Mercure Rayong Lomtalay Villas & Resort

Sweet Trails

Mercure Rayong’s Chocolate Lab

From Coastal Soil to Cocoa Magic

A Story of Chocolate, Grown by the Sea

At Mercure Rayong Lomtalay Villas & Resort, luxury isn’t just served on a plate — it’s grown in our own soil.

Just beyond the ocean breeze and the shade of coastal palms lies something truly rare: a hotel-owned cacao farm, thriving in Rayong’s fertile, mineral-rich earth. Here, nestled between the mountains and the Gulf of Thailand, we cultivate our very own cacao — hand-harvested, sun-dried, and fermented on-site.

This isn’t a partnership. This isn’t outsourced. This is our chocolate. From seed to sweet.

And it all leads to one place: the Mercure Chocolate Lab.

The Chocolate Lab: Rayong’s Hidden Culinary Treasure

Step through the doors of Sweet Trails, our garden-wing café, and you’ll catch the first hint — the warm, earthy aroma of roasted cacao and slow-melted couverture. Behind a wall of glass and polished marble is the Mercure Chocolate Lab, a working atelier where our chefs transform raw beans from our own cacao trees into exquisite, handcrafted chocolate.

This is no show kitchen. It’s a fully operational chocolate workshop built into the very heart of our resort — a space where Rayong’s soil becomes ganache, truffle, and bar.

Cacao with a Thai Soul

Every creation is made in-house and in small batches. No imports. No shortcuts.

• Pralines filled with mango-passionfruit caramel

• Dark chocolate bars with chili and sea salt from local salt flats

• Milk chocolate infused with Rayong’s wild honey and roasted cashew

It’s a chocolate journey rooted in place. Crafted not just for flavor, but to tell the story of our region — its heat, its sweetness, its rhythm.

Sweet Trails Café: A Showcase of Chocolate Artistry

At Sweet Trails, our garden-view café, guests can indulge in the latest creations from the Lab — elegantly plated desserts, warm lava cakes straight from the oven, and frozen treats swirled with house-made chocolate shards.
Our signature? The Bean-to-Bar Flight — a curated tasting of three chocolates from different harvests of our own cacao farm, paired with local fruit, flower teas, and estate-brewed coffee. Each bite is a passport to the land just outside your window.

For the Curious: Hands-On Chocolate Masterclasses

For guests who want to go deeper, our Bean-to-Bar Experience is a must.

You’ll walk through our cacao garden, meet our growers, and learn how we ferment and dry the beans. Then, in the Lab, you’ll temper, mold, and wrap your own custom chocolate bar — flavored with ingredients of your choosing from our garden and the local market.

It’s immersive. Authentic. Delicious. And only found here, at Mercure Rayong.

Why We Grow Our Own:

In a world where most hotels source their chocolate, we asked: why not grow it?

By planting and harvesting our own cacao, we:

• Support regenerative agriculture on underutilized coastal farmland

• Create meaningful work for local growers and food artisans

• Control every step of quality — from root to recipe

This is more than a culinary feature. It’s a commitment to transparency, terroir, and taste.

Come for the Views. Stay for the Chocolate.

There are many reasons to love Mercure Rayong — the panoramic oceanfront pools, the designer villas, the spa kissed by sea breeze. But when guests talk about what truly surprised them?