HERSHEY LODGE

Good Value for Weekday Kids Stay, Play, and Eat Package- Hershey Section I was quite concerned about paying for an expensive one-night stay after reading all of the reviews about the declining condition of the Hershey Lodge. But my family had a wonderful time! We stayed only one night, and I wish in hindsight we had splurged and booked for two nights. Here are our facts: Monday check-in for a queen room for 2 adults and 2 children. We purchased the "Kids Stay, Play, and Eat" package which provided 4 tickets to the park, free breakfast for the 2 kids (w/the purchase of 1 adult meal), 4 tickets to the Hershey Story, and 4 tickets to the Hershey Gardens. Including tax our total was $477. I requested in my online reservation to be placed close to the lobby or the Kissing Tower based on other Trip Advisor recommendations. We arrived at the lodge at 3pm and expected our room to not be ready, so we had packed our swim clothes in a separate bag so we could check in and then use the water park while waiting for our room to be ready. To our surprise, they had a comparable room ready, and we were immediately able to check in to our room. We were in the "Hershey" section on the 4th floor of the main building with easy access to the elevator and lobby. Our room was clean, smoke free, no musty or moldy smells, no stains on the linens, the refrigerator was cold, and so as was the AC. If I am to be critical, the bathroom grout could use a good bleach/scrub, but it wasn't moldy- just older. The bathroom floor pattern also isn't appealing because the texture/color looks dirty even when clean, lol. We changed our clothes and went to the pool at 4pm. On the way to the pool, we stopped back downstairs and noticed the line was VERY long to check in. I would suggest if you can, try to check in before 4pm and go enjoy the pool or other activities until that line gets a little shorter. We popped over to the kids check in and the boys received their packets and signed the guest book. Then off to the water park which was very fun for all of us. Lots of kids, the water was a little cloudy- but no debris. I was very happy to see all of the lifeguards were calling down kids running or rough housing and were doing a good job keeping an eye on all the water activities. We had plenty of chairs to choose from to watch our kids play. It is a maze to get to the pool if you are staying in the main section. Just know- if you are going to the pool from the interior of the hotel- it's on the 2nd floor! It can be closer depending on where your room is to walk outside to then go to the waterpark. Just ask when you check in for them to highlight it on the map for you. We then left on the shuttle at 6pm for our preview time at the park and that made a HUGE difference for us! Having never been before we were able to get in several rollercoasters and plot our day for the morning. It really made our trip feel so much longer (for the better). For food- we ate a very late-night burger and wings at the Bears Den and both were quite good and fairly priced (for a resort). We had free breakfast for the 2 kids and based on the online menus we had planned to eat at Fire and Grain, but when we sat down, we learned they only had a breakfast buffet available, and we weren't interested at $27 per person for that style of breakfast. We left and went to Stacks and were SO HAPPY! It was delicious, and reasonable, and the best breakfast. The free breakfast basically meant the 2 least expensive meals would be free. The kids could order off the kids' menu or adult menu- it didn't matter. The kid menu includes a smaller portion and a drink. But that pancake was HUGE for our 7-year-old! I had the breakfast sandwich (fantastic), my husband and other son had the French toast, and we ordered perfect crunchy bacon. And I was thrilled that they gave me my own carafe of coffee so I could refill my cup continuously. Other stay notes- the shuttle to the park was easy to catch- just know there will be a wait if you go at popular times like 9am or 10am. Leaving the park there were plenty of shuttles lined up waiting to take us back. The shuttles aren't shared with other resorts so it's a direct stop to the lodge and they have 3 stops at the lodge so if you are staying further away from the lobby you don't have to walk far. We wish we had stayed longer to enjoy more of the hotel activities. Saving money on parking at the park and also the hassle of parking itself was a great asset to our stay. I will also note, The Hershey Story was WELL WORTH going! The 7yr and 13yr loved it, and so did we. I also suggest paying the $13 for the full flight of sipping chocolate drinks at the museum for the family to taste-test. It was really fun and reasonably priced to split. You wouldn't want to drink a full cup of it yourself so just tasting a sip was perfect. In conclusion, if you go to the Lodge on a weekday, choose your package wisely, and expect there to be wait times, it was well worth it based on the amenities and the extra tickets and perks such as the shuttle. Our full day at the park was shut down early due to major thunderstorms, we were given replacement tickets and hope to use them to go back in October for Dark Knights. I'd love to stay at the Lodge again, but I wouldn't spend $500 a night for a room (if only the room and no tickets/free breakfast). I think it is well worth $300- $350 for the room alone with the shuttle, Hershey bars, indoor water park, and extra hours for the preview and morning start time at the park. One last thought- when walking the corridor to the pool- that section on the first floor of Reese's was very humid and damp. I don't know what those rooms felt like inside- but I'm going to guess that those may be some of the rooms that previous guests remark is musty or moldy smelling base on how the hallway felt! We also learned that the original lodge was a motel- so when you look at the overall building, there are parts that are only one story- that is the original and older section- which also may be in more need of repair. Hope this helps.

Hershey Lodge in August 2024 Last year we stayed at the Hershey Hotel when visiting Hershey Park. This year we stayed at the Hershey Lodge. While the Hotel was upscale and amazing, there wasn't much for the kids to do. The Lodge seemed a better choice because it has an indoor pool and water play area. It has a Great Wolf Lodge kinda feeling. Pulling up to the lodge we were not disappointed by the beautifully kept grounds. The staff happily greeted us upon arrival. We arrived around 3pm, an hour before the advertised check-in time, and had no trouble getting our room. We had absolutely no line but when I came down around 4:30 the line was quite long with 3 staff members doing check-in. The restaurant in the lobby has a great Happy Hour from 4-6 pm. Definitely worth it. We reserved a standard room with two queen beds. The room was adequate size, and clean, without signs of wear and tear. There was not a safe in the room for valuables. Returning to our room the next day after spending 10 hours at Hershey Park, I was disappointed to find our room had not been serviced. The hefty price you pay to stay at a Hershey property should include maid service. It is nice to come back to beds that are made. COVID is over. I had to track down a worker to get more soap/shampoo/toilet paper. The coffee shop is good, unnecessarily pricey, but a decent selection. Depending on which bartender served you, the cocktails in the lobby bar were good and priced like we were in Manhattan. Revelry, the onsite steakhouse, was not Peter Luga's but was one of the best steaks I have had in some time, and also one of the most expensive. The only complaint was that the garlic in the green beans was burnt so badly it made them inedible. I spoke to the server and the response was, "I will tell the chef". I feel a replacement should have been offered or the item removed from the bill. Kudo's to the hostess, Kaitlyn and Emma, for getting us a reservation for 9 people. Both were friendly and accommodating. Shuttle service to the park is great. The Water Play area has two water slides, a pool, and a toddler area. It served a purpose when we got there but closes when the park closes. Yes, if the park closes due to a storm, the Lodge closes the INDOOR play area. Had trouble figuring that one out. Overall a decent experience. Lots of children running around. Seemed crowded. For us, the Hotel was a better experience.

Once a great place to take our family. We have been taking our extended family to the Hershey Lodge for at least a dozen years. We realize that we are paying a premium for staying there. Unfortunately over the last few years we have experienced a significant decrease in service. Sometimes having to wait over an hour after 4PM check in time for rooms to be ready.

Stay elsewhere The rooms are small and musty. The HVAC is right out of a 1960s roadside motel. At check in we were not given a parking pass despite the fact that driving is the only way one would get there. Our keys stopped working twice in 2 days and for the parking pass and new keys you have to stand in the check in line (the hotel has 665 rooms, so there’s always a line) and others confirmed that the staff’s attitude was always that the problem was the fault of the guest. There is no housekeeping unless you ask for it. We asked twice, once at check in and once after standing in line again. No housekeeping was ever done. At $500 to $700 per night it is a ridiculous price for a very poorly equipped and operated hotel.

TERRIBLE CUSTOMER SERVICE Terrible customer service. Couldn't answer questions prior to arrival. No blankets available when we were there for my child. After terrible experience at Stacks (restaurant on premises) they did absolutely nothing for us. Bell hop couldn't figure out how to put luggage in the car. It was just one thing after another. WORST WEEKEND EVER. They should learn a thing or two from Disney or Universal's customer service. This was just disgraceful. Much better off saving 75% and stay at cheap hotel like Red Lion or Country Inn & Suites.