Baku: A Dubai-based hospitality major has made an emphatic foray into Eastern Europe with the launch of the first international city resort in the Azerbaijan capital, Baku.
The Jumeirah Group of Dubai Holdings will be officially launching the Jumeirah Bilgah Beach Hotel, a 12-hectare five-star property overlooking the Caspian Sea by the end of this month.
Jumeriah is under a 25-year management agreement contract with local owner Azinko Holdings to run the Jumeirah Bilgah Beach Hotel, the hotel’s general manager Mete Atakuman said.
A visit to the resort revealed that it is already up and running following a soft opening in time for the Eurovision 2012 song contest in May. “We are in the process of giving the final touches and should be officially open by the end of the month,” Atakuman told Gulf News.
He said, Jumeirah, which has 20 hotels worldwide, has zeroed in on Baku because it is a key gateway into the CIS region and Russia. “The city’s vision to diversify away from its oil and gas wealth to focus on tourism has attracted many international brands and we are happy to be here.”
The Old City, identified as a world heritage site by Unesco, is home to centuries-old monuments like the Maiden’s Tower and Shirvanshahs’ Palace. Tourists also look for traces of Soviet nostalgia as Azerbaijan was a part of the former Soviet Union till 1991.
Besides tourism and leisure, Atakuman said, Baku is witnessing rapid developments in construction, manufacturing, industry and agriculture. “So it made sense for us to open an exclusive city resort which could not only attract tourists but also corporate business travellers and MICE clients.”
The resort, which is 15km away from the airport and 30 minutes away from Baku’s historic and business district, is located on the eastern tip of the city, known for its serenity and high levels of oxygen. A cardiological retreat centre in its immediate neighbourhood has been a major attraction for heart patients from the days of the Soviet Union.
While Hyatt has been in Baku since the 1990s, the Sheraton, Leela Kempinski, Hilton and JW Marriott have also entered the fray in the last one year. Fairmont and Four Seasons are expected to be on board soon. Barring Sheraton, most of these properties are in the heart of the city.
The Jumeirah Bilgah Beach Hotel boasts a floor area of 54,000 square metres with 176 private rooms across 18 floors offering sweeping views of the Caspian Sea. A deluxe room costs around 230 euros (Dh1,038) during peak season (May-September) and 150 euros during off-season. Also available are executive and family suites, besides the VIP Presidential and Ambassador Suites.
The hotel has a 300-metre private beach and 14 residential cottages as well. Its facilities include five restaurants serving a mix of international cuisines, a water park with 11 slides, a mini football field, basketball and tennis courts, indoor and outdoor pools, a state-of-the-art gym and spa, a night club, a bowling alley and large-capacity conference and wedding halls.
Designed by the Azerbaijaini architect Nazim Valiyev, the resort has a modern, yet classical touch. At the centre of its atrium lobby is the world’s longest chandelier – a 58 metre gold and silver ensemble that has 72,000 LED lights in it. The chandelier runs the entire length of the 18 storeys.
Flydubai identifies Baku as top offbeat destination
Dubai-based low-cost carrier, Flydubai, has identified Baku as the top offbeat destination, offering three flights a week to the city during summer. Two additional flights operate during the winter months.
Statistics reveal that the airline has seen a 284 per cent annual growth in passenger numbers from the CIS and Eastern Europe between February 2011 and March 2012 compared to the previous year.
Flydubai offers 78 regular flights to 13 destinations in CIS countries, Eastern and Central Europe and has the biggest network among all Middle Eastern carriers in this region.
