Hotel Insider: Fairmont Baku, Flame Towers

The welcome

This striking structure, lit up dramatically at night, can be seen from all over the city and is its highest building. The Fairmont occupies one of the three towers and is 28 storeys high. There is a soaring lobby on the ground floor, which has a businesslike feel, and my taxi is unloaded without delay. I’m staying in a signature suite on the 20th floor, so I’m escorted to check in at the lounge on the 19th floor. The views from this height are genuinely jaw-dropping. I have to wait only five minutes for my bags to arrive at the room.

The lobby of the Fairmont Baku, Flame Towers

The neighbourhood

The hotel is set back from the waterfront on a hillside, giving it a commanding overview of the whole city and its bay on the Caspian Sea. There are low-key residential apartment blocks and offices nearby, and it’s just a couple of minutes walk from Shahidlar Xiyabani (Martyrs’ Alley), a monument and cemetery, which also provides a great vantage point. It’s then about a 15-minute walk to downtown or the sea.

The scene

Most guests are from the UAE, India and Russia, and are split between business and leisure. The hotel has an outdoor pool for the summer months and an indoor pool with a good sauna and steam room. The ESPA spa is the largest in the city.

The swimming pool at the ESPA. Fairmont

The main restaurant is on the ground floor, and there’s also a shisha lounge. Upstairs there is a jazz bar and a second restaurant. The atmosphere is relaxed, although the hotel’s 299 rooms and 19 apartments are likely to be busier during the city’s F1 event next weekend. Rooms are from the ninth floor upwards, and the apartments are on floors 2 and 8.

The room

A Fairmont Signature Suite city view room. Fairmont

My one-bedroom