UK hotel of the month
We think we may have discovered our dream hotel. Its name? The Chocolate Boutique Hotel. Its location? Bournemouth. But to be honest, we'd hotfoot it to a hotel in Outer Mongolia if we heard that there were chocolate fountains in every room!
Founded and run by self-confessed chocoholic and chief chocolate officer (what a fabulous job title!) Gerry Wilton, the Grade II-listed hotel boasts 13 choc-themed rooms, all with en-suite bathrooms. And yes, you can order a chocolate fountain to be placed in your room if you want to spend an über-indulgent evening in - or just get a bit peckish during the night.
There's also a very exciting bar: one of only two in the world, the KIS Cocktail Bar is a fully automated mobile bar that can mix up to 30 different cocktails at the touch of a button. You can even create your own concoction and watch it being mixed in less than 20 seconds.
Every Saturday, the hotel offers guests the chance to get elbow-deep in delicious chocs at its Chocolate Workshop. During the two-and-a-half session, you can learn to make divine Belgian truffles from scratch.
But that's just a taster: if you really want a full-on choc-filled experience, book yourself a Complete Chocolate Weekend, during which you'll learn about the history of your favourite food and try your hand at a whole host of choc-making techniques. How sweet!
Of course, if you do venture outside the hotel, Bournemouth has lots to offer, including miles of sandy beaches, great restaurants and fun bars. So it's the perfect destination for a girlie weekend with friends.
Rooms at the Chocolate Boutique Hotel cost from £65 per night; workshops start at £49.95 per person; and the Complete Chocolate Weekend is £265 per person, based on two sharing a room for two nights. For more information, go to www.thechocolateboutiquehotel.co.uk.
