’s legacy and shaped it with its own unique touch.

Bernd and Tanja Voss took over the business in 1995 from their parents, Claus and Erika Voss, and transformed the well-established traditional country hotel with event halls into a modern, top-tier wellness and conference hotel. It was also they who, driven by their passion for chocolate, came up with the idea of turning the Hotel Voss into Germany’s first and only chocolate hotel.

On January 1, 2023, Kathlyn and Christian Voss—representing the fourth generation—will take the helm, bringing with them no less ambition and drive than their parents and grandparents. Both bring experience from the world of fine dining; they met at the Michelin-starred restaurant Jagdhaus Eiden, gained valuable insights during joint work stays in Australia, at culinary school, and at other positions in the restaurant industry.

A black-and-white photo of a man in a suit and tie
A black-and-white photo of a woman in a black dress.
An older woman wearing glasses smiles at the camera.
A man in a suit and tie is smiling in front of a wine glass.
A man in a suit and white shirt is standing in front of a window.
A woman wearing glasses and a white jacket smiles at the camera

Tanja Voss

A passionate hostess whose warmth delights guests and shapes the atmosphere of the hotel. Without her, the Hotel Voss would not be the Chocolate Hotel it is today.
A woman in a maroon jacket smiles at the camera
A man wearing glasses and a watch is sitting at a table

Christian Voss

His passion for food becomes apparent very quickly

the food and beverage offerings at the Chocolate Hotel. Guests love him for his sense of humor.


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A Brief History of Our Company

The warm, family-like atmosphere and the passion with which we welcome our guests—these are qualities that many of our guests particularly appreciate. It’s no wonder, since our inn has been a labor of love for our family for nearly a century.

 

In 1935, Hans and Sophie Voss purchased what was then known as the Gasthof Buhr in Westerstede—a popular but simple inn with a bowling alley that was frequented mainly by locals. During the turmoil of World War II, the property was confiscated several times, later used as a prisoner-of-war camp and refugee shelter, and run solely by Sophie Voss until Hans Voss returned from captivity. The years of the economic miracle finally brought the necessary funds and confidence for new plans: Hans and Sophie converted the hall into 11 guest rooms, thus laying the foundation for today’s hotel business. 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 and expanded the property, renovated and added on, 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 further expanded the hotel and conference operations, modernized them, incorporated their passion for chocolate into the hospitality concept, and finally had Hotel Voss officially registered and protected in 2016 as “Germany’s only chocolate hotel.”

 

What will the fourth, younger generation bring to the family business? You’ll have to wait and see. We have lots of plans. One thing is certain: our personal service, our close-knit family atmosphere, our passion for food, and our warm, personalized hospitality will always be part of our family’s DNA.

Team

With love

and a love of chocolate

Meet our Chocolate Family in this video!

A woman wearing a black jacket and glasses is standing behind a counter.
An employee at the Chocolate Hotel smiles warmly at the camera.
A friendly employee smiles at the camera.
A friendly employee at the Chocolate Hotel smiles at the camera.
A friendly employee of the Chocolate Hotel during a photo shoot.
Sasha from the front desk is smiling at us in the photo.
Portrait of a man wearing glasses and a black polo shirt against a plain background.
An employee of the Chocolate Hotel during a photo shoot.
An employee smiles at the camera. Black-and-white photo.
Black-and-white photo of an employee at the Chocolate Hotel.
Silvia from the front desk team smiles at us.
Kristina, our service manager. Black-and-white photo.
Black-and-white portrait of a man wearing a dark shirt with a name tag, standing in front of a solid-color background
Leyla, our breakfast fairy, in a black-and-white photo.
Heike, our breakfast fairy, smiles at the camera.
Janine from the Service Team, smiling broadly. Black-and-white photo.
Hendrik from the service team, smiling warmly. Black-and-white photo.
Angelique from the service team in a black-and-white photo.
A black-and-white portrait of a smiling person wearing a dark jacket against a plain background.
A portrait of a smiling person wearing a dark shirt in front of a plain wall, with long, wavy hair.
Dawoud from our service team. A big smile. A black-and-white photo.
Here's Anh, our intern on the service team. She's smiling warmly at the camera.
Meikel, our apprentice from the service team, in a black-and-white photo.
Paula, our trainee on the service team, smiles warmly at the camera.
Evelin, our apprentice on the service team. Black-and-white photo.
Studio photo of a smiling person wearing a dark top with a name tag in front of a solid-color background
Yilmaz, our apprentice on the service team. He’s smiling warmly at the camera.
Jane, a student worker on our team, smiles during the photo shoot.
Jane, our student worker, in a black-and-white photo.
A person with long dark hair and glasses, wearing a black shirt, smiles against a solid-color background
Hans-Georg, our head chef, smiling broadly in a black-and-white photo.
Giuseppe, our second chef, with a friendly smile.
Tim from our kitchen team in a black-and-white photo.
A smiling person in a dark chef's jacket against a solid-color background
A portrait of a hotel employee wearing a striped apron, looking directly at the camera against a plain background.
Tobias from our kitchen team in a black-and-white photo.
A portrait of a person wearing a dark chef's hat and an apron, looking directly at the camera against a solid-color background.
A portrait of a man in a dark chef's jacket, smiling against a plain light-colored background.
Abdelali from our kitchen team smiles warmly at the camera.
Judith smiles warmly at the camera. She is part of the Atelier team.
A woman in a chef's uniform is smiling; her name tag is visible.
Tatiana-Mariana from the Breakfast Team smiles warmly at the camera
Deniz, our breakfast chef, smiles warmly at the camera.
Ralf, our pants technician, smiles at the camera.
Thomas, our in-house technician, is having his picture taken. It's a black-and-white photo.
Bianca-Nicoleta, our housekeeper, smiles warmly at the camera.
A black-and-white portrait of a smiling person wearing a dark shirt against a solid-color background.
A woman in blue is smiling; she is wearing a name tag that says "Maryana."
Vera from the housekeeping team smiles at the camera.
A woman in surgical scrubs smiles at the camera; she is wearing a name tag.
Ike from the housekeeping team smiles warmly at the camera
A woman wearing glasses, surgical scrubs, and a name tag smiles at the camera.
A woman dressed in dark blue is smiling; she is wearing a name tag. Her name is Aziza.
A man wearing a black apron and a cap, smiling. His name is Mehmet.
A woman smiles at the camera; she is wearing a name tag.
A woman is smiling; she is wearing glasses and a name tag. Her signature reads “Manuela.”
A woman in a brown shirt is smiling and holding a spoon
A woman with dark hair wearing a black V-neck shirt is smiling; a name tag reading
A woman with gray hair tied back in a bun, smiling, wearing a black shirt with a name tag that reads "Renate."

Learn more about our team and stay up to date on the latest news

CONSEQUENCES