Cover Kun Jiang, founder of The Joyful Nest, Vietnam's first 5-star postpartum sanctuary. Photography by Louis Wu
Kun Jiang, founder of The Joyful Nest, Vietnam's first 5-star postpartum sanctuary. Photography by Louis Wu
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Through The Joyful Nest, Kun Jiang is redefining the standard of postpartum care in Vietnam. At her luxuriant sanctuary, mothers and newborns are nourished, nursed and nurtured in a holistic healing program that rivals the world’s finest
When Tatler headed to The Joyful Nest to meet with Kun Jiang earlier this year, we were greeted by children’s laughter spilling into the hallway; breakfast was being served hot and fresh from the center’s inhouse kitchen to one of its private suites. From the ajar door, a glimpse of loveliness itself: a mother and her baby encircled by family members, all aglow in the soft morning light streaming through the curtained window. “While we make sure every mother who stays with us is as relaxed and restful as she could possibly be, nothing replaces the warmth and tenderness of family during her recovery,” said Jiang, who founded this sheltering haven for mothers and babies in 2025.
Billed as the first five-star postpartum sanctuary in Vietnam, The Joyful Nest is modeled on some of the best private centers in South Korea, Japan, and China, whose aftercare excellence is considered a luxury even in other developed countries.
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Above “We spent many years doing research and development, all the things necessary to make every step of your maternal journey thoughtfully designed and beautifully experienced,” Kun Jiang
“We spent many years doing research and development, all the things necessary to make every step of your maternal journey thoughtfully designed and beautifully experienced,” Kun Jiang
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A typical stay varies from 14 to 28 days, which begins with mother and newborn chauffeured from their hospital following childbirth to the center. It nestles within the Oakwood Residence Saigon, a premium 5-star rated hotel and serviced apartment provider located in Ho Chi Minh City’s Tan Hung ward (formerly District 7) – besides first-class, fully furnished suites that feel like home, patrons also have full access to the building’s fitness center, pool, resident lounge, playground and communal space. “It took us quite a lot of time finding the right location, then finding the right people with accreditation and expertise to open a center like this,” said Jiang.
The Joyful Nest boasts a comprehensive, highly specialized program tailored to the individual needs of mothers (depending on the length of stay, the price starts from $8,000 and costs $23,000 for the most premium package). Its evidence-based wellness is shaped by calm and comfort, where every imaginable aspect – mental, physical and physiological – of the postpartum experience is tended to by professionals.
Above One of the premium private suites at The Joyful Nest
One of the premium private suites at The Joyful Nest
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This extends far beyond a checklist of services. At The Joyful Nest, each mother and baby is supported by a dedicated team providing continuous, round-the-clock care – beginning with two nannies working in seamless 24-hour shifts, alongside on-site nurses, midwives, and lactation consultants available at all times. Clinical support is thoughtfully layered, with biweekly pediatrician visits and weekly obstetrician visits, personalized guidance across breastfeeding, recovery, wound care, and emotional wellbeing, including mental health reviews.
For newborns, care is equally attentive and intentional, from gentle bathing rituals to early stimulation exercises designed to support development in a calm, nurturing environment. Nutrition, too, is treated as an essential pillar of recovery. A team of private chefs prepares five restaurant-quality meals daily – each menu carefully curated to never repeat throughout the stay, blending refined Vietnamese flavors with the restorative principles of traditional Chinese medicine to nourish and rejuvenate the body after birth.
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Above The menu at The Joyful Nest is a blend of vibrant Vietnamese flavors, nurturing Chinese traditions, and beloved international dishes
The menu at The Joyful Nest is a blend of vibrant Vietnamese flavors, nurturing Chinese traditions, and beloved international dishes
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“We spent many years doing research and development, all the things necessary to make every step of your maternal journey thoughtfully designed and beautifully experienced,” Jiang shared. “In Vietnam, before we came along, you had to coordinate everything by yourself.” That might entail confinement practices traditionally observed at home, and mothers would have a live-in nanny or part-time nurse to help them look after the baby. “But there was no postnatal nutritionist. There was and still is very little professional lactation support,” Jiang explained.
Her own postpartum experience, which was fraught with childbirth injuries and breastfeeding problems, informs and inspires the level of care cultivated at The Joyful Nest. Jiang, a Chinese-Australian entrepreneur, had her first child in Singapore seven years ago when she was running a biotech business. “I think society feels that having a baby should be one of the happiest moments of your life, that the mother should be in her most beautiful time,” she said. “The reality is very different for the majority of mothers."
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I believe that mothers in Vietnam, and everywhere frankly, deserve more. We want to give them the full support and encouragement so that upon leaving, they can be truly confident in their new roles.
During her struggles with perinatal issues (she would later become a certified lactation specialist herself), Jiang also developed postpartum depression. “I felt like the worst mother in the world. What was really tough was I didn’t know it could be like that,” she recalled. “I didn’t know anybody who’s gone through it, or that I could be at risk.”
A 2024 study finds that one in seven women suffers from postpartum depression after childbirth, while undiagnosed symptoms were observed among 50% of mothers. “Postpartum is one of the most stressful periods a woman can experience,” Jiang said. “You have to learn to live with your new body, you have to negotiate your new identity as a mother and renegotiate your relationship with your partner. And you have to do all that while being woken up every three or four hours to feed a crying baby. It is such a vulnerable time.”
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Above At The Joyful Nest, pampering services to restore a mother’s optimal wellbeing come in herbal baths, massage therapy, facials, hair and scalp care, yoga and meditation sessions.
At The Joyful Nest, pampering services to restore a mother’s optimal wellbeing come in herbal baths, massage therapy, facials, hair and scalp care, yoga and meditation sessions.
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Thereby, with The Joyful Nest, Jiang places high priority on community bonding, parental preparedness, and the conversation around maternal mental health: a safe, supportive environment for mothers is facilitated through afternoon tea sessions, practical workshops on newborn care and motherhood, memento-making classes to preserve precious memories and nurture friendships. Moreover, an array of pampering services to restore a mother’s optimal wellbeing come in herbal baths, massage therapy, facials, hair and scalp care, yoga and meditation sessions.
It's no surprise that in a short time since its opening, The Joyful Nest has become the place of choice for many illustrious figures in Vietnam's culture and entertainment industry – namely Ngô Thanh Vân, an actress, producer and director who starred in Netflix's The Old Guard and Star Wars: Episode VIII - The Last Jedi; and H'Hen Niê, who in 2018 became the first Vietnamese representative to reach Top 5 at an international Miss Universe pageant.
Sharing her own experience, supermodel Tuyết Lan says: "Staying at The Joyful Nest just three weeks after giving birth was the best decision I made. From the moment | arrived, I felt deeply cared for – the team was warm, professional, and always attentive to both me and my baby. They supported me through breastfeeding, answered every question, and ensured I could truly rest. The meals were nourishing and comforting, and the baby care was so gentle that I felt completely at peace. I left feeling confident, restored, and ready for motherhood - every new mom deserves an experience like this."
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“I believe that mothers in Vietnam, and everywhere frankly, deserve more,” said Jiang. “We want to give them the full support and encouragement so that upon leaving, they can be truly confident in their new roles.” Thus, The Joyful Nest embodies her desire to elevate postpartum care in all of Vietnam.
“We think it’s important to demonstrate to the market what the best looks like,” she said. “I really want to see it grow and flourish, and have high quality of service be delivered to mothers at all price points. So the more hospitals and other providers entering the industry, the easier it would be to reach that mission. After all, a mother’s happiness is at the heart of her baby and her family’s happiness. That’s what drives us to deliver excellence every single day.”
This article is originally published in the March 2026 issue of Tatler Vietnam
CREDITS
Photographer: Louis Wu
Producer: Giang Thảo
Stylist: OCEN Styling
Makeup: Quinncyy Tran
Hair: Ý Nhi Đặng, Thanh Hang
Production Assistants: Tuan Sang, Giau Le, Huynh Hai Dang
Fashion: Phan Đăng Hoàng, Jadeite TH
Location: The Joyful Nest
The Joyful Nest
Oakwood Residence Saigon, 1056A Nguyen Van Linh Street, Tan Hung Ward, HCMC
Hotline: (+84) 392 048 299
Website: thejoyfulnest.com
Email: hello@thejoyfulnest.com
