Name: The Ship At Dunwich
Address: St James Street Dunwich, Saxmundham, GB

10/10

Exceptional

10 Jul 2026

Tracy

Lovely place to stay. Staff were very helpful and friendly.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

26 Jun 2026

Gautam

Lovely stay at The Ship. Great food and lovely accommodation.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

14 Jun 2026

Davina

Lovely place will return

8/10

Excellent

10 Jun 2026

mark

Food very good

10/10

Exceptional

28 May 2026

Rick

The Ship at Dunwich is ideally situated, just a very short walk from the shingle beach, making it a perfect base for exploring this atmospheric stretch of the Suffolk coast. The staff were incredibly welcoming and accommodating throughout our stay, and were also extremely knowledgeable about the local area, offering helpful advice on walks and places to visit.

Our room was compact, but comfortable, with a very good bed and a surprisingly spacious en suite. The hotel has a relaxed, characterful feel and works especially well as a starting point for some excellent coastal and countryside walks.

It’s perfectly possible to walk along the shingle beach towards Walberswick and on to Southwold, while the Sandlings Walk offers a different but equally rewarding route along the eroding cliffs, through dense woodland and past the remarkable ruins of Greyfriars Priory.

A lovely place to stay if you want comfort, warmth and easy access to one of the most distinctive landscapes on the Suffolk coast.

Partner

8/10

Excellent

03 May 2026

Anthony

Bar was well stocked with what ever you required. There was not a beach view as it was on the street leading to the beach.The room was clean and compacted and the staff were very good and helpful.

Self

10/10

Exceptional

04 Apr 2026

victoria

Fantastic

10/10

Exceptional

13 Mar 2026

Michael

Yes

10/10

Exceptional

02 Feb 2026

Clare

Very friendly staff and comfortable room

Leisure Partner

8/10

Excellent

25 Jan 2026

Christopher

Fantastic. Staff were friendly and helpful, food was excellent.

Leisure Pet

8/10

Excellent

21 Jan 2026

Lori A

Clean room, friendly and helpful staff. Very nice food. The room was tiny with no place to layout a small suitcase. The bathroom had no shelf space for toiletry bags. It's a nice place, but they need to work on storage space. We only had 2 very small cases and there was no where to lay them out except on the bed.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

06 Jan 2026

Valerie

Spacious room, great staff

10/10

Exceptional

29 Nov 2025

Sandra

Lovely pub/hotel
Great food
Nice bedroom
Lovely 4 day stay .

10/10

Exceptional

23 Nov 2025

Vince

We had a lovely stay. Pub and staff amazing and room vèry comfortable and cosy.

6/10

Pleasant

15 Oct 2025

Maxine

A little disappointed

We had very little sleep on the first night of our stay as the bed was incredibly uncomfortable. We were moved to a different room on the second night and slept a little better. Overall we were disappointed with the rooms and the breakfast. The staff were pleasant and did try to help us when we spoke to them about the issues we had.

Business

8/10

Excellent

12 Oct 2025

Ernest

Quaint and old fashioned hotel.
Room smaller than brochure picture.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

30 Sep 2025

Peter

The Great Ship at Dunwich

I had made a mistake when booking the room, i booked a 'snug'. With two Golden Retrievers - a big mistake. Management were great and found us an outside room that was more suited.
Loved the staff, other customers and the people in general.
Felt the history.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

29 Sep 2025

Davide

nice place.to.spend a night walking distance from the beach and with mice coastline.walks.

Self

10/10

Exceptional

26 Sep 2025

Avril

This property is a real find. It has character and it is reasonably priced for the service received. Breakfasts were great and reasonable choices for our 2 night dinner stay. Very close to a pebbly beach and not far from Southwold, Aldburagh, Norwich and the broads.

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

31 Jul 2025

Michael

This is an old building very well looked after, clean throughout, excellent menu, staff works hard and are accommodating, we will be coming back, thank you

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

23 May 2025

Paul

Great location near beach, friendly staff nice atmoshere

Business

8/10

Excellent

13 Apr 2025

susan

shower was a bit low.Difficult to find plugs for recharging phone
Staff were great nd helpful

6/10

Pleasant

09 Apr 2025

Jonathan

Good for evening meal

Check in was not good, we had booked a snug room as we have a dog, it had been described as a courtyard room, it was upstairs! When I questioned it the man said oh you booked through experience & he pulled a face. The bar man told us where to go for breakfast.
Sink in our room filled up with water although the plug wasn’t in it .could have been a bit cleaner .
Evening meal was very nice, breakfast was a bit hit & miss

Partner

8/10

Excellent

07 Apr 2025

Brad

Good choice for our stay

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

28 Jan 2025

Jo

Stay here!

Everything great, no complaints, staff lovely, highly recommended, Hope can return for another stay

Partner

6/10

Pleasant

19 Jan 2025

christian

Bedroom was clean, location good. Staff subdued, food below average.

Leisure Partner

6/10

Pleasant

28 Oct 2024

Simon

We stayed as part of our honeymoon and I had requested a bottle of prosecco in the room prior to arrival (for £30) which did not happen. The room was ok (off the carpark) and food was good but the service from staff although friendly was very slow. The bar often didn't have anyone behind it (out the back in the kitchen) and once we'd finished our mains the plates were not collected and we gave up on trying to order a desert and then waited at the bar to settle our bill. Also, we waited to check out as there was nobody at the desk. It was a real shame as this hotel and restaurant has everything as it is in a perfect location with great walks and that's why we chose it for part of our honeymoon. Service and little details make a big difference and this hotel could easily move from being average to fantastic with a few minor tweaks and attention to detail !

8/10

Excellent

22 Sep 2024

Anna

A nice stay but a few things could’ve been improved. Food was lovely and staff were friendly. However they just don’t have enough staff so the service was really slow. The room wasn’t great for the money we paid either. It was overlooked a bit and next to the kitchen so outside was a bit scruffy. The toilet was broken too and my husband had to fix it. Parking was a bit of an issue too. When we arrived we couldn’t even get a space on the same road. Lovely location though as walkable to beach.

Partner

6/10

Pleasant

05 Aug 2024

Jennifer

Staff are wonderful. More thought needs to be put into how guests can store their belongings as space is so limited. Huge bedside lamps aren’t great when you have a book, reading glasses, phone and water by the bed - equally having a extra large kettle, tray, tea and coffee tins and jars taking up the whole surface of the desk is not useful. The same applies to the bathroom - at the very least provide a toothbrush holder and a shelf to store bathroom bits and pieces, we had to place our washing bags on the floor. More hanging hooks are also needed -

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

01 Aug 2024

Frances

Great stay, very convenient for beach. Lovely food, very friendly service

Leisure

6/10

Pleasant

02 Jul 2024

stephen

We have stayed at this property many times and have always enjoyed it for its position. Slightly disappointed this time as I paid for a superior room and I am not sure that is what we had. It was ok but not as nice as the other rooms we have had before. The service in the bar area was also very slow as it was not permanently managed.

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

26 Jun 2024

Eamonn

Friendly old country pup with modern rooms

Lovely rambling country pub with modern rooms. The staff were very friendly and helpful, we really felt welcome. Inside and outside dining with courtyard area and beer garden. I liked the slightly quirky building with several small dining rooms. Food was good and typical pub prices. The location is very quiet and nearby houses are hidden away. It’s only about 3 minutes walk to a fantastic beach, 5 minutes to the parish church and under 8 minutes to a monastery ruin. There is even a local museum a few houses up from the pub. It was a perfect way to spend a beautiful summers evening. We enjoyed our visit and would consider staying there again.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

24 May 2024

Jill

Wonderful place

The Ship is in a quiet country lane 2 minutes from a fabulous beach. The staff are friendly and helpful, the room was really lovely, the bed so comfortable and ours had a beautiful view across the fields. We had dinner which was delicious too. A really peaceful place to stay.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

10 May 2024

Adrian

Great getaway. Highly recommended!

My partner and I recently enjoyed a delightful 2-night stay at The Ship Inn, and it exceeded all expectations. From the moment we arrived, we were greeted by warm and welcoming staff who made us feel right at home.
The accommodation was not only spotlessly clean but also charmingly quirky, adding a unique touch to our stay. Despite being mid-week, the pub buzzed with activity, filled with friendly locals that added to the cozy atmosphere.
We made an advance dinner reservation at the dining area and were impressed by the menu selection and the quality of the food. Both the restaurant and pub staff were incredibly attentive and professional throughout our meal, ensuring a memorable experience.
Breakfast was a treat with a nice selection of options available, all served to our table by cheerful staff, which was a lovely touch compared to self-serve setups.
The location of The Ship Inn, just a stone's throw from the beach, was an added bonus, allowing us to enjoy leisurely strolls by the seaside.
Overall, we felt incredibly well looked after during our stay and cannot wait to return. The Ship Inn truly offers a perfect blend of comfort, hospitality and charm, making it an ideal choice for a relaxing getaway. Highly recommended!

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

14 Apr 2024

Elinor

Had a really great stay. Fab location, comfortable room and great staff. Thank you!

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

24 Mar 2024

Fern

Perfect weekend

We had the most lovely weekend away and loved everything about the hotel. The staff, service, food and room were all exceptional. We can’t wait to return again in the summer.

Partner

8/10

Excellent

08 Mar 2024

Verified traveler

Lovely stay but not 5 star .

We stayed for one night and the room and bathroom was very clean and all members of the staff were both very helpful and polite. Did not get 5 stars due to the smell we found in the bathroom. When the shower door was opened there was a bad drain smell that made it difficult to have a shower. It was mentioned on our departure and was noted but nothing came our way .

Partner

8/10

Excellent

04 Mar 2024

Stephen

Very good and friendly staff throughout our stay. A special thank you to Brenda for her dedication. If this is the standard of all the Chestnut Inns then we shall seek them out for our leisure breaks in East Anglia

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

28 Feb 2024

Jo

Get away break

Excellent food, friendly staff and a cosy relaxed environment.
Great location for walking.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

28 Jan 2024

Daniel

Lovely stay, great food.

Leisure Friends

8/10

Excellent

28 Dec 2023

Raymond

Very friendly staff, both at reception and behind the bar and at breakfast. Dining room could have been a little warmer, though.

Leisure Partner

6/10

Pleasant

16 Oct 2023

Fiona

Hi hotel is in a lovely location however the hotel itself needs some tlc. The main bar area had huge cobwebs and our en-suite had a terrible smell. The staff were all really pleasant and our dinner and breakfast were good but I felt considering the cost per night it wasn’t to the standard we were expecting.

Partner

6/10

Pleasant

11 Oct 2023

Paul

Staff were very co-operative finding an alternative room to the one originally allocated to us as the room was not suitable for my wife as she is disabled. Meant having a smaller room but it was ok for our one night stay. Food was very good.

Partner

8/10

Excellent

18 Sep 2023

Rebecca

Overall very nice. Bedroom very small but better furniture placement could help with that. Room felt a bit dungeon like with the high windows. Bath tub needed re-grouting and a non-slip bath mat should be made available. Cobwebs on front door weren’t too welcoming. Just a little shabby overall. Location wonderful. Relaxing and peaceful. And the fish and chips were just not good :-(

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

18 Aug 2023

Delia

Great staff and quirky outside spaces

Leisure Family

8/10

Excellent

12 Aug 2023

Elizabeth

Lovely hotel, facilities in room were quite basic. But it was clan and comfortable

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

07 Aug 2023

John

Charming hotel in the beach

Great hotel, pleasant staff in a wonderful location. Unfortunately there was a problem with the gas when we stayed so there was no hot water and the food choice was limited. On checkout the hotel generously discounted the bill.

8/10

Excellent

28 Jul 2023

Amanda

Loved the location and venue. All staff friendly and helpful. My only slight critism was the cost of glasses of wine were very, very expensive.

Leisure Friends

6/10

Pleasant

25 Jul 2023

Kerry

Not what we expected

We’d been recommended this place but sadly it didn’t live up to expectations. We booked the smallest room as it was sold out so it would have been better to have booked a better room. So wouldn’t recommend Hen Field as it’s very small, no shower and kept hitting feet on the bed going to the bathroom as there wasn’t a lot of room around the bed. No coffee in room and bed has seen better days. When we arrived it seemed busy and four members of staff walked past us without saying anything until we went to the bar to try get checked in. I did ask if there was a bigger room but the guy who eventually checked us in said it was sold out so that was understandable, he was polite about it. We didn’t eat there as had a booking elsewhere. The view out the window of the room was the top of a tent. Breakfast next morning was ok. The waitress was friendly and swapped out a couple items for us. Sadly the bar area where we had breakfast had a few flies in it which wasn’t pleasant. The coffee had lots of grounds in the bottom so couldn’t drink it. On check out we had to ask a couple times before we were acknowledged by the lady on the desk who was not very friendly. They were moving laundry about when people were trying to check out. They almost charged us twice for the room and no thank you, hope you enjoyed your stay. The laundry truck was blocking the car park so we had to wait for it to be moved to leave. Sadly won’t return. It needs a good paint and a deep clean.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

08 Jul 2023

Sarah

Our room was clean and comfortable. The staff were friendly and helpful.

Partner

8/10

Excellent

23 Jun 2023

Trisha

Our room was very large and looked very clean. Crisp white sheets, bathroom well maintained. The carpets throughout however, told a different story very, very stained in our room, landing, stairs and in the bar. Everywhere, apart from our room looked a little dark (expected in an old property) but together with the stains made communal rooms and passages look very dingy.
The food was ok but overpriced for 'average' fayre.
The location was spot on. Lovely walks and the sea literally minutes away on foot.
Staff were very friendly and helpful.

Partner

8/10

Excellent

15 Jun 2023

Chris

Good location for the coastal path.

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

02 Jun 2023

Gary

We had a wonderful stay at the ship, total relaxation and the food was delicious.

Partner

8/10

Excellent

21 May 2023

Clare

Lovely pub stay

Cosy rooms next to a pub. The pub is friendly with a large beer garden and 3 min walk to the pebbly beach. Friendly staff, well equipped. Good food at the pub.

Friends_and_family Friends

10/10

Exceptional

14 May 2023

David

Nice little hotel Excellent food and reasonably priced. All staff very friendly and helpful I would highly recommend

Partner

8/10

Excellent

12 Apr 2023

Laura

Lovely atmospheric and cosy pub. Food very good quality. Friendly staff. Room was in eaves of the building so very low ceiling which caused problems moving around the room. I spoke to a member of staff about it who was brilliant and refunded us some money from our bill which made the room a fairer price. Would stay again but in a different room.

Friends_and_family Family

10/10

Exceptional

15 Mar 2023

Hannah

Great stay at The Ship. An exceptional location just a minute from the beach sets this place apart. The staff are wonderful and super friendly. Food delicious and a nice variety to choose from at lunch and dinner. The room was lovely and warm, with a comfortable bed. The coffee machine was temperamental and leaked three times, but we were told that they are in the process of changing them so we didn't feel too bad that we'd caused a mini flood! It would be nice to see a tad more sustainable initiatives, such as a recycling bin alongside the normal bin, and a switch out of the mini bottles in the bathroom for fixed refillable alternatives.

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

18 Feb 2023

Sarah

Really comfortable and spotlessly clean. Helpful and accommodating staff.
We used to come here when it was a pub- full of locals and guests and big roaring fire- created a great ambience which is slightly lacking now. Little cold without the log burner lit- an easy fix.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

05 Dec 2022

Matthew

Relaxed weekend away

Great Counrty Pub in a nice little village.
Will definatley be returning in the future

Partner

8/10

Excellent

10 Oct 2022

Miss

Lovely week end with the dogs!

Had a lovely time at the ship. The hotel and restaurant are very drop friendly and this made our stay very enjoyable. The dogs had their own super comfy beds and bowls and plenty of attention during our stay. One of them can be reactive at times and everyone was really nice about it (including guests as most people also had dogs).

We stayed in a room with carpet and although the room was lovely, the carpet could do with refreshing or a deep clean. .Then again being so dog friendly this comes with the territory. I enquired for future visits and was told there were rooms with no carpets. As we were on the top floor I understand the need for carpets.

I will definitely visit again as we were made to feel so welcomed and the convenience of being so close to the beach was great for walks with the dogs. Dinner was also really nice!

Thank you for a nice week end!

Friends_and_family Family

4/10

Poor

09 Oct 2022

Michael

I stayed for one night in September '22
The staff were all friendly and professional, I liked the food and breakfast in the restaurant.

Whilst my room was comfortable and had been cleaned for my stay the cleanliness left a lot to be desired. There was a lot of dust and fluff behind the furniture I first discovered when reaching down to find the bedside lamp toggle and ended up with a hand full of fluff. I looked around and found lots of old spiders webs round the window frames, inside the lamp shades and behind the furniture along with dust and fluff and other debris.

I reported this to the lady on reception upon my departure who was very apologetic and said she would Inform the manager when she arrived for work that morning. I had the impression that I would be contacted to discuss this disappointing experience but have heard nothing from the Ship Inn since.
I would normally not leave a review such as this but as The Ship Inn failed to address these issues with me this is my only option to warn others of this problem.

Leisure Self

4/10

Poor

15 Aug 2022

Andrew

We stayed in the outbuildings. Unfortunately our room was right next door to the kitchens. The air vent was very noisy and was on and off throughout the night causing limited sleep. The room was small and basic and for £150 per night, was definitely overpriced, and no breakfast which was an extra £18.00 per head!
Vegetarian evening meals (literally 1 option) was very niche and ended up having bread for dinner as they couldn't offer me anything else.
The exterior of the pub was a little grubby with broken guttering, rusty windows and rotting wood.
Would most definitely not stay there again.

Leisure Partner

8/10

Excellent

11 Aug 2022

Philippa

Location, location, location

The room was very small and we expected more for the cost. My husband said the cooked breakfast was ok but average, didn't seem to have a lot of flavour.

The staff were lovely and very helpful and the hotel is very well located for the sea.

Friends_and_family Friends

10/10

Exceptional

30 Jul 2022

Bernard

Excellent brief stay

A brief (2 night) stay with a large dog. All the staff very welcoming and helpful. Generally very dog friendly. Room was well presented, clean and comfortable. Food and service was excellent. Will definitely return.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

26 May 2022

Jackie

We had a very pleasant stay with our two dogs. The room was large and comfortable and the staff were well trained and charming. The food was excellent but it would have been good to have a slightly different menu on the second night. Overall, a very pleasant stay.

Leisure Partner

4/10

Poor

15 Apr 2022

christopher

We were kept waiting at reception on arrival and all night the plumbing and waste water was making a terrible noice and kept me awake. In the end we chose not to have breakfast and left

Partner

6/10

Pleasant

09 Apr 2022

DAVID

Positives : Room ‘ Maison Dieu ‘ clean , warm and comfortable. Breakfast choice was good , freshly cooked and altogether excellent. Staff were pleasant and helpful.
Negatives: Room was not double glazed with some broken panes . Two of the window blinds were broken and we could here voices and music coming from either the ground floor or nearby rooms . The ground floor heating system was either non existent or not working so the bar where residents ate was unpleasantly cold despite a large temperamental log burner . Also the hard wood chairs and settles in the bar weren’t sufficiently comfortable to make you want to stay too long .
We paid £155 for one nights b&b . Altogether I feel we were generous , but then again there isn’t a lot of choice in Dunwich .

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

28 Mar 2022

Martine

An amazing stay! Very dog friendly, ideal location.

Partner

8/10

Excellent

28 Feb 2022

Damon

Food&surroundings great let down by room.

Room was nice but there was a few issues like no where to plug kettle in, or chargers for phones, there was an extension lead and we ended up putting kettle on floor by bed, towels on bed not in bathroom on towel rail etc. two single beds pushed together not a double bed.
Quite loud in the room we stayed in we could here everything in kitchen below. It was a little disappointing as the photos etc had made the rooms look so much better. They were 20% of been really good. Not quite 4 star

Partner

8/10

Excellent

28 Feb 2022

Julie

Lovely room, great staff and excellent food. The Ship has a good ambience and the staff are attentive and professional.
In future though, I think I will avoid the dining room to eat.Unfortunately our delicious dinner was somewhat marred by a group of extra loud people on another table. The dining room does echo so at times, their chat was deafening. The overhead lighting was very bright/glaring. (maybe softer bulbs would help)
In our bathroom the towel radiator was on full for the duration of our stay. It was so hot and I was not able to turn it off.
Lovely comfy bed and spotlessly clean.
Would definitely stay again

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

22 Feb 2022

Garry

The rooms are very comfortable, especially the large queen size bed. And super clean.

The staff are incredibly helpful and friendly. They made our stay very pleasant, despite the difficult circumstsnces following the recent storm.
Would thoroughly recommend.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

09 Jan 2022

stephen

Super place to stay central to almost everthing

4/10

Poor

31 Oct 2021

Kevin

Nice hotel rude management

No complaints about the waitressing staff or the hotel in general apart from the most uncomfortable bed I’ve ever stayed in.. the big let down for us was the rude obnoxious unwelcoming management

Friends_and_family Family

8/10

Excellent

21 Sep 2021

ronald

Beautiful hotel and location! Excellent food and very obliging staff!

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

05 Aug 2021

Diane

Fantastic short break. Accommodation and food was excellent. Pet friendly. Next to beach, woods and National Trust area. Definitely will go back.