Bettinna Carlos opens up about building and running a boutique resort in La Union

Bettinna Carlos opened up about her journey of building and running a boutique resort.  

The former actress now runs Aginana Villas in La Union. In an interview with Karen Davila, the actress shared that it was her husband, Mikki Eduardo, who had the idea to put up the resort there.

“When we built this and when it started operating, we had a lot of babies. I just gave birth to Amina. That was December 2022. And then we opened the resort,” she recalled.

Bettina shared that she also took charge of the resort’s kitchen when they began operations. “And then we also started operating the kitchen. So, ako yung kitchen talaga. It was fun. It was exciting,” she recounted. 

Despite having no previous experience in the hospitality industry, Bettinna said she found fulfillment in creating an experience centered on making guests feel cared for and comfortable.

“Though we were never part of a hospitality business before, ang saya pala to just pour into serving others. How you want to be served. So, so much thought went into that. Parang, what service do we give? Kung ano ‘yung gusto natin ma-receive? That’s how we want to treat our guests. Besides, the name is Aginana [which means] rest (in Ilocano), so how do we want to have a restful stay? We do this, we put this, etc.,” she said.

Bettina, however, admitted that she experienced major adjustments at the beginning of their boutique resort’s operations.

“But, iba pala ‘yung you live where you work. The line, wala na ‘yung line. So, naninibago ako sa maraming aspeto, sa maraming bagay. Nag-a-adjust ako. May baby pa. So, ang dami talagang nangyayari. So, it was emotionally so much for me. Mentally also. Physically. Caring for a newborn. Running a restaurant,” she shared.

When asked about the most challenging part of maintaining a boutique resort, Bettina said providing consistent service remains one of her biggest priorities.

“For me, it’s maintaining the service. Kasi the exterior, the interior, yeah, it’s what will draw people. But I think what will make them stay and want to go back is their experience of being there, of being here,” she pointed out.

Reflecting on her life outside showbiz and her experience running the resort, Bettina described the years since her marriage as an adventure.

“You know, ever since I got married, I would say I’ve had a very adventurous life. Because my husband is so adventurous. Very spontaneous ‘yung asawa ko,” she said.