Boston, Mass. November 2009 – On the heels of its wildly successful American debut, Hotel Chocolat (www.hotelchocolat.com), the cocoa grower and British luxury chocolatier, has quickly announced its second US location in Boston’s metro area at The Mall at Chestnut Hill, opening in late November.

“Since launching in the US, the community has been extremely supportive. We’ve enjoyed many repeat customers,” said Hotel Chocolat’s US CEO Nicki Doggart. “With the holidays around the corner, our new boutique in The Mall at Chestnut Hill extends shopping options across a wider cosmopolitan upscale area where residents and visitors are looking for unique, high quality gourmet chocolates gifts and personal indulgences.”

Key to Hotel Chocolat’s (shok-o-LA) global growth and excitement among chocolate aficionados is the brand’s all-natural chocolate products and its deep brand value dimension to luxury gift and food retailing that adds spice to the US chocolate industry.  The company’s commitment to authentic cocoa and premium quality ingredients spurred British co-founders/entrepreneurs Angus Thirlwell and Peter Harris to ambitiously purchase the historic cocoa plantation, the Rabot Estate in St. Lucia. Further supporting its Engaged Ethics work in Ghana, Hotel Chocolat partners with St. Lucian farmers, providing technical advice and expertise, and paying 40 percent more than the previous purchase price, both of which improve quality of life standards.

Expanding to Metro West
“Hotel Chocolat is a welcome addition to our retail mix at the Mall at Chestnut Hill,” said Debora Konig, Director of Marketing at Mall at Chestnut Hill. “We look forward to bringing this unique new brand to our customers just in time for holiday shopping.” Hotel Chocolat’s Chestnut Hill retail boutique is 500 s/f and was designed by world-renown commercial designer, Terry Moore.  The shop features a black and white textural color palette with recycled wood floors and floating shelves.

One of a Kind Holiday Gifts
For the holidays, Hotel Chocolat has plenty of specialty offerings including the “Rather Large Christmas Cracker” a larger-than-life version of the traditional British holiday favor filled with 40 solid chocolates and truffles plus paper hats. For festive gatherings, the “Chocolate Dipping Adventure for Two” with melt-able dark, white, caramel and milk chocolate, waffle wafers with sea salt and sesame oil, marshmallows, breadsticks, grissini crackers, fudge, panned nuts and gianduja cubes is an enjoyable treat.

Hotel Chocolat was founded in 1993 with a simple goal to make a better quality chocolate. Originally a mail order catalog and website, in 2004 the company established its first retail presence in Watford, England and now has 35 UK locations. With eyes on North America, Hotel Chocolat grew its online business in 2007 and expanded with retail locations in 2009. Hotel Chocolat is one of the UK’s fastest growing businesses according to The Sunday Times 2008 Virgin Atlantic Fast Track and has won numerous awards including 2007 Retail Week’s Emerging Retailer of the Year, 2007 Ernst & Young’s UK Entrepreneur of the Year and was a 2007 Cool Brand alongside marquee brands, Aston Martin and Apple.  For Press Kit, Blogger Affiliate Program, Hi-Res JPGs and more information, visit: www.hotelchocolat.com/press; Twitter @HotelChocolatNA.