The Hotel Hershey

The honest review

Milton Hershey built The Hotel Hershey in 1933 during the Great Depression, specifically to provide construction jobs for the community. The result is a Mediterranean-influenced grand hotel on a hilltop above the town he'd built — and 90 years later, it's still the most distinctive property in a destination that's now among the most-visited family parks on the East Coast.

The location advantage is definitive. The Hotel Hershey sits on the hill above Hersheypark — meaning the park is a short walk down the hill, and guests receive early park entry (typically 1 hour before general public admission). For a Hersheypark trip, being able to walk to the park entrance, do the first hour with minimal crowds, and walk back for a pool afternoon changes the trip dynamic entirely. Families staying off-site drive, park, deal with traffic on exit, and lose 45–90 minutes per day to logistics.

Hersheypark proximity comes with the chocolate universe: ZooAmerica (North American wildlife zoo) is immediately adjacent to the park, Hershey's Chocolate World is a 5-minute drive with a free chocolate-making tour that younger kids love, and the Hotel Hershey grounds themselves have 8 acres of formal gardens that are worth a morning walk.

The spa is genuine. The Spa at The Hotel Hershey built its reputation on chocolate-themed treatments (cocoa bean scrubs, chocolate fondue wraps, whipped cocoa bath) but also does full massage, facial, and body treatment menus that stand independently of the chocolate gimmick. The couples suite and day packages are popular for parents dropping kids at the park for the afternoon. This is real parent-recovery infrastructure — not just a spa room off the lobby.

Pool configuration: outdoor pool complex on the hotel's south side, open seasonally, with mountain views over the town below. Indoor pool operates year-round. Both are resort-quality. No waterpark on-property (that's at Hershey Lodge next door), but the pools are generously sized and properly maintained.

Dining: the Circular Dining Room is the signature — a full circular dining room from the original 1933 design, with American cuisine that's better than most theme-park-area hotels. The Iberian Lounge handles cocktails. Harvest is the casual alternative. None of it is destination dining, but the Circular Dining Room dinner is a genuine experience worth doing once on a trip.

Pricing is at the top of the Hershey range. The Hotel Hershey charges what you'd expect a 4-star resort to charge, plus you're in a destination town where demand is high June through August. Summer family room rates in the $450–650/night range are real numbers. The hotel packages that bundle Hersheypark tickets are frequently the smarter financial move — park tickets run $70–100/person/day (varies by date), and bundled packages often offer meaningful savings plus guaranteed park access dates.

Who shouldn't pick this: Families on budget — Hershey Lodge ($100–150/night less) has the on-site waterpark and similar Hersheypark access. Families who prioritize waterpark access over hotel quality (Lodge has a larger indoor waterpark). Families who just need proximity (the multiple off-site hotels near Hersheypark handle basic logistics without resort pricing). The Hotel Hershey is for families who want the definitive Hershey experience — historic property, great spa, best service, and Hersheypark access all in one.