Hershey Travel and Things to Do Guide

Groups arriving in Hershey, PA, will likely smell the sweet scent of chocolate lingering in the air. But while the wrapped and unwrapped Hershey's Kisses street lights that dot the downtown landscape will surely delight them, Hershey's exceptional meeting space, lodging options and unparalleled hospitality will ensure their meetings' success.


Hershey (trademarked "The Sweetest Place on Earth") is centrally located for regional meetings; an easy drive from major Mid-Atlantic cities – just three hours or less from New York City, Washington DC, Philadelphia and Baltimore. Groups fly into the region's modern and easily accessible Harrisburg International Airport (MDT) just 15 minutes away from Hershey. Service from seven major airlines makes it easy to connect your attendees from across the country with the attractions and meeting options in South Central Pennsylvania.


The Hershey Lodge is one of the state's largest convention resorts with 665 rooms, ballroom, convention space and breakout rooms. The Lodge is a full-service resort featuring 100,000 total square feet of meeting space, which includes the largest hotel ballroom in the area, at 32,000 square feet. World-class speakers, politicians, philanthropists, industry experts, entertainers and more have graced the halls of The Hershey Lodge.


The elegant and stately Hotel Hershey offers 276 guest rooms and nearly 25,000 square feet of meeting space. "Grand Expansion" renovations in 2009 resulted in a new dramatic front entrance, 10 new luxury Guest Cottages (perfect for executive retreats, team building sessions and multi-generational travel), a multi-pool swimming complex with infinity pool, year-round ice skating, recreation areas, new boutiques and the 130-seat Harvest restaurant, featuring "field to fork" fresh, local ingredients. The expansion was awarded LEED Silver certification in 2010, the first hotel in Pennsylvania to meet the rigorous requirements.


The two properties are part of Hershey Meetings, a division of Hershey Entertainment and Resorts, which also includes nearly two dozen dining options plus four golf courses as part of the Hershey Golf Collection. No trip would be complete without experiencing the relaxing and exhilarating treatments at The Spa at Hotel Hershey – bathe in chocolate or have a Cuban mint scrub. Nearby hallmark attractions Hersheypark, Hershey's Chocolate World, Hershey Gardens and ZooAmerica North American WildLife Park round out the top-notch experiences groups can experience while visiting here. New to Hershey Meetings is the destination management company Hershey Destination Services, which can provide keynote speakers, ground transportation, entertainment options, dining reservations, chocolate tastings and more! They will also work closely with the Hershey Leadership and Development Center (also known as Hershey Outfitters) to create group team building activities.


In addition to the hotels affiliated with Hershey Entertainment and Resorts, a handful of select service properties in the Hershey area also provide limited meeting space such as the Hampton Inn & Suites Hershey, SpringHill Suites Hershey Near the Park, Days Inn Hershey, Quality Inn & Suites Hershey, Best Western Hershey and Howard Johnson Inn Hershey.