Hotel Chocolat — Attraction in Trafford

Had a truly TERRIBLE experience. I took my Mother for her 60th birthday. She loves hotel Chocolate, we do a big shop once a month at this location. The chocolate is expensive. We normally spend at least£100. On this occasion (my mother's birthday) we had two baskets fully loaded up. I wanted to treat my Mum as her health is failing her. They give out free samples, and my Mum delights with any freebies (she will buy a £10 magazine for the "free" craft stamp) so a free chocolate was always welcome. Most the staff at this hotel Chocolat know us, and give her extra. We spend a lot there, so I never thought anything of it. But on our last visit, it was a new employee. My mother asked for second chocolate as the employee offered them to another customer who refused, just to make it worse. My mother asked for another, and the shopkeeper walked away pretending not to hear, I could tell from her face she did, but wasn't going to give her one. My mother walked after her and repeated her request. The shopkeeper said " it's the same one as before" my mother said she knew, but would like another. The shopkeeper said, quite rudely " YOU have already had one! You can't have another" I had two huge bags filled with chocolate. Clearly we we're not taking advantage. Utterly upset my Mum on her birthday. We went to Selfridge's and got Godiva chocolate. I contacted hotel Chocolat and explained what happened via email. They sent me a £5 gift voucher. Not even an appolagy I won't ever buy from hotel Chocolat again. My Mother's was embarrassed, upset, devistated on her 60th birthday....

Did click and collect for an advent calendar, got to the store the day the email said it would be available from (in the evening), girl had a bad attitude and made out that I should have waited for a "ready to collect" email which I wasn't informed about and that due to a printer problem the order couldn't be completed. She was also very patronising to the other sales clerk who was friendly and willing but was clearly new to the job. Eventually she suggested she do the collection then and there to which I said of course. Two days later when I gifted the calendar I saw that it had been opened already, which I find hard to believe that the sales assistant did not notice as it was clearly damaged. I contacted customer support who said they would replace it and then several days later messaged to say they had sold out so they would just refund the cost of the calendar. I find this a bit disappointing as I had driven all the way from Merseyside to pick it up and basically ended up with nothing and no...

Hotel Chocolat is perhaps a slightly unlikely hit on the high streets of anywhere outside London and New York (it has shops in both).

It is a British chocolatier that owns its own plantations. It has a mail order service (called the Tasting Club) that costs a small fortune but delivers some of the most incredible tastes you have ever encountered.

But this is not a cheap store. Whereas a good shopper can find the odd chocolatey bargain in store (including the occasional circulating tray of freebies), buying gifts here is an expensive business when you compare it its main high street rival, Thorntons. A box of chocolates is going to cost you a good £20 at the very least and Easter feels like Christmas in terms of wallet-busting.

That said, the taster packs (usually on the walls to the left of the store) represent a decadent and slightly better bit of value for money - and they represent an opportunity to treat yourself once you have sorted out...