Doméino: Dome Suites (A Memoir)

 

This year, today marks the 2nd anniversary of a small glamping resort that my family, friends, and I built. This was one of those farfetched dreams I had as a kid. One of those that crossed my mind many times, yet at the back of those thoughts I have accepted that it wasn't possible for many reasons. I'd of overhear my aunts conversing that if they own a resort they'd be set for life...which I can now attest that's not necessarily true. Over twenty five years later an offer fell upon my lap, and it was one of those that took me a few days to think over before going all in. When the project finally started, I was in disbelief at how this vaguely haphazard dream I had with a 0.3% chance of ever happening had manifested itself to me. The moment I said "GAME!" things began to unfurl and there was no turning back. This was a childhood "what if" that miraculously presented itself at the right time. In principle, I believe that timing is everything when it comes to making major life decisions as it dictates how easily things fall into place. This amazingly fitted into my life as if this was the natural course of how I'd latch onto the business of tourism and hospitality.

The first few months were my denial stage, but when we had to thrust into full gear because we were spending more than the initial capital, that's when reality sank in and it propelled us to get down and dirty into working at the construction site to help in whatever form just so we can finish the job. One of the challenges was when my partners and I agreed to do the project, it was a time when they had to leave for Manila to go on with their respective employee responsibilities, leaving me behind to sort of monitor the construction from ground zero. The distance of 73 kilometers one-way trip and the lack of transportation was making it more challenging than amusing. The construction was met with delays as it was January of 2021 when we started tilling the land to lay out its foundation. This was still a time of uncertainty as the threat of covid was still on a high that possible total lockdowns kept on appearing in the news. Thankfully, the borders in Negros were more tolerable than other regions making it possible to progress no matter the inconvenience. By February it started taking shape with four layers of riff-raff needing to be completed to make functional terraces out of a single slope. As how most constructions are, it started fast then plateaued in between then suddenly escalated into high gear the moment we had a deadline that needed to be met. By August it was hands-up, finished or unfinished we had to start the ball rolling in order to keep our finances afloat. 

We got our first guests before we even started accepting bookings. The couple managed to message our page and convince one of the owners to accept the reservation a couple of days away from when we open our doors to the public. We gave them the warmest welcome that I don't think we gave them enough privacy after checking up on them many times that day. We were simultaneously being naïve and accommodating that I am embarrassed just by reminiscing. I remember that we were supposed to have our blessing and ribbon cutting on 8-8-2021, because my business partners and I always do grand openings on an date with an 8 on it for good luck, but it was pushed back on the 18th because we were still rushing the pool's construction a few days prior. Guests for the ribbon cutting included our respective families plus the ever supportive major of La Castellana.

I'll never get tired of telling people how we managed to build the domes with the most perplexing piece of paper that inscribed codes of a puzzle set with missing pieces. It was both frustrating and comedic how it took us two days to assemble and reassemble the steel tubes until we got the 5-meter geodesic dome to stand up. With it, we also had to gather resources out of whatever we can to try and minimize the spending of our budget over trivial matters because it added up to surprising numbers. 

Other design and construction decisions that needed to be made, we did more on instinct than actual knowledge of how methodically things needed to go about. Multiple visions combined with the actuality of the situation (budget restraints and other uncontrollable factors) have altered how our conversations went from idea to how the physical form took shape. There was also a delay in the shipment of the domes due to the process of customs declaration and stuff. We learned that you need a broker to import items because the customs will do their fair share of halting everything from being released on our shores.  Another hurdle was how everyone seemed inexperienced with building a glamping site. It was like we started the project with blindfolds on, simply letting things take form as we progressed. The swimming pool was the second pool the workers made, thus quite a failure with what an infinity pool should look like...so much so that I had to drop the term "infinity pool" when promoting Doméino. We won't insist on something that does not hit the category.

Working with the tourism industry has always been a dream of mine, to promote something I enjoy to people I chance upon and converse with. I love the Philippines so much despite the hurdles of the country's politics and socioeconomic landscape. It gives me a sense of accomplishment to have something that I can bring to the table to better our image locally and internationally. Having Doméino as part of this country's portfolio feels like a huge privilege and responsibility. There is both pride and inhibition that comes with having a resort as there is always that sense of inadequacy when it comes to the expectation versus reality thing. We are trying to make improvements, but then dilapidation starts the moment something is built or purchased whether used or unused. Whenever we plan on building a new structure to better our facilities, reports would come in that either something needs repair or we have to buy new sets of whatever because some things are no longer up to our set standards. It's a moderately-difficult road that needs strategy and persistence.

What's it like to have a glamping resort as a business? Well for one, constructing it is the least of the challenges. It's running and maintaining the entire business to not go up in flames while dealing with human and natural threats is the difficult part. It's not all prestige when people say they own a resort...it means continuously finding ways to keep everything afloat. 

Nature is intense as we are closer to the heavens. The raindrops are bigger; thunders louder; bolts of lightning are closer; the winds cooler; the sun's hotter; the waters colder. I can always compare the difference between being up at a higher altitude and being down in a city that's not nearly kissing the clouds. I get horrible sunburns staying out in the mountains than when I do in the low-lying areas. Perhaps it has something to do with standing at a place that is pedestalled higher to the sun. This is also true with thunderstorms as the crackling sounds closer to my ear than when I'm in the city. I've seen many times the lighting strike the ground whereas flashes could only be spotted behind the clouds when I'm back home in Bacolod. It's more intense at Doméino that I could clearly remember how on one windy day batchoy soup was flying off my spoon because of how strong it was. The liquid was spilling all over the table at every lift of my spoon. The soup was either cold or gone before it could reach my lips. Another notable thing was how large the raindrops are compared to when it rains in the city...there were times when it seemed like a bucket of water was being splashed onto my windshield that the road's visibility disappear with the torrent.

During construction it was announced that Mt. Kanlaon was in a state of unrest raising the Alert Level to 1. At some point it was raised to Alert Level 2, but then the threat outweighs the opportunity. To this day, Mt. Kanlaon is still on Alert Level 1. There were days when I'd see plumes of smoke being emitted by the volcano, but it was never scary since we are located far from the danger area. The most I had experienced was smelling sulfur wafting in the air. I asked local residents stories of what they experienced during the 1996 eruption, and they said that there was minor damage save for the ash fall in the area as Doméino is situated on the opposite side of the crater. Notably, a few months after we opened the gates of Doméino typhoon Odette passed by the area on December 16, 2021. Again I asked the residents of what they experienced during the storm. They actually took shelter in the container van as it is the sturdiest structure there. They heard the winds howling through the gorge, while branches flew and fell all over with a thud. Amazingly we realized that domes are actually aerodynamic because of its shape that everything in the dome remained untouched. The aftermath looked like autumn, with trees barren of leaves the whole landscape was desolated from all forms of green. Luckily all the trees that fell, fell on the opposite direction of where all our structures stood. The only damages we endured on the property were the bamboo wall that collapsed from the weight of the mango tree that toppled over, the polycarbonate roof that flew off our Casablanca CR, and the pool that needed to be drained because of the debris that swooped in. Other than that, our biggest spend was losing income from all the cancelled bookings from December until the end of January. That, and the cost of fuel for our generator since the entire municipality lost electricity for a month.

The first two months were the hardest for me because right after the blessing of Doméino, my business partners who were supposed to help me manage the place all left for Manila, again, leaving me to fend for the business on my own. With zero knowledge in hospitality management, I simply had to go with my gut when it came to running the place. My partners and I were also just doing online research and interviews prior while trying to teach our first set of staff as their only experience was working on the farm. We had to push them to come out of their shells to work various jobs such as housekeeping, pool maintenance, front desk, or kitchen staff. I was so busy that looking back, I don't know how I did it...driving 146 kilometers on my own on certain days and staying in an unfinished container van with geckos all around. I had no days off for two straight months. That's the reality of running a business.

I opened my journal to see how I did three years ago, and it is empty...I couldn't even sit still to write my thoughts for months. The only entry I managed to jot down was September 7, 2021, which read:

"It's the first time I'm sitting down to write an entry after months of not being able to open my journal. Woke up several times today due to the typhoon. It's been raining non-stop since last night and the weather's been brutal. Most of my stuff is damp from the rain, and the fog's causing zero visibility on the road. I'm alone in the container van since Kim left for a meeting. I'm simply waiting for the fog to clear so I can head home..."

It goes to show how tired I was and longed to have a proper sleep on my bed. These are things that are exciting at first but kinda burn you down the moment you could no longer keep up with the work-life balance. This eventually got better over time, after we slowly got into the groove and found the right people for the job. 

One thing I can say that I am proud of contributing to Doméino was that I came up with the play of words from our names and designed the logo. DOME + IN(fante) + O(bidos) = Doméino. For the symbolism of colors, it's a personal preference and nothing more. I always vouch for the shades of aqua or teal Pantone in my design as I love love love those colors. It was something that my partners had to agree with since I was the one doing the logo design. Although I'd have to say that it was a unanimous decision on how the name and logo came about. 

Another major contribution I did was the design of the outdoor bathroom since I am particularly judgmental of places that overlook the importance of uplifting the value of a room simply by building an aesthetically pleasing bathroom. How do I distinguish a mediocre accommodation from a fine one? It's having the "comfort" part checked in a comfort room people! Sometimes the bathroom is the deciding factor for me, especially the older I get the more I refuse to pay for squatting in a substandard toilet and shower in a space fit for a rat. Bidets, they're a must for me now. And although the actual structure was executed a little off from my render, still, it's a nice bathroom overall.

Of course, another contribution that is expected from me is to come up with the menu for the guests. I had to go with the basic silog breakfast and a few Western choices...plus the boodle sets as suggested by my peers. One of the things I look forward to the most when staying at a place is waking up early and having a relaxing hearty breakfast. Putting myself in those shoes, there's nothing I want more than a satisfying serving of tocilog or longsilog or pancakes and fruits with a side of coffee. This evolved through time as ingredients and demands needed to be altered. We also came up with the bar drinks, adding our experimental twist to incorporate the names of our friends who joined in the partnership mid-way as well, Brizzy Sling for Briz and Four Sisons for Sison. These are details that's worth sharing.

For those who find the headboard of our Brooklyn dome either amazing or appalling, I painted that without much thought. I only knew I wanted to evoke that grunge-industrial feel by using shades of blues and greys with metallic highlights. It took me two days to finish because I didn't know what I was doing save for my fondness of doing that drip paint effect all over the canvas. At present, the glistening metallic paint has faded and I'm tempted to redo the whole thing...I just can't find the right time and inspiration to do it thus far. Someday soon though, I'll do a retouch to make it even more chaotic than it already is...similar to how my mind works. That's in contrast to how plain and simple I wanted the curtains to look like...those curtains that took me days sew with the help of my mom because our labor was for free. These are basic life skills that forcefully come out when necessary.

What's most rewarding though is having a place to run to escape the heat, reading about the good experiences of people who've stayed with us, seeing photos of guests enjoying themselves, having that sense of pride of inviting friends over where they could bond with family, and most of all giving our staff a chance for a better life with a job that they can be proud of.

The easiest part of the business was the planning stage when everything was but a vision with a whole lot of optimism and ideas flying in the air. The moderately challenging part is appeasing haughty guests while maintaining the happiness and loyalty meters of our staff. We're lucky to have found employees that are proud to work with us, but it's uncalculated circumstances that usually cause them to leave sooner than desired. The distance of Doméino, as well as its lack of accessibility, is one of the major factors that's making it difficult for our staff to go to and fro their duty since we are located quite far from the town proper with no regular commute en route to Doméino. Admittedly, the most challenging part, just like all business I've handled, is achieving longevity. It's finding ways of getting enough income so much so that it can keep up with your expenses plus slowly return your initial investment. When we first started a third-party partner convinced us with a calculation that was going to generate enough bookings that we'd be at an ROI by the second year...or sooner. Well...two years in and we're not even halfway there! Reality dictates that resorts and such take at least five years before an ROI...which is how things are turning out to be. On my cousin/business partner's birthday we went to Doméino to oversee the situation and she suddenly blabbed, "It's our 3rd year anniversary this month. I wonder when we'll get our investment back?" I chirped, "We're still going strong." We pity-laughed at our struggling situation. Today I found out we're on our 2nd anniversary, my optimism returned--we can make it to ROI before the 5th year is done. 

Did I mention maintenance? How it never ends. The moment something is purchased for the resort, whether maxed out or untouched as long as it's in the premises it starts to just deteriorate until it either disappears or self-destructs. Every detail needs to be considered, from the natural growth of plants that needs constant trimming, to how algae thrive in stagnant unchlorinated water, to the insect's capacity to create a colony in any environment, to how guests can sometimes accidentally ruin newly bought sheets, to how quickly anything decays once water seeps in, or how easily glassware seem to break...and don't even get me started with how many umbrellas and chairs we had bought in replacement for broken ones. It's tiring as the spending never ends...because every time we'd try to collect funds to start on a new project to improve our amenities, another thing would suddenly need priority in funding. 

When people assume that owning a resort, especially a small-scale one seems like it belongs to those living a fabulous lifestyle...it's not at all as it is glammed up to be. Although there is that perk of having a place where you can enjoy as much as you want for free...that's of course limited since guests come first before oneself, then it's quite rewarding.

Times I love most is when it's around late after dinner, between 9pm-11pm and everyone is done for the day, I'd ask for all the lights to be switched off and I'd just float in the pool while staring up at the stars. Almost every time I'd stay up and stargaze, I'd spot a falling star or two quickly gash across the diamond studded sky. Once, in 2021, I even saw what seemed like a meteorite fall from the heavens and into the waterfalls down below. It happened so fast that only two of us saw it out of nine in the group. While our friends were chatting, Andrew and I were looking in the direction of where Mt. Kanlaon was, then out of nowhere sparks of green and red abruptly fell from the sky...like a colorful fireball being thrown downwards at a forceful speed. My jaw dropped agape as I was in disbelief at what I saw, and this was confirmed when Andrew turned back in shock blurting, "Did you see that!?" I was the only one who retorted "YES!" because it was impossible for those who had their backs turned at that time to see that magical split-second happen. Astonishing.

It's in those quiet moments of calm when I hear the waterfall's faint gushing at night, or when I see the perfect cone silhouette of the beautiful Mt. Kanlaon at around 10pm, I find myself smiling. Those certain moments when the sky clears and the volcano imposes its mighty stance in the background, it makes me proud to have taken the leap and made the investment in the place. Those early mornings when I make my way down Mandayao waterfall before it is opened to the public and I get to swim in its freezing waters just as the sunrise peaks from the towering trees, calms me in ways I cannot compare. The precious feedback from people who truly enjoyed their time at Doméino, I relish in their delight. These are but a few of the moments that make me say there are more pros than cons of having Doméino as one of my businesses. The rewards come in the form of moments, more than financial freedom. That will take time...much longer than we had anticipated...but the process is fulfilling.

We have so much in store for the piece of property that our great grandfather has inherited the family with. It's worth fighting for despite the struggles of making it into the tourism map. Slowly we are (really trying) to turn the place into a (sort-of) visual masterpiece. One that can serve its purpose of allowing guests to experience refuge in the midst of two of nature's wonders, a series of waterfalls overlooking one of the country's most majestic volcanoes. Doméino will one day make it as one of the country's top destinations, an enough reason why tourists from all over the world would come to Negros for. That is the dream. That is the goal. We'll slowly make it happen as over time our landscape has started to take shape, and the structures we had planned on building have one-by-one been imperfectly achieved. A couple more things before we can say that Doméino is complete. For now, this is what we got, quite a long way to go...and we'll be needing all the bookings that we could get to support our vision.

For bookings and inquiries, message us on our Facebook or Instagram pages. We also accept reservations on AirBnb and Booking.com:

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