Hershey, Pennsylvania Hotels And Resorts

If drifting off to sleep to the sweet aroma of chocolate sounds yummy, check out read these reviews of top family hotels in Hershey, a fun central Pennsylvania town.

Hershey may be most often associated with Halloween or Valentine's Day but, in fact, it's a central Pennsylvania town whose chocolate-making industry has made it a popular year-round destination. In addition to its factory, the town also has a theme park and other family attractions, and is conveniently located about three hours from New York City, 90 minutes from Philadelphia and two hours from the Washington/Baltimore metro area.

The home of the world's largest chocolate factory is also where you will find one of Pennsylvania's leading family resorts, a place where 3,400 chocolate cream pies are baked each year. There are lots of other family-friendly features at the main hotel and lodge locations, such as indoor /outdoor pools, rental bicycles, exercise rooms, whirlpools and saunas, tobogganing and sledding, cross country skiing, family movies, pitch and putt golf and, of course, a turn-down treat on your pillow at bedtime! 

Hotel Hershey
100 Hotel Road
Hershey, PA 17033
800/HERSHEY or 717/533-2171
$$-$$$$
The AAA four-diamond, Mobil four-star winning Hershey Hotel is celebrating its 80th anniversary in 2013, and this grande dame just seems to get sweeter with age. Meticulously restored,  and a certified Historic Hotel of America, the hotel itself was built in an elegant Mediterranean style with lots of pink stucco, terra cotta roof tiles, and a hilltop overview of the town of Hershey. The Hotel also features seven sweet boutique shops for a one-of-a-kind shopping experience, as well as four restaurants, a lounge, and poolside dining. A beautifully landscaped resort with 276 rooms, more than 20 premier suites and 10 family-sized cottages, the Hotel Hershey also offers packages that include free seasonal shuttle bus transportation to Hershey Park and other area attractions. Free admission to the Hershey Museum and the Hershey Gardens is also included in room rates. Spacious double rooms are well decorated and offer all the modern conveniences; there is choice of views of the almost 300 acres of gardens, fountains and reflecting pools; the lushly planted front terrace; or the town of Hershey. Depending on your budget, you may also want to pay attention to the full service Spa at Hershey where chocolate infuses many of the wellness treatments.

Work-off-the-candy recreation facilities at the main hotel include an indoor pool area with baby pool, whirlpool, and men's and ladies' locker rooms at The Fitness Center. There's outdoor basketball, volleyball, and three tennis courts, a playground for little ones, a game room and shuffleboard. A highly regarded golf course is nearby, and the hotel's outfitter arranges fly fishing, ropes courses, falconry, Segway tours, orienteering, kayaking and even more active pursuits. The on-site Cocoa Kids Club is a daily program for ages 5-12, open Memorial Day to Labor Day and select holidays, supervised by Hershey trained counselors. In addition to the sports noted above, kids can join in activities such as arts and crafts, kids fitness and outings to the Children's Garden & Butterfly House. Fees are based on half- or full-day participation; counselors also provide a Kids Night Out program evenings. Reservations required. Parents are requested to remain on property (facial anyone?) while the kids are happily engaged. Teens above 13-years have their own Club Adventure.

Hershey Lodge
325 University Drive
Hershey, PA 17033
800/HERSHEY or 717/533-3311
$-$$
The attractive Hershey Lodge offers 665 rooms and 15 suites, each crafted with comfy furnishings and local artwork. This is a much more economical choice, especially in the low spring season, when there's usually a Family Package for those who want to stay a bit longer. This package includes breakfast for four and tickets to many local shows and attractions. A Lodge stay at any time grants guests the same benefits as at the Hotel Hershey, such as free shuttle transportation and free admission to the gardens and museums. In summer, families staying at the Lodge are also welcome to register kids for the supervised Cocoa Kids Club that meets at the main hotel, as long as guardians will be on hotel property (spa, having dinner, etc.) while kids are enrolled.

Hershey Park Camping Resort
1200 Sweet Street
Hummelstown, PA  17036
800/HERSHEY or 717/534-8995
$
If your family likes to commune with nature on your vacations, check out Hershey's camping option.  Located on 55 acres, the campground offers more than 300 open and shaded areas ranging from tent sites to full-service deluxe cabins, and is open all year-round.  Amenities include two pools (plus a kiddie pool), a playground, basketball and volleyball courts, horseshoe pits, arts 'n'crafts, laundry facilities and a country store. Guests here also receive perks on multi-day stays during summer.  The Hershey Resorts Advantage provides discounted tickets to Hersheypark, Dutch Wonderland, Hershey Gardens and The Hershey Story and special discounts on the Hershey Golf Collection, featuring four golf courses.  A complimentary shuttle bus to Hersheypark is available seasonally.

The official Hershey Hotels reviewed above are in the heart of the action, but for information on other lodging options in the region, call 800/HERSHEY or visit Hershey PA Tourism.