The Hotel Hershey- Hershey, PA
In 1900, using profits from the sale of his successful caramel company, confectioner Milton Hershey set out to develop a method of mass producing milk chocolate. Milk chocolate at that time was considered a luxury item, and available only to the wealthy; Milton saw the potential for profit by bringing the product to the masses. Through trial and error, Hershey quickly came up with a formula for his milk chocolate, leaving only the difficult task of perfecting mass production. To that end, in 1903 he started construction on the world’s largest chocolate factory, located amidst the Pennsylvania dairy farms that would provide his key ingredient.
By 1905 the factory was complete, and Hershey’s mass production method proved wildly successful; he had succeeded in profitably producing the first nationally marketed milk chocolate. Surrounding his factory, Hershey constructed a model town, complete with affordable housing, public schools, and sports fields. In 1907, an amusement park was added, complete with rides, a swimming pool, and ballroom.
It was this deep commitment to the community that led Hershey to fund many construction projects during the dark days of the Great Depression, including the grand Hotel Hershey. A hotel had always been included in the master plan for the town, but construction had been delayed by the death of Hershey’s wife and the outbreak World War I. Original plans called for it to be a recreation of Egypt’s luxurious Heliopolis Palace Hotel, but costs proved prohibitive. Instead, architect Paul Witmer created a Mediterranean masterpiece flanked by towers on each end, surrounded by formal gardens. Situated atop a hill overlooking Hershey’s factory, construction of the 170 room hotel employed 800 laborers, cost over 2 million dollars, and took just one year to complete.
On May 26, 1933 the hotel hosted a grand fete for 400 guests, then officially opened for business the next day. Guests were greeted with a grand Spanish patio, a fancy fountain, tiled floors, tinted walls, palm trees, ornate carved woodwork, and a dining room with no corners, ensuring a good view from every table. A nine hole golf course was added in 1934, followed by a elegant ballroom in 1935. That year also saw the debut of the hotel’s first service bar and wine cellar, which had been delayed by prohibition.
The opulence of the hotel continued outside, with grounds that contained formal gardens and fountains. Consisting of several different elevations, the peaceful gardens invited guests outside to take in the surrounding views. These gardens are still stunning today, and overall I was much more impressed with the outside of the hotel than the public spaces within.
Over the years, the hotel has undergone several additions, as well as the addition of conference space. An indoor pool was later added, as well as a spa, and a huge outdoor pool complex, complete with water slides and spray deck. Which is great if you have children, but certainly alters the character of the hotel.
Inside, the original Moorish inspired lobby, full of magnificent arches, tiled floors and central fountain has been turned into a restaurant. It was fully occupied on my visit, so I opted to skip the picture. It was however still lovely, and the most impressive part of the building. The new lobby is lackluster, feels subterranean, and certainly isn’t a grand space. It was actually very disappointing. In the end, I opted not to stay at the Hotel Hershey. I am sure the rooms are comfortable, but the vibe was a bit too family friendly for me. It is adjacent to a theme park after all, so that is to be expected. That said, guests can play the two private courses at the Hershey Country Club, also built by Milton, so I may return at a quieter time in the future.
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