With a foundation rooted deeply in the heart of central Pennsylvania, The Hotel Hershey, a Historic Hotel of America, celebrates the past, present and future, cultivating the legacy of “The Sweetest Place on Earth” and welcomes its visitors with an unmistakable warmth. Constructed as part of Milton S. Hershey’s “Great Building Campaign” in response to the Great Depression. It was his local community strategy to keep many of the town’s people from going without work by funding the development of a number of new municipal building projects throughout Hershey. Opened in May 1933, the hotel’s design is inspired by Mr. Hershey’s travels, most notably its Mediterranean architecture influence.
In an effort to capitalize on the history and charm of the hotel, ESa was selected to design a number of additions and renovations for it, a relationship that has now lasted for over 20 years. Our design solutions began with a master plan to renovate and update the hotels 230 original guest rooms and guest-room corridors, as well as it’s historic “Fountain Lobby”, which later led to an addition for The Hotel Hershey Spa, renovation of the existing indoor pool, a later expansion of the spa and the addition of a new fitness center, along with numerous other update projects along the way.
The renovations incorporated colors, materials and finishes consistent with the grand hotel’s design origin. In addition, the home of Milton and Catherine Hershey, is the inspiration for many of the design features within the spa including some of the mansion’s noted features: stained glass windows, marble landings, hardwood floors, pecan paneling and arched Palladian windows. The rose pattern motif, seen in the spa’s custom carpet and also in the Spa logo is in honor of Catherine, her favorite flower and her favorite color, yellow.
Consistently awarded with the Forbes Travel Four Star and AAA – Four Diamond Awards, as well as numerous other recognitions, the beautiful 230 room hotel stands as the ultimate expression of elegance without pretense.
Photo Credits: Hotel – © Sam Todd Dyess; Spa – Craig Dugan © Hedrich Blessing; Fitness – Courtesy of Hershey Entertainment & Resorts
