Hotels near Drill Hall Library, Gillingham

We were a group of ex- Navy veterans returning to the historic dockyard and former naval trading establishment where we had previously served forty years earlier. We chose to stay at the Ship & Trades purely because of its excellent location and were not disappointed. The rooms are excellent, being quiet and well appointed, and the bar and restaurant are pleasantly situated by the picturesque marina. Parking is plentiful and free for residents. We were all delighted with the quality of our evening meals, which were not haut cuisine but beautifully cooked and presented, absolutely delicious and reasonable value. Drinks were similarly of excellent quality and reasonably priced. Breakfast was again an excellent mix of choices for both the healthy and enthusiastic foodies in our group. All staff were ”smiley”, helpful and keen to be of assistance.

The hotel from the outside seemed like it was in need of some maintenance. The carpark that you pass through to in order to get to hotel carpark is like the surface of the moon. I suspect a building used to be there and was demolished but not an inspiring start. Friendly welcome by reception and very helpful. Room 220 was to a basic level of decor. It was clean and tidy. The tv was ridiculously small so that would be better if it was a decent size. We stayed for two nights. Breakfast on the first day was ok bacon was leathery. Second morning we arrived at 0802 to the breakfast room and it was busy to be fair. We were greeted by a lady and we said if it’s helpful we can give our food order straight away. She said please take a swat and she will come and take our order. 20 minutes went by and several attempts to get them to notice us without being rude went unanswered. In the interim time we saw others arrive in, be seated, food orders taken and served, and we were still waiting. When it got to 0850 we had not received the hot breakfast and had to leave. When we said to the same lady that we cannot wait any longer she became rude and sarcastic saying I told you there is a wait of 25 minutes. A wait of 45-50 minutes from arriving to giving up is bad. Not enough staff is the problem here and I suspect the hotel is penny pinching as only 6 items allowed on the full English breakfast seems miserly. We did complain to the receptionist who listened but if the comments were communicated at the time I do not know.

Premier Inns are predictable, which is their strength. You know the place will be clean the bed will be comfortable, pillows plentiful the shower will be effective, there is probably a bath in the bathroom. Stuff will work. Service is always reasonable but here it was exceptional. It made our stay more enjoyable as we used the bar and restaurant, there being little else in the vicinity. We chose the hotel as a base for for exploring the area visiting the Dockyard and the Royal Engineers museum. We were travelling by train, the station is less than 20 minutes walk or a short taxi ride. There are fast frequent services to London. We used walked and used Uber to get around. The nearest area with any restaurants and nightlife was Rochester, about £12 by Uber.

it’s was a good place, near pentagon mall and macdonald.