chocolate

WHAT’S your check list for a family holiday that keeps everyone happy? Several pools? Water slides? Beach access? Good kids club?

This month, the TUI Holiday Village in Sarigerme, Dalaman, was voted TUI’s best family-friendly hotel in the world.

The Magic Life property on the edge of the Aegean Sea has 253 rooms, five pools and four restaurants… and enough activities to keep guests busy for an entire month.

I visited for a week last summer with my 6 year old and was blown away by the offering. 

As a Travel Editor for nearly a decade, I’ve slept in some of the world’s best places, from five-star resorts to Disney theme park hotels. 

But this flagship Holiday Village property by TUI got a 10 out of 10 for many things, from food and cleanliness to extracurriculars. 

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I’ve been to five-star hotels with far poorer service and fewer food choices.

On my family’s trip our days were so busy I had to schedule everything. 

We filled our days with Go Ape-style aerial adventures, drama classes, inflatable obstacle courses, discos, game show challenges, arcades… 

There truly was something for everyone, including football and swimming lessons, or even chocolate parties.  

Despite scorching temperatures in August hitting 48C, the staff were amazing.

The entertainment team were always on form, the food at breakfast, lunch and dinner was delicious, the poolside was immaculate and the rooms were spotless.

Breakfast was enormous, with every taste catered for — Turkish pastries, English favourites, about six types of eggs, continental, and a huge fruit selection.

Lunch by the pool was equally impressive, with a huge mezze selection consisting of about 40 different dishes.

But the best meal was dinner, with an even more expansive mezze selection, soups, salads and several hot food stations serving everything from pizza to gourmet to-order dishes, and a pudding buffet of dreams.

They also had themed nights, when the entire menu was changed — our favourites being the Turkish and Asian evenings.

And they had a separate kitchen for kids’ food at all meals. 

There were three a-la-carte restaurants too, serving American, European and Asian dishes.

At night, most of the hotel decamped to the 500-seat amphitheatre to watch the entertainment.

One evening towards the end of our holiday, my son and ten others put on a half-hour show that was deeply impressive given the minimal six hours of rehearsals that had taken part in the run-up. 

Also part of the evening entertainment schedule were DJs, dance contests, quizzes and a musical. 

Admittedly, you have to be a certain type of person to enjoy this hotel.

“Never a dull moment” extends to all times of the day, with a full-on range of activities taking place by the pool during the afternoon.

But if that’s you, then the TUI Village Sarigerme really does offer everything the whole family could want from a holiday.

Seven night all-inclusive holidays at the hotel start from £655pp, with return UK flights.

Nominations are only open from March 5 to 12

A chocolate-filled hotel room that money simply cannot buy is being offered to the “world’s sweetest person” as part of a new campaign launched across Europe. Chocolate brand Tony’s Chocolonely has teamed up with hospitality group The Social Hub to create a chocolate-drenched pop-up suite at The Social Hub Amsterdam.

The fortunate winner will enjoy an immersive stay in the chocolate-themed rooms, as though they’ve walked straight into the world of Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. However, guests won’t be expected to find a golden ticket or be able to book or pay for the room.

Instead, people must nominate the “sweetest person” they know to win a stay. Winners will then be treated to a once-in-a-lifetime chocolate sleepover alongside the friend who nominated them.

Sounds sweet? Here’s what to expect at the hotel

Within the three-room suite, guests will discover chocolate-themed décor, mismatched furniture inspired by Tony’s bars, chocolate room service and a playlist featuring artists from cocoa-producing regions.

The room will also showcase messages of connection, kindness and inspiration in every corner. Guests will also be given a special two-piece chocolate bar, including a limited-edition white and milk chocolate flavour with caramel and sea salt, exclusive to the pop-up in The Social Hub Amsterdam City.

Guests can then keep one bar and give the other away as an act of kindness. The stay also includes a “wake-up call” about exploitation in the West African cocoa supply chain.

Tony’s Chocolonely is showcasing its partnership with approximately 40,000 cocoa farmers to help them achieve a living income.

Sadira E. Furlow, Chief of Global Brand & Communications at Tony’s Chocolonely, said: “As an impact brand that makes chocolate, we’re trying to end exploitation in cocoa by showing chocolate can be made very differently.

“In taste and how we work with cocoa farmers. By launching the world’s sweetest hotel room at The Social Hub, we want to invite fans to indulge in our chocolate, connect with each other and celebrate the people who truly care about the impact their actions have on others.”

To kick off the campaign, “Missing: the world’s sweetest person” posters will be displayed throughout Amsterdam, Berlin, and Glasgow, whilst Social Hub staff will reward guests who demonstrate acts of “sweetness” with Tony’s chocolate.

How to enter

For the opportunity to experience the chocolate hotel, residents from the UK, the Netherlands, and Germany can submit nominations via the Instagram accounts of The Social Hub and Tony’s Chocolonely between March 5 and 12.

A judging panel from both companies will choose one winner from each country. The room will be revealed on March 20 and available for 10 days. Enthusiasts in Amsterdam can also visit the space on March 29 from 1pm onwards.

Pre-booking through The Social Hub website will be necessary for visits, though fans won’t be permitted to stay overnight unless they secure victory in the competition. Trix van der Vleuten, Chief Marketing Officer at The Social Hub, commented: “The world feels increasingly divided. We’re more digitally connected than ever, yet loneliness is rising.

“We wanted to come together with Tony’s to showcase that sweetness – simple, human kindness – matters more than ever, and that people can enjoy our products whilst positively impacting society.”

She added: “Doing good makes you feel good. So does eating chocolate that’s produced fairly, and so does spending time in a one-of-a-kind choco hotel room with someone else.

“Like Tony’s chocolate bars, this room is designed to be shared. We can’t wait to reveal it, as there’s truly never been anything else like this before.”

To put forward someone as the world’s sweetest person, visit The Social Hub’s Instagram page for a chance to secure the once-in-a-lifetime sleepover. Click here to discover more.

HIKING down the mountain, butterflies fluttering past, the sound of moo-sic fills the air. It seems the native black Hérens cows, adorned with huge bells, are on the move, too…

My daughter Ava, 12, and I are on an idyllic, hour-long trail in the Swiss Alps that starts at Cabanes-des-Violettes cable car and has us venturing across a spring, wildflower meadows and alpine forest.

And just when I think Ava is on her last legs, we round a bend to discover the Relais de Colombire restaurant, perched as high as the paragliders.

It’s the perfect spot to refuel on fondue, £27, and local Marmotte Hippie IPA, £6, while Ava makes light work of the giant cookie and ice cream, £11.20 (Colombire.ch/en/restaurant).

Fun-icular times

We’re kipping in the pretty town of Crans-Montana, with its elaborate flower displays, boutiques and eight lakes, in the French-speaking region of Valais.

It’s a scenic two-hour train around Lake Geneva then a thrilling funicular ride to get here from Geneva airport, and Hotel Valaisia makes the most of the scenery, with roomy balconies leading off its comfy doubles.

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There are indoor and outdoor pools, a sauna, cosy snug and games room, and at Eteila Brasserie, we feast on tasty dishes such as salmon with baked potato and mango salsa, £42 for three courses. You can also bike and hike from the doorstep.

Hopping on two wheels is a great way to get your bearings – more so if you’re over 16 and can e-bike!

We do our best to keep up with guide John, and even test our skills on a forest obstacle course.

Afterwards, we treat our wobbly legs to pulled veal burgers, £33, on La Plage’s terrace at Lake Moubra, where I try (unsuccessfully) to tempt Ava to sample my bourguignon-style escargots, £11 (Restaurant laplage.ch).

A one-hour bike tour costs £61 (Esscrans-montana.ch).

Love at frost bite

Even in August, you can still find snow up high. We catch a gondola to 3,000m above sea level, spying cute mountain goats and Roger Moore’s Bond pad on the way.

At the top, Plaine Morte Glacier – an 8km expanse of glistening ice – is breathtaking, as are views of the snowy peaks of Mont Blanc and the Matterhorn – the mountain Toblerone was modelled on.

It’s that same chocolate I find myself scraping out of my bowl that evening at Le Mayen, a short stroll from our beds, where the Toblerone mousse, £12, is a must.

Surrounded by check tablecloths, dirndl-wearing waitresses and a waft of cheese, we soak up the full Swiss experience, carb-loading on rosti – a heavenly mix of raclette, fondue and local dried meat, £31 (Mayen.ch).

Wakeboard me up, before you go, go!

On our last morning, we swap snow for the palm-tree-lined beach of Étang Long lake and watch a 140m wakeboarding cable give people the ride of their life, from £23 (Cransmontana.ch).

It looks easy, until I nose-dive into the water.

The lake inflatables – free with the MyExplorer Card hotel guests receive – are more our bag, then as we await our Beach Club crêpes with goat’s cheese, walnuts and honey, £17, Ava challenges me to a volleyball match. . .

I’ve done more exercise in just a few days here than I have in weeks back home.

There’s clearly something in the air – and it’s not just cheese.