The Ritz-Carlton, Baku

Positioned on Babek Avenue beside the Heydar Aliyev Cultural Center, The Ritz-Carlton, Baku takes its sail-like shape from the skyline it stands in. Rooms range from Deluxe categories to multi-bedroom apartments with private kitchens; the largest, a three-bedroom layout, runs to 211 square metres. Bathroom walls switch from clear to frosted at a touch, and the building is fully soundproofed against the avenue below. A dedicated wellness floor holds separate adult and family pools, a hammam, and a Technogym gym open around the clock. The 13th-floor Ritz-Carlton Club has its own check-in and serves three à la carte meals a day, apart from the rest of the hotel. Dining runs through Tribeca, an open-kitchen restaurant using produce from the hotel's own herb garden, and Blind Tiger, a speakeasy pouring whiskey-led cocktails. Each evening at 6pm the lobby turns quiet for tea, pakhlava, and live piano, a practice with roots stretching back eight centuries in the region. A complimentary shuttle runs five times daily to Boulevard Park and the Old City. The property holds Green Key certification for sustainable operations. Event space totals 2,200 square metres across 14 rooms, including the Shusha Ballroom, with a private terrace for weddings framed by the Cultural Center next door. The airport lies 24.5 km away.