Christmastime at The Hotel Hershey

 

Think old-fashioned family Christmastime, and that is the mood set at The Hotel Hershey during the holiday season.  Built in the 1933, from the moment you approach the stately driveway of this landmark destination you feel… important.  Not that there aren’t families throughout (filled with both the Hersheypark Christmas Candylane spirit and perhaps some chocolate), but this Historic Hotel of America is unmistakably elegant.

** Updated December 2019

The grand entrance of The Hotel Hershey, bedecked for Christmastime.

The Hotel Hershey

From the moment you enter the present-day registration lobby, you feel special.  And from November through January, festive!

Perhaps this is reminiscent of other grand lobbies you might know!

Christmastime

Once you are checked in, and have received your chocolate reward, you might want to do as we normally do, head straight to your deluxe room.  However, if you are simply spending the day here, as we were this particular trip, it is time to make a beeline to the Cocoa Beanery for a holiday beverage.  (Mine was the Peppermint Mocha.)

My friendly Cocoa Beanery barista.

Shopping

While there, I discovered beautiful Specialty Baskets and chocolates.  Santa’s stockings will be bulging this year!  The Christmas shopping continued at the nearby Shine, A Lilly Pulitzer Signature Store; I find a pop of pink does wonders for the winter doldrums.

Even Lilly Pulitzer offers holiday sales!

And no December shopping spree would be complete without the requisite Christmas ornament, which I found in abundance at Signatures- All Things Hershey.

A little something for MY tree.

Christmastime Decorations

And continuing on that topic, here it is- the glorious Christmas tree in the Fountain Lobby at The Hotel Hershey .  (When the resort opened in The Great Depression, this was the site of the original entrance.  Milton S. Hershey, founder of The Hershey Chocolate Company, employed nearly one thousand workers for this visionary and humanitarian project.)

 

Each Christmas Tree on Hersheypark property is individually-themed to match the motif of its surroundings.  This tree is adorned with delicately “chocolate” swirled glass Christmas ornaments.

 

The Christmas Tree at The Hershey Lodge has a rustic theme, and is decorated with bars of Hershey’s Milk Chocolate!

The Fountain Lobby, inspired by the Mediterranean travels of Mr. and Mrs. Hershey, is stunning; Spanish tiles, Moorish mosaics, and warm color palettes mark this space.

The Fountain Lobby

Dining

As always, our travels must center on wining and dining; this ongoing “research” is the curse of living in the restaurant business.  We were somewhat parched after our three-hour journey from New York City, so we could not help but be drawn into the lobby’s Iberian Lounge.  The lit hearth was beautifully appointed with garland, and those overstuffed leather chairs felt so good.  Sipping that Kir Royale by the fire felt pretty good too!

Decisions, decisions.

On our last trip to the resort, we had enjoyed an Italian lunch at Trevi 5, so this time we made reservations at our nostalgic family favorite: The Circular.  This flashback to the turn of the twentieth century is The Hotel Hershey‘s flagship restaurant, and overlooks the formal gardens.  Expect fine dining with commensurate prices, and look for details on their Christmas Dinner, Christmas Brunch, and New year’s Eve HERE.

Activities

After dinner,  we had time for our own version of dessert- Hershey Sweet Lights, A Holiday Drive-Through Spectacular.

Hershey Sweet Lights Entrance

Located behind the hotel, it was a quick three-left-turns into the entrance of this two-mile maze of lights and holiday music.

Hershey Sweet Lights are a hop, skip, and jump away from The Hotel Hershey!

Open nightly from November 10 – January 1, ticket prices vary depending on the size of your vehicle and the day of the week.  You can check admission costs HERE.

Hersheypark Christmas Candylane and more!

Fans of Hersheypark know that there are not enough hours in the day to experience everything this destination has to offer.  This is doubly true during the holiday season.  To see the full lineup of Holiday Celebrations at The Hotel Hershey (including the Evening S’more Roast at the Harvest Fire Pit) head HERE.

Over the past twenty years, we have we have stayed and visited this destination many times, but this was our first “taste” during the holidays.  Whether for a day or an extended stay, The Hotel Hershey is “The Sweetest Place on Earth” at Christmastime!

**  This is not a sponsored post; it is simply my Christmas present to you!!