Ship & Trades - Chatham

S S.

Visited for a weekday dinner and was quite disappointed overall.
The meal was expensive considering the quality of food and service. The sourdough bread starter tasted no better than basic, untoasted supermarket bread. Other starters like the calamari and chicken wings were decent, nothing special.
For mains, the prawn and crab linguine was very underwhelming—more like a frozen ready meal than a freshly cooked dish. The fish and chips, however, were good and probably the highlight of the meal. Drinks were noticeably overpriced. Dessert was just okay.
What left a particularly bad impression was the handling of the bill. I paid in cash and didn’t receive my change until I specifically asked for it. In most restaurants, you’re given your change first, and then it’s up to you to leave a tip. Here, it felt like they simply assumed they could keep it without asking, which reflects poorly on customer service.
We paid £92 for two people: 3 starters, 3 drinks, 2 mains, and 2 desserts. Given the food quality, it didn’t feel worth it. The location is great and the staff were friendly, but the pricing and service practices need improvement.
Overall: not recommended.

stephen D.

Great location with plenty of parking. Good sized room with very comfortable bed. Excellent facilities, the Dyson fan was a God send on the warm evening we had. Excellent bar and dining and the breakfast was superb. Close to Chatham docks and many other tourist spots we wished we could have stayed an extra night or two. Staff were all very friendly and helpful.

Stephen D.

A little visit yesterday to this pub on ST Mary’s Island to meet with old friends, nice location on the dockside with lovely outside seating. Great decor inside and nice variety of seats, toilets were very clean and looked modern and well kept. Did not have food but looked nice size position’s and looked very tasteful on the items that went past me, seemed the prices are a bit on the high side. Service staff looked friendly some staff could smile when they serve you and also for our many behind the bar service was a bit slow. Nice pint of First Stop ale but again on the high side.

Simon M.

What a place! Two night stay. Very easy to find. Loads of parking. Lovely, friendly, welcoming and helpful staff team. Superb room, very comfortable bed, immaculate ensuite, excellent in room facilities.
Top quality dinners and breakfasts in a wonderful conservatory restaurant with brilliant views across Chatham Maritime Marina.

Jules W.

We recently stayed at the Ship & Trades Hotel in Chatham Marina for a couple of nights with family, and had a thoroughly enjoyable experience. The location was perfect for our visit to the fantastic Chatham Historic Dockyard—just a five-minute drive away.

From the moment we arrived, the staff were extremely friendly and welcoming. Check-in was smooth and easy, including registering our car. We stayed in a beautiful superior room overlooking the marina, which was spotless and well-equipped with everything we needed. Our family had a standard room and found it clean, comfortable, and functional—ideal for a short stay.

A lovely touch was being offered fresh milk in a small thermos to enjoy with our drinks in the room—thoughtful little details like this really stood out. We dined at the hotel on our first night and enjoyed a pleasant meal with great service. The team couldn’t have been more accommodating.

Overall, a very comfortable and welcoming stay. We wouldn’t hesitate to return!

Martin D.

It is an excellent place to stay and eat. The room was spotlessly clean and well appointed. Food in the restaurant is outstanding. Their stake is the best I've had in years. They also do a fantastic breakfast. All the staff we met were friendly and polite. Most definitely will be returning for another stay.

Priya C.

Comedy of Errors – Without the Comedy!!

Booked two rooms. First one smelled like a damp cellar. Second had a lovely surprise in the toilet that wouldn’t flush down. Third room? Sticky old urine under the toilet seat. Oh, and dirty drinking glasses too – because why stop at just one hygiene issue?

When we complained, staff insisted “everything is okay”. Inspiring confidence! At 10.30pm, after three room changes, we were told we could take a refund and leave. Manager Rebecca arrived with even more ego and told us to go (for simply giving a genuine a feedback)

Cleanliness? No. Accountability? None.
Attitude? Overflowing.

Thanks for the trauma, truly unforgettable!

Peter C.

We stayed in the hotel and also had drinks in the pub and breakfast in the restaurant. Such nice, helpful people! The room was good (a minor niggle about the shower, but that may just have been me not figuring out how to operate it and it was better than lots of other hotels). Good location by the marina. We stayed at the start of February and I'm sure it's wonderful in summer.