BY EDISON JOSEPH GONZALES
Bauan was the kind of town you passed through without pause – quiet, hardworking, unassuming. Known more for its lomi than landmarks, it rarely made headlines, let alone itineraries. But now, something rises on its horizon, glinting in the sunlight and stirring curiosity where once there was only routine.
It’s called SotoGrande Hotel and Convention Center Batangas, and it stands not just as a new hotel building, but a new beginning. Bauan, more than a stopover, is now an upcoming destination.
“This is the first convention center for the SotoGrande brand,” said Christian Guballa, managing director of Approche Hospitality and group general manager of both The Tribute Hotel and SotoGrande Hotel Batangas. But more than a building, it’s a beginning.
He spoke with the conviction of someone who’s placed his heart in the foundation, alongside the steel and concrete. For him, it’s not enough to just build, as one must build with people in mind.
“People often think Bauan has nothing to offer. We want this hotel to be a linchpin for development in the area – to be the first to invest and hopefully spark more investments and opportunities here,” Guballa added.
He also noted that he opened hotels before, but this one is different, as he felt like he’s not just opening a hotel, but also helping change how people see a town.
From the outset, SotoGrande was envisioned as more than a place to sleep. The goal, Guballa explained, was to create a destination for meaningful moments, where celebrations are elevated, the community is engaged, and sustainability is built into every decision.
“This vision reflects who we are at Approache Hospitality,” he said. “Every detail, every touchpoint is designed with purpose. We’re not just delivering comfort; we’re building something that lasts, something that uplifts.”
That message was echoed in a statement read on behalf of Jason Robles, vice president for project development at Sta. Lucia Land. His words painted a vivid picture of why Batangas was chosen as the latest SotoGrande location.
“From Cebu and Iloilo, to Davao, Baguio, Palawan, and Quezon City, each SotoGrande property tells a story. Here in Bauan, we’re adding a new chapter.”
Robles spoke not only of scenic landscapes, such as the volcanic drama of Taal, the reefs of Isla Verde, the trails of Mount Maculot, but of the province’s people. Batangueños, he noted, bring a warmth and community spirit that embody the very essence of hospitality.
“We want SotoGrande Batangas to reflect that,” the statement read. “To be more than a hotel; to be a gateway into everything that makes this place extraordinary.”
A town ready for its moment
Unlike nearby Taal, rich with colonial charm, or Mabini, a haven for divers, Bauan has never been one to seek attention. It has been content with its rice fields, market mornings, and quiet pride. It bided its time.
Change, though, rarely arrives with fanfare. More often, it slips in quietly, disguised as a hotel lobby.
The Sta. Lucia Land could have chosen somewhere flashier, but they saw something in Bauan that others overlooked – potential. To bet on the unseen takes courage; to build there, a leap of faith.
With development comes inevitable debate. As SotoGrande Hotel Batangas rises, so do questions about affordability, cultural displacement, and whether Bauan can hold on to its soul. Some residents may worry that progress might come at the cost of identity – that the quiet they’ve known could be replaced by noise, that the sacred might give way to spectacle. For instance, changes that could erode the texture of daily life.
But Bauan didn’t suddenly change. It unfolded slowly, quietly, like most places shaped not by ambition but by faith, memory, and the patience of its people.
Long before anyone thought to build a hotel here, the town already knew who it was. You could see it in the way morning light touches the church bells, in how the community gathers around the Holy Cross not for display, but for devotion. This is a town that remembers that each procession and prayer is a thread in something larger than itself. Festivals like the Sublian aren’t curated, as they’re lived. They aren’t staged for visitors; they are how Bauan breathes, how it continues telling its story even when no one’s watching.
Even its beaches feel unhurried. But that calm doesn’t mean life here is simple or easy. The slowness can be hard-earned. Still, there’s something in the way the salt air carries memory, something grounding in the water’s steady pull.
So, when a structure like SotoGrande Hotel Batangas appears on the skyline, it doesn’t aim to replace the past but to be in conversation with it. Through its architecture that nods to local forms, its partnerships with community artisans, and its commitment to hiring from within Bauan, SotoGrande Hotel Batangas tries to show up not as a guest, but as a neighbor. It listens before it speaks.
Guballa explained that while Sta. Lucia Land prefers uniformity across its properties, the team took advantage of Bauan’s expansive site to reflect something more. “Santa Lucia prefers that all SotoGrande branches look a little similar. But since the land is so vast, we had a chance to include larger spaces, especially in the lobbies,” Guballa shared, underscoring how the property balances brand cohesion with local context.
Bauan has never needed reinvention. What it needed – what we all sometimes need – is to be seen clearly. Not through the soft lens of nostalgia, but with honesty and regard. Not with more light, but with a truer one.
A destination for MICE tourism
SotoGrande Hotel Batangas stands out in this part of Batangas not just for its modern design and top-notch features, but also for the strong vision behind it. Designed as a MICE (meetings, incentives, conferences, and exhibitions) destination, it offers a new way to look at business travel outside Metro Manila.
With a full-service convention center, it gives companies and event planners an exciting new venue, showing that towns like Bauan have more to offer. Instead of sticking to the usual, SotoGrande Hotel Batangas is helping Bauan grow into a strong contender in business tourism, proving that big ideas can thrive even in quieter places.
“Our goal is to be the premier MICE destination in Batangas and the top choice for luxury conferences and events,” Guballa shared.
Rooted in the real
SotoGrande Hotel Batangas operates at a different rhythm, aligned with the town it now calls home. Its ballroom, named Batulao, and other function rooms honor local geography. Its soon-to-open Sky Lounge (the hotel’s roof deck) offers a sweeping view of Batangas, a panorama more grounding than grandiose.
Suelo, Spanish for “soil,” the in-house restaurant, serves up dishes like sinaing na tulingan, chami, and sinukmani, which aren’t just regional fare, but are also culinary heirlooms rooted in generations. Even the vinegar they use is local. They didn’t just want to replicate dishes, as they wanted them to taste like home.
The head chef learned to prepare tulingan the traditional way, a method passed down like an oral history. In that dish lies both humility and pride. Here, luxury is not imported wine or silver cutlery, but the comfort of a familiar flavor, made with care.
“Most restaurants in Batangas are small and not air-conditioned… That’s why we built our restaurant to accommodate large family celebrations,” Guballa added, noting how Suelo fills a longstanding gap in the local dining landscape.
Home is where the work is
Where many hotels import their staff, SotoGrande Hotel Batangas turned inward. Ninety-five percent of its team hails from Bauan and neighboring towns. “One of our team members used to work in Cubao and rent a place in Caloocan,” Guballa said. “Now, she’s 15 minutes from home. That story stays with me.”
With the new SotoGrande Hotel Batangas, the hotel shows that opportunity can bloom locally, and that pride in one’s place is a powerful motivator. “When we opened the hotel, people were proud. I told them Sta. Lucia Land had the courage to invest here, even when no one else would,” Guballa recalled.
A space for celebration
There’s a subtle shift taking place in Bauan. It smells like freshly baked kalamay and sounds like a birthday song echoing through a ballroom.
From weddings to corporate events, SotoGrande Hotel Batangas wants the venue to be a home base not just for tourists, but also the go-to venue for everyone’s life’s milestones. Even team-building retreats, said Guballa, are celebrations. “People come here not just to work, but to remember why they work.”
Thoughtful spatial design ensures no guest feels confined. Whether it’s the restaurant, the ballroom or the upcoming lounge, every area invites people to feel something more than just accommodated, they’re welcomed.
“Even team buildings are a kind of celebration, right? We want people to feel that any occasion is worth celebrating here,” he added, reflecting the brand’s hospitality ethos.
Turning the tide in a quiet town
To Guballa, the venture is deeply personal. “When we opened, people were proud,” he recalled. “They said, ‘No one ever thought Bauan would have something like this.’”
Since then, the ripple effect has begun. There are plans for a new city hall, residential communities, and expanded hotel facilities. SotoGrande Hotel Batangas’ 141 rooms are already nearing capacity, with expansion to 200 in the works.
The balconies are generous because the new hotel wants people to pause and breathe. That’s what this place is about, to take a moment.
“This is more than business,” Guballa said. “We were the first to take the plunge. Now others are watching. Hopefully, following.”
“We keep thinking of ways to attract the leisure market. If you come here, you’ll experience something new—especially if you enjoy mountain views and quiet settings,” he said, revealing their intention to extend beyond business travel into destination tourism.
Belief as a blueprint
To develop in a town with no playbook is to lead with belief. It means seeing not just what is, but what could be. It likewise means taking a chance on the overlooked and elevating it.
This kind of progress doesn’t come with bravado, but with listening to locals, raising ceilings not for show, but so that people feel something bigger than themselves.
The view from the sky lounge
From the Sky Lounge, the view is unexpectedly profound. It stretches not just in distance, but in meaning. It isn’t the kind of place for selfies, but a view you hold quietly, like a well-kept secret finally shared.
That’s the promise of SotoGrande Hotel Batangas, that beauty exists in places absent from brochures; that the ordinary can be extraordinary; that luxury doesn’t have to shout, as it can whisper and still be heard.
“People used to say, ‘What’s in Bauan?’” Guballa said. “Now they say, ‘There’s a SotoGrande Hotel Batangas there.’ And maybe, soon, they’ll say, ‘Let’s go.’”
Sometimes, all it takes is one open door for the rest of the world to walk through.
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