‘Put Your Ego Under The Bed’: How This Couple With Blended Family Runs Eco-Friendly Hotels

For Alessandra Atienza and Don Ramon Bagatsing, there are only pros—no cons—in running a business together as a married couple. They are behind the chain of environment-friendly properties called Eco Hotel.

"Because I know who’s the boss," Don tells Smart Parenting in an online interview, pointing to his wife. “She’s always right."

Alessandra then clarifies: "We have our own specialties. We have our own line. Barely we do overlap in our roles. He does give advice. But at the end of the day, he respects my department. Likewise I respect his department."

The couple had their own businesses, both in real estate and hospitality, long before they put up Eco Hotel in 2013. Alessandra took on the dual roles of president and chief executive officer (CEO), while Don became chairman and "chief vibe officer." They combined their individual expertise and experience to successfully open, in 2015, their first hotel called Cabins in Tagaytay.

"We are both entrepreneurs, but in terms of creativity," Alessandra asserts, "I have more of that. The concept came from me. Being a considerate entrepreneur, not just minding the income but also the people and the environment. The idea came from me in the beginning, but I only intended to have one branch, which is the one in Tagaytay.

"It was Don who expanded it to more and more locations and destinations. So s’ya ’yung development and acquisition part...He can identify like a pilot as to which direction should we go. Alam kung nasaan ang area of development. That’s a genius for me."

Eco Hotel prides in being the first green service hotel in the country and probably the most pet-friendly, too. It now has another property in Tagaytay, this time called Containers because the accomodations here are made of shipping containers.

Then then are the Villas located in the town of Mataasnakahoy in Batangay, Kaliraya Surf Kamp nestled by Caliraya Lake in Laguna, and Suites found in the beachfront side of El Nido in Palawan.

Blended business and family

Looking back now, the couple says they didn't intend to merge their individual assets and pour into Eco Hotel.

"Just a lot of assistance," Alessandra says on how they worked things out in the beginning. "Kung hindi ko business and he needs my help, I’m there. I even managed some of his hotels."

Don adds, "Then somewhere along the way, maybe 2013, 2014, we decided to slowly merge it together. Only during COVID did we merged the company, the properties…And organized the assets."

Around that time of high COVID-19 pandemic, which began in March 2020, Don and Alessandra decided to tie the knot after being longtime friends and then as a romantic couple. As Don puts it, "BFFs for 12 years," adding, "Nauna ang love. The legality of it, later on."

Alessandra says she and Don have their own set of kids; they're now a blended family. "All the children are with us, except those grown and independent. But all the younger ones are with us."

Alessandra and Don believe that not "forcing anything" helped build their successful relationship as spouses and business partners.

"We just fused together," she explains. "Then we saw the strength. We were able to put our businesses, more than the weaknesses of it. We saw naman that everything’s gonna be good. Not only for the business but also for our children."

Humility is a key ingredient, too, as elucidated by Don: "I know what I’m good at and I know what I’m not good at. So hindi ako nagmamarunong. Ayokong magmarunong. If I know she’s good at it, I’ll let her do her thing. I’ll just support it."

He acknowledges, "Mahirap kasi kung gusto na bida ka lagi. Ikaw ang pinakamatalino, ikaw ang may alam. Walang mangyayari do’n, eh. At the end of the day, I know where I’m good at and where she’s good at."

Bottom line: "Put your ego under the bed."

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