The Spa at The Hotel Hershey Review
The Hotel Hershey: The Hotel Hershey is a 4-star and 4-diamond hotel set atop a hill overlooking the town of Hershey. From the balcony that is off The Circular Dining Room, you can see the Hershey factory, amusement park and all that the town of Hershey has to offer.
When we pulled up the driveway to The Hotel Hershey, I was in awe of how massive the mansion-like hotel was. Upon check-in you're asked which type of chocolate you like and the receptionist presents you with a complimentary Hershey chocolate bar (I chose dark chocolate of course!)
The hotel layout is an intricate maze, so it's very helpful that they provide you with a map...not to mention that the staff is very patient answering my countless questions of, "How do I get there again?" when referring to the Spa, the ice skating rink, dining options, etc.
The hotel rooms are well-appointed and simply beautiful. And they really thought of everything; from a sewing kit to cotton balls and Q-tips to a separate bag for recyclables. There are wonderful shops throughout the hotel, such as The Jeweler where I drooled over the LeVian jewelry (my FAVORITE), A Storied Home whose home decor is so elegant and beautiful, The Spa Boutique where I was tempted to purchase the robe they have in the spa and in your hotel room, Signatures where we purchased some things for the kids, The Cocoa Beanery where we also ate breakfast on the day we departed (Double Chocolate Mocha Iced Latte and Chocolate Chip Cranberry Scone--to die for!) and there are many more! The Hotel Hershey also has many restaurants to choose from. They also have a restaurant, The Oasis, which is for spa guests only. The Spa at The Hotel Hershey: I was scheduled for a Cocoa Facial Experience ($170, 75 minutes) and arrived 30 minutes prior to my appointment time, which gave me the chance to tour the spa and enjoy some time (eating Dark Chocolate Hershey Kisses) in the Quiet Room. The spa layout is modeled after and replicates Milton Hershey's mansion. It is gorgeous! There are three rooms that you can wait in prior to, in-between and after your spa treatments. There's the Quiet Room, which hosts coffee, water, hot cocoa, muffins and bowls of Hershey Kisses. In this room you can relax and whisper. There's the Silent Room, where naturally, there is no talking at all. Then there is the Inhalation Room, which is an aromatherapy room. The Spa at The Hotel Hershey also offers a nail and hair salon, steam room and sauna, whirlpool jacuzzi, indoor pool and fitness center. The Oasis, the spa's restaurant, is done buffet-style with a variety of healthy options. Of course, dessert is the only non-healthy option and I happily obliged my chocolate cravings here! If you plan to dine here, reservations are required.The Cocoa Facial Experience is amazing. You begin with a warm footbath. Then, Andrea, my esthetician who has 20 years experience and grew up in Hershey, explained to me the history of the town and the Hershey legacy. A piece of Hershey Special Dark Chocolate and chocolate lip balm were then given to me.
You then lay covered on a warm spa bed with the lights low and soothing music playing in the background. The best part before beginning the actual facial, was that Andrea began brushing my hair. I don't know about you, but I love, love, love when someone brushes my hair. In fact, my kids are known to do this to me when they want something! I find it so soothing and relaxing. She not only did this at the beginning of the facial, but at the end as well...which made me simply want to just stay and sleep there.
Andrea then cleansed and exfoliated my face using both Sothys skin care products and Bernard Cassiere. As Andrea applied these products, the melted dark chocolate for my facial was kept warm nearby. The entire room smelled delicious.
When it came time to apply the chocolate, Andrea first applied it to my lips so that I could taste it and I immediately began listing in my head everything it tasted like: brownies, chocolate chip cookies, cake, ice cream and the list went on and on. I was in complete heaven. I do admit, it feels strange at first to have warm, melted chocolate applied to your face, but trust me, you quickly get used to it!
After the chocolate was applied to my face, Andrea then massaged my neck, shoulders, arms and hands. I mentioned to her that sometimes you don't even realize a part of your body hurts until someone starts to massage it. Due to sitting at my desk all day working, this was a great bonus to this facial experience and helped release tension in those muscles.
The chocolate mask is then removed, your face is cleansed again and then serum and a protective tinted moisturizer is applied. My face felt amazing and my skin was glowing. The Chocolate Lab at The Hershey Story Museum: Since it is Chocolate Covered February, there were a lot of events happening in the town of Hershey. We decided to go to the Truffles for Couples class happening at The Hershey Story Museum. I loved that this was an exclusive event, as it required reservations and the museum and Cafe Zooka were closed for business. It really made it an intimate evening!
When you go into the Chocolate Lab you find your seat by locating a chocolate bar with your name on it in white chocolate. All the tools and toppings you'll need to create your truffles are set out before you. The class begins with a slideshow and explanation about chocolate, how it's made and some history about Milton Hershey. Honestly, even though I live in Pennsylvania, I learned a lot during my trip about the legacy and heritage of the Hershey name.
Then the fun part came when we got to make 4 truffles. It was incredibly messy (you get to wear gloves), but super fun. While the truffles chilled more information was given about Milton Hershey, his wife Kitty and the town of Hershey. When the class was done (about 1 hour), we were given a rose, our truffles and our personal chocolate bar. It was a great way to end the day.
There really is so much to see and do in Hershey, even during the colder months! There's Hershey's Chocolate World, ZooAmerica, The Hershey Museum, not to mention all of the chocolate-inspired restaurants throughout the town. Of course, if you go to Hershey in the summer months, Hershey Park is a blast with both an amusement park and water park (I went 2 years ago and had so much fun.) Have you been here? I'd love to hear your experience!
*Disclosure: Partially comped experience
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