Azerbaijan’s Capital Shines With Four Seasons Baku

Four Seasons Baku

For years, Baku has been dubbed the “Dubai of the Caucasus.” In 2024 alone, the ever-evolving capital of Azerbaijan hosted the COP29, the United Nations climate change conference, as well as Formula 1’s Grand Prix race. The city continues to reap the enormous benefits of its oil boom which started in the late 19th century and continues to this day.

Luxury hotel groups are certainly taking note of Baku’s rising appeal to international travelers. Late last year, Mövenpick, the Swiss hospitality group, opened Mövenpick Hotel Winter Park Baku, and in 2025, the Kempinski Residences Bayil Bay, a luxury residential project, is slated to open. One hotel group, however, made a bet on Baku more than a decade ago and continues as a cherished choice for business and leisure travelers alike: the Four Seasons Baku.

Opened in 2012, the171-room Four Seasons Baku represented Baku’s ambition to transform from a plausible business hub into a global luxury destination. Foremost, the location cannot be beat: the UNESCO-listed Old City from the 12th century is just around the corner from the hotel’s lobby. It’s worth an afternoon stroll to take in the curving cobblestone pathways that lead to carpet and folk art boutiques as well as the Palace of the Shirvanshahs, considered a pearl of Azerbaijan’s architecture. On the opposite side of the Old City, the Caspian Sea is in full view from East facing rooms at the Four Seasons. The sunrises were immaculate, and I loved my morning runs up and down the spacious Baku Promenade, a well maintained urban walkway that passes by the Azerbaijan Carpet Museum and Ferris wheel known as the Baku Eye along the sea.

Another advantage of this Four Season’s location is the views and space offered by its penthouse level spa. I love a spa that has a transcendent feel, an escape even further from the resort or hotel that contains it, and the Four Seasons Baku delivers. The indoor pool area has a cathedral essence with natural light that pours in from curved lattice windows two stories or so above the mosaic tiled pool. The hot tub area, surrounded by heated stone lounge chairs, offers peek-a-boo views of the Caspian Sea. I booked a Jaleh massage with an expert therapist, Gracia. She’s been with the Four Seasons brand for a decade and a half, and I could tell she loved her craft. The massage incorporates velvet like Moroccan Argan oil, a divine treat after a chilly day trip I took out to the village of Guba. The spa has nine treatment rooms, enough to accommodate groups which is a popular booking for locals and bridesmaid parties, I learned.

Beyond its location, the Four Seasons Baku aligns with the brand’s global motto of “luxury is our love language.” Part of luxury, in my book, is providing the most luxurious experience anyone who travels wants: feeling taken care of with sincere care. On the last day of my Baku leg of my trip, I had to wake quite early to catch a morning flight. The breakfast restaurant wasn’t open just yet, but the manager, Mr. Subhan Hajiyev, spotted me and swiftly ushered my guest and I in, loading us up with take-away boxes of pastries, fruits, and yogurts and first dibs of the not-opened-yet breakfast bar. It’s a small thing, but in luxury hospitality, it’s always the very small things.

Azerbaijan’s deep historical roots butts right up against its ambitious future – a contrast that makes this region particularly compelling for travelers seeking more than just another experience. I look forward to returning to this Four Seasons in particular, the Four Seasons Baku.