The Four Seasons hotel chain has opened its latest property in Baku, capital of Azerbaijan, in a building designed by ReardonSmith Architects with interiors by Richmond International. In a city where East meets West and where new high-rise towers coexist with ancient buildings, the Four Seasons followed its owner’s brief to include references of the French Beaux-Arts style of the late 19th century (such as detailed bronze doors and window frames as well as iron railings and balustrading to the guestroom balconies) while keeping the original neoclassic proportions appropriate to its prestigious location in a plot near the president’s office overlooking the Caspian Sea.
A feature staircase takes guests from the ground level to the first floor which is entirely dedicated to banqueting, including a 600 square-metre ballroom without central columns. The hotel contains a total of 175 guestrooms and suites, all offering a view of either Baku or the Caspian Sea, distributed across seven floors. The core of the building includes a ‘Roman basilica’ that soars to a height of 12 metres under a vaulted ceiling and houses a large swimming pool. The top floor hosts a rooftop spa with several treatment rooms, a hammam and wet areas, as well as a restaurant, a bar and private dining rooms.