Thuan Phat Hotel in Soc Trang is well located and makes a good first impression from the street. The property looks pleasant overall, and the backyard pool and garden area are definitely nice touches.
Our room appeared clean and well maintained at first glance, but unfortunately it had a noticeable smell, especially in the bathroom. We suspect this may be due to poor ventilation—hallway air-conditioning is either turned off or nonexistent, and the room AC automatically shuts off when guests leave. This lack of airflow likely contributes to humidity or mold-type odors. We noticed this seems to be a common issue in many 3-star hotels in Vietnam, along with fairly high noise levels in both the lobby and guest floors.
The restaurant has a comfortable seating area and the food is acceptable. However, breakfast is not a buffet as advertised—guests are limited to one drink and one dish only, despite the “free breakfast” listing.
On a positive note, the staff—from the front desk to housekeeping—were consistently polite, professional, and pleasant.
Unfortunately, for us, the negatives (odor and noise) outweighed the positives. Given that Sóc Trăng has only one 4-star hotel—which we regrettably overlooked—we would most likely choose a different option if returning in the future.