Every summer, my family takes a short road trip to Hersheypark — and we always try to stay at the Hershey Lodge. There are several reasons to book your stay at this property (or the Hershey Hotel). And the fact that you get a full size Hershey Chocolate Bar at check in, and there are Hershey Kisses on all the walls and sheets, are just a bonus!
Free Shuttle to Hersheypark
The most convenient thing about staying at the beautiful Hershey Lodge is that they have a free shuttle that will drop you off right at the front of the park. They run consistently throughout the day and right up until closing time, so you can pretty much always catch one. This saves you from paying for parking, and having to drive yourself to the park. It is especially nice on the way home when your legs and feet are exhausted from a fun filled day!
You can even go back and forth with the shuttle. So get there first thing to take advantage of the sweet start (more on that in a minute). Then back to Hershey Lodge for an afternoon nap before hitting the park at night!
One Hour Early Access
Probably my favorite perk to take advantage of is the Sweet Start. If you are staying at Hershey Lodge or Hershey Hotel you can get in to the park (and on select rides!!) an hour before anyone else. During our latest visit, we were able to get on the newest ride, Reese’s Cupfusion, without a wait because of this! That alone was worth it!
I will admit that two years ago we did not stay at a Hershey resort and we REALLY missed this perk. We are normally able to get on at least three or four rides that would normally have a long wait during sweet start. My advice? Definitely take advantage of this!
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Free Tickets to Hershey Story Museum
When you check in at Hershey Lodge, you are given free tickets for your entire party to the Hershey Story Museum! We love this museum. And even thought we have been five times already, we still make a point to visit each trip.
The Hershey Story Museum details Milton Hershey’s life — and trust me when I say, your mind will be blown when you learn a few things! Like the fact that he had several failed businesses before Hershey Chocolate (or should I say Lancaster Caramel) Company. One of my favorite parts about this museum is the chocolate flight tasting. You sample different hot chocolates from around the world — just check out this fun video we took during our last visit!
CHOCOLATE TASTING VIDEO
Free Tickets to Hershey Gardens
Included in your stay at Hershey Lodge is also tickets to the Hershey Gardens for your entire family. Overlooking the town of Hershey, Hershey Gardens features a breathtaking assortment of flowers and shrubs, a stately collection of rare, signature trees, and various programs designed to delight visitors of all ages. Indulge your senses in the color and variety of our brilliant seasonal displays and explore themed gardens, including our charming hands-on Children’s Garden. There is also a Butterfly Garden!
The Restaurants
Having two young girls, one of the most important things to take in to consideration is the food. Luckily we do not deal with any food allergies –- however, my girls can be picky when they want to. This was not anything we had to worry about at Hershey Lodge because there are several different restaurant options (six to be exact) right in the lodge!
Every trip we just have to eat at The Bear’s Den. If you are looking for a pub style dinner experience, this is for you! For breakfast we always enjoy the buffet at Fire & Grain. Not once have we had a complaint about the food at Hershey Lodge. In fact, we look forward to eating there!
Water Works
If your kids are like mine, they love to swim! That is why we love that Hershey Lodge not only has an indoor pool –- it has a mini-water park! Over 30,000 square feet of family fun, which is perfect after a long, hot day in the park! What a great way to cool off and unwind before bed.
Tessa Smith is a Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer-approved Film and TV Critic. On Camera personality and TV / Film Critic with 10+ years of experience in video editing, writing, editing, moderating, and hosting.