Pennsylvania: Hershey: The Chocolate Spa

A small, quaint town of 12,000, Hershey functions as a model of good old Yankee industry. Milton Hershey built his factory over a century ago and ensured that tourists would flock here by creating an amusement park, a museum, a stadium, gardens, and a luxury hotel. Even the roads have names like Cocoa and Chocolate, while street lamps resemble Hershey’s Kisses.

The Chocolate Spa, debuting in early 2001 as an addition to Hotel Hershey, cost $7 million to build and encompasses 17,000 square feet. Mediterranean architecture lends a European sensibility to this quintessentially American enterprise, as do a Spanish patio complete with fountain and painted clouds on the ceiling, and an elegant, pricey restaurant, which requires formal dress. All rooms overlook immaculately manicured gardens. To round out the list of amenities, a gym, swimming pool, and whirlpool are also available.

With 95 million people visiting U.S. spas per year, the Chocolate Spa cashes in on a hot commodity, with a twist: almost all the treatments involve chocolate in some form. For instance, the Cocoa Butter Scrub lives up to its name by starting off with a cocoa butter massage and ending with a coating of cocoa butter lotion. A dream come true for chocoholics, the Whipped Cocoa Bath allows the bather to actually steep in a hot chocolate pool, while the more traditional Rain Shower tones skin and relaxes muscles. Although no studies have proven that spa treatments physiologically benefit customers, you’ll hear no complaints from those who have indulged in the pleasures of the Hershey Chocolate Spa.