We recently went to Hershey Park for the first time. We stayed at the Hershey Lodge and really enjoyed it. The kids loved Hershey and it’s a place we will definitely go back to soon. I was thinking about whether or not we would stay at the Hershey Lodge again for a return visit. In weighing the pros and cons, I decided we would stay there for a return visit. Here are the 5 reasons we WOULD stay at Hershey Lodge again:

5 Reasons to Stay at The Hershey Lodge

1. Early Park Hours if you stay at a Hershey Property

This was the #1 perk of staying at Hershey Lodge (for us). We are early risers so getting up and out the door an hour before the park opens was no problem. Getting that extra hour in the park without lines and crowds, made our whole trip. When I look back at photos of the kids on the rides, it looks like we had the park to ourselves, because there’s not another child in sight. That’s how we felt that first hour in the park – like it was all ours! The entire park doesn’t open early. It’s the area with the smaller rides, which are the perfect rides for our crew. Amusement parks can be very overwhelming to little kids. So having access before the park opens to the public, for them to enjoy it crowd free, really made a huge difference for us. Most rides they walked right on as there were no lines. Their favorite rides, they rode over and over again! It was such a wonderful first time at Hershey Park and I owe that to the extra park hours thanks to Hershey Lodge.

2. Hershey’s Water Works

Hershey’s Water Works was awesome. It was the perfect size indoor pool and waterpark for us. There was plenty to do for each of our children (ages 1, 2, 5, 7). The pirate ship and splash pad was perfect for the boys (1 and 2) and the girls loved it all – especially the Reese’s pads to jump to and the water slides. We went to Hershey on a very rainy weekend. If it wasn’t for Water Works, we would have not had nearly as much fun on the trip. You can never predict the weather, but if you have a fun indoor back up plan like Water Works, you’re sure to have an awesome trip.

3. The Hershey Lodge Dinning Options

We were impressed with the food options. There were a lot more dinning options than we were expecting for one hotel. This made it really easy for our crew. Our favorite was the Bear’s Den.

4. Hershey Experience

If you’re going to head to the “sweetest place on earth”why not see and eat chocolate at every turn? From chocolate at check in to chocolate shampoo, the Hershey Lodge makes you really feel like you are getting the full Hershey experience. Plus, there are Hershey characters right there in the hotel, so you don’t have to worry if you don’t catch them at the park .

5. Hershey Lodge Family Activities

We really enjoyed that there were free activities for families throughout the day. We’re not “stay in the park for 12 hours” people, so having other activities is key. The Family Bingo offered in the hotel is awesome! It was a lot of fun and a great way to wind down, while still having fun.

Overall, we had a wonderful time at Hershey Lodge and I would highly recommend it for family travel.