Review: Jiva Hoa Lu Retreat, an SLH Hotel

 

Jiva Hoa Lu Retreat, an SLH Hotel

Trip to Vietnam, Laos, Malaysia & Indonesia

Date of stay: January 25-27, 2026
Address: Nam, Thung lũng Đền Thái Vi, Hoa Lư, Ninh Bình
Room: Booked king oasis deluxe, upgraded to villa
How to get here: From the airport, the best is to take a taxi or Grab.
Hilton property: Number 228 in 67 countries

Video on YouTube



Reception Building

From Hanoi, the hotel is about a 2-hour car ride. We took Grab and paid about 50 USD.

Reception building

Retreat map

Reception area

Hilton and SLH partnership

Cold towels and tea were offered during check-in

Library

Library

There is a toilet to the left of the library.

Toilet

Tam Coc Villa 303

This villa is about 52 sqm.

We got only 1 key and it has to be inserted to turn on the electricity in the room.

Bedroom

Phone, writing kit

Aircon remote

King bed

Welcome amenity

Welcome letter

Work desk (wifi was free and fast)

Coffee, tea, minibar

Nespresso coffee capsules and tea bags

Minibar with free water, Coke and Schweppes 👍

Bathroom

The toiletries were hotel branded 

Bathtub and shower

Toilet

Closet with safe, bathrobes, hair dryer

Slippers

Larger balcony with lovely views 👍👍

Turndown Service

Handmade cookies

Breakfast Buffet, 6:30am to 10am

Breakfast buffet restaurant

Indoor seating (there is also outdoor seating)

Toilet

Below are some photos from the breakfast buffet which had a plethora of dishes to enjoy:







Vietnam section

Vietnam section

Vietnam section



Egg station


Noodle station


Juices

Sadly, the coffee machine was not functioning so the staff had to go to the bar.

Lunch


The fish and fries from the Kid's menu was very good.

This local dish was very good as per Mike 😋

Amenities

Outdoor heated pool

Pool

Towels

Shower and toilet

Fitness center

Kid's Club (closed during our visit).

Wellness Spa 

They have massage treatments here. 

There is also a separate sauna and steam room for male and female.

The garden where vegetables are being cultivated. Guests are welcome to taste them when in season.

There are bicycles which you can rent. You need to ask the reception to fill up a form for this.

Trash bins like these are found around the resort.

Exploring the Area

The Tam Coc boat rides to the caves is closer to the hotel.

The one in Trang An which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site is much bigger and is what we took during our stay.

CONCLUSION

Having a total of 7 nights in Hanoi, we decided to go out of town and stay 2 nights at the Jiva Hoa Lu Retreat. The hotel is a member of the SLH (Small Luxury Hotels of the World) and has a partnership with Hilton Hotels as well. For our first night, we paid cash which was about USD 198 and then we redeemed 45K Hilton points for our second night. Check-in was a breeze and as a diamond member, we were upgraded from Oasis Deluxe to a Tram Coc Villa. The villa was 52 sqm and had everything we needed (except for a TV but you can request it). The minibar was complimentary as well as Nespresso coffee, tea and water. The amenities were impressive although the best part was the outdoor heated pool which was huge. As expected, breakfast was fantastic and included both an egg station and a noodle station. It was also nice to have a free buggy ride to and from Tam Coc boat station. The whole place is quiet and is really perfect for relaxation, with all the staff being friendly and always greeting us. Overall, we really had a memorable stay here and considering the upgrade we got which would normally cost USD500 per night, it was really worth it 👍

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