The Ship at Dunwich

Enjoyable overnight stay. Nice pint of Trawlerman for me and a cocktail for my wife to kick off our evening, followed by a tasty two-course meal. Couldn’t fault the cooked breakfasts the next morning either—one traditional English, one vegan. Bar was very busy early Sunday night, but we were soon led to our reserved table in the restaurant. A walk along the beach before leaving topped off the trip.

A really enjoyable overnight stay at The Ship for our first wedding anniversary. The bed was, I think, the most comfortable I've ever slept in! The room (Southgate) was a relatively basic 'shabby chic' style but had everything we needed for one night and was bigger than we were expecting. The bath towels were wonderfully enormous. We booked a dinner, bed and breakfast package and both meals were lovely. Drinks were reasonably priced. Couldn't get on the guest WiFi but I asked a member of staff who quickly got us logged in to an alternative. In fact all staff were helpful and pleasant. Car parking limited but we found a place on the road outside. We couldn't normally afford to stay here but we'd had a generous gift voucher which meant that it was in our price range with the balance we had to pay. I can see lots of reviews about the price of rooms and my response would be if you can afford to come then come - relax and enjoy a nice pub with rooms right next to the beach. If you can't afford it then don't come and moan about it. Anything is worth what a customer will pay and occupancy seemed good.

Positives: great location, very helpful, friendly staff, very clean room, comfy bed. Food: well cooked, good sized portions, speedily served. Negatives: very small cramped room, but not listed as such (Southgate, in the car park annexe). No room for comfy chair so one wooden kitchen chair provided. No view - very high window which I could only open by standing on the wooden chair. People in pub garden could see in so blinds had to be permanently drawn making the room very dark. Bathroom window had clear glass and looked out onto car park so blinds had to be permanently drawn for privacy. Information sheet said ask for a bath mat so I asked but none were available. Very overpriced for such a basic room. Poor choice of hot drinks in room - breakfast tea, coffee and chocolate. I asked for decaffeinated tea and the staff member fetched me some. Couldn’t this be placed in the room to avoid having to ask and wait in the queue? Towels smelled very strange - an unpleasant burnt smell which permeated the bathroom. Limited choice on the menu. Only one vegetarian choice which was exactly the same dish I had at the Ship last August. I didn’t enjoy it then and did not want it again. Food is overpriced. We have stayed here and at Westleton Crown many times and have seen standards fall in the last couple of years. We had decided not to return to Westleton and thought we’d give The Ship a last try. Sadly, we feel it is poor value for money and we will not return. I wonder if the Chestnut chain has become too large and focussed on profit at the expense of the customer? The staff are a real asset and the location is excellent - this pub has a lot going for it. Responses to reviews here show a willingness to engage with the customer. I hope action can be taken before the damage is too great.