So Cocoa.

For most of us, it is RARE if EVER that we get to have a proper "spa day" where you get more than one service, pad around in flip flops and plush robes, and don't mind waiting a little extra for your next appointment.

So, you can understand my excitement when this past week The Spa at the Hotel Hershey had a special that I could actually afford and attend!


And yes, this is THE Hershey we all know and love. The place where the air smells like rich baking chocolate throughout the town and the street lamps are Hershey Kisses.

My friend and I decided to take the day off work and take advantage of the "chocolate sampler" package which included:


1. Whipped Cocoa Bath
2. Chocolate Sugar Scrub
3. Lunch
4. Cocoa Massage

Truth be told, I had no idea what any of these things meant but I knew that it would involve relaxing and chocolate. So, I signed up!

It was an interesting experience. You know, when you read a spa services list, you never really know if any of these things are going to end up being just too awkward to enjoy. For example, anything which leaves me face-up and naked on a plastic sheet-lined table makes me more than a little nervous. But, I suppose if you add the allure of chocolate, I'll do anything.

And thus-- the day begun. The whole place is incredible beginning with the entrance to the spa.


You're given a huge plush robe and some rubber well-cushioned sandals and told to be naked underneath it. I am a post-partum National Geographic-esque nightmare, so I wore a bra under my robe. Look-- I can at least give the illusion of perky, ok?

I waited for my friend in the "Whisper Room"-- one of 3 rooms with varying acceptable noise-level themed names. This room looked out onto the plush snow-covered garden area and was filled with Hershey's chocolate treats. There were small glass bowls filled with Kisses EVERYWHERE. There were pots of the best hot chocolate I've ever had. There were chocolate muffins, chocolate bread (not like a banana bread but with a chewy crust and all), and cool crisp water anywhere you looked.

As I waited for her, I quickly decided that today was going to be about slathering my body in chocolate both inside and out. And, since she was running a few minutes late and I was alone with the food, I figured I'd start with the inside.


Soon, one of the spa technicians collected me to take me for my first treatment...a whipped cocoa bath. I had no idea what to expect from this. Would it be chocolate-smelling water or would it be mud-bath style except fudge? I was up for anything. I questioned the tech as she led me to my room, but she said she refused to ruin the surprise. As we turned the corner, I was led into my own private little room with dim lighting, low deep music and a bathtub of serene water with a layer of dark chocolate powdering across the surface and fluffy white bubbles on top.

The tech turned on the jets and the constant stream of water and left for me to enjoy my 15 minutes of the journey into becoming chocolate personified.

The bath itself was amazing and smelled fantastic. The Kisses, eye mask, and cold glass of water on the lip of the tub- perfect. The problem was me. I was so damned excited to have a spa day and to be IN chocolate, that I couldn't relax.

I flopped around in this chocolate dream like a lost goldfish with a stupid grin on my face thinking, "I'M IN A CHOCOLATE BATH! IN A SPA! IN THE MIDDLE OF THE WEEK!" It took me 10 of those 15 minutes to finally relax. But, I did emerge smelling of chocolate. Step 1 of my external transformation complete.

Next I met my friend in the Whisper room for another few Hershey Kisses and another cup of hot chocolate before we went on to the Chocolate Sugar Scrub.

This is the one that scared me. A petite woman named Zoe with a strong handshake and a thick accent led me to a room with-- gulp!-- a plastic sheet-lined table, a drain on the floor, and tiles from floor to ceiling. I was told to undress completely and to use two towels to cover up "the important bits."

As she begun applying the chocolate-scented sugar and rubbing it across my body-- everywhere but the "important bits"-- I debated in my head whether I liked it. It would feel good for a moment or two and then I would once again become aware of the Dexter-esque setting. And my nakedness among a stranger wearing latex gloves.

But she was so professional and frankly, I've just had a c-section. Nothing is sacred anymore. I've had discussions about awards show happenings during cervical exams, so a sugar scrub was nothin'.

By the time I emerged from the room, not only did I smell of sweet chocolatey goodness, but my skin was BEYOND soft.

Next was lunch which was good, but uneventful. There were some enormous leather chaise loungers that we vowed to drape ourselves across while drinking a chocolate martini next time around. But we didn't have time before our scheduled massages. (It's a good problem to have.)


Finally, the chocolate massage. For some reason, the times I've gotten a massage at the Hershey Spa I've left feeling high. Like, LIT. I get massages elsewhere and they make me feel good but not necessarily high. This was no different.

By the time I left, I was relaxed, smelled scrumptuous, and was desperate to be assured I would return sometime in the future. My friend and I vowed we would come back once a quarter if not earlier.

As we departed, I was so cocoa that I thought I'd never eat another bite of chocolate again. But, as I lay here this evening remembering my chocolate spa I can't help but long for a cup of rich cocoa and a slice of that incredible bread.

I complain about Central PA sometimes, but I have to admit-- it's not so bad living 30 minutes away from The Sweetest Place on Earth.