Hotel Chocolat tasting club (Hotel Chocolat Tasting Club)

Member Name: astros89

Product:	Hotel Chocolat Tasting Club
Date:	12/01/09 (134 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Great selection of chocolates. Chocolates taste and look great.

Disadvantages: Expensive.

One of my presents last year was being a member of the Hotel Chocolate tasting club.

There is a tasting club for both milk chocolate and dark chocolate lovers. As well as the classic and dark selection there is now a solid selection as well.

You pay £9.74 for the first box of chocolates and around £15 for each box of chocolates after that you receive through the post and you can choose to have the chocolates as often as you wish. To start with I was getting sent a box every month and then I changed it to receive a box every two months. To start with even though I had changed this they still sent me a box the next month so it is as if they need a full months notice.

First they send you a book about how chocolate is made and a card to use in the Hotel Chocolat shops which entitles you to 5% discount. I also received my introductory chocolate box.

The boxes of chocolates would arrive inside a brown cardboard box. The box of chocolates was the right size to fit through my letter box. Inside the box of chocolates they put the menu which shows the chocolates in the selection box you have just received. They also include a Hotel Chocolat club news and scoring card.

The menu lists all of the chocolates with a picture of them and it gives a description of each chocolate and says what it contains and whether it contains alcohol.

I always really liked the look of the chocolates that were decorated very well. The taste of them was always great and I don't think I ever had a chocolate I really disliked. In total there are around thirty two chocolates in each box. They put two of most chocolates inside the box and three of each tasting baton. It is possible to order the same box again if you had a box you really enjoyed. Each box contains fruit, praline and alcohol based chocolates.

The scoring card in the box is for you to give each chocolate a rating out of 10 and then you can post the card or enter the scores online for the chance to win a prize each month or an end of year prize.

I liked being a member because I got a good selection of chocolates and could try lots of different types rather than going in to the shop and not being sure which ones to buy and then buying a pack of six of the same.

Through out the time I was a member I would be sent their catalogues and order forms for other special boxes of chocolates they were selling but I never bought and of these as I was already spending enough.

The chocolates I received were paid for online using a debit card but I think that the could have taken the money by direct debit.

When I came to canceling the membership because I decided to go to the shop to buy chocolates when I wanted rather than spending quite a bit every month I phoned up and cancelled it very easily.

Summary: Worth becoming a member for a while.