Four Seasons Hotel Baku stands on Neftchilar Avenue along the Caspian waterfront, a Beaux-Arts white stone palace that opened in 2012 as — and remains — the only Forbes Travel Guide five-star hotel in Azerbaijan. The architecture pays homage to the oil-baron mansions built here in the late 19th century, yet the lobby frames two worlds at once: the opal-blue Caspian on one side, a trio of flame-shaped skyscrapers on the other. The 171 rooms interpret Parisian Beaux-Arts through a contemporary lens, with soft colour palettes and high ceilings. Deluxe sea-view rooms start at 48 square metres, arched French doors opening to private balconies where morning light turns the water to pearl, with marble bathrooms fitted with double vanities and a deep soaking tub. Panoramic two-bedroom suites occupy corner turrets with three balconies and a circular living room; Promenade suites run to dark hardwood floors and fireplaces, the kind of room that makes a two-night stay feel too short.
Zafferano anchors dining with central Italian cuisine beneath vaulted ceilings or on the terrace, and its Sunday Sparkling Brunch — buffet, live pasta station, and piano — draws a loyal local crowd. After dark, Bentley's Bar trades in whisky, cigars, and lobster croquettes in a room that feels like a private London club. Piazza Lounge, under a glass atrium, suits afternoon tea; Eyvan Terrace returns each summer with al fresco dining, shisha, and DJ sets. On the ninth floor, Jaleh Spa — named Azerbaijan's Best Hotel Spa 2024 — offers ten treatment rooms, two hammams, a Biologique Recherche facial room, and a sun-lit penthouse pool, with Persian and Turkish traditions informing every treatment. The medieval walled Old City, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is eight minutes on foot.
