The Merchant, Baku

I stayed at this Baku hotel for a week and it’s a real gem. The staff are super friendly, the restaurant and bar is gorgeous and the rooms very comfortable with large bathrooms. The ribeye steak is something else!!! Baku itself is an amazing city and The Merchant sits right in the centre, making it an ideal base. I stayed here for both my trips to Baku last year, It was that good.

I never expected to end up in a former 1858 shipping company headquarters, god knows how this tucked-away gem got on my itinerary! If you’re after a splashy stay with a side of history, this place is right up your alley. It’s just a breezy 4-minute wander to the Baku Promenade (perfect for post-breakfast strolls), about an 11-minute hoof to the nearest metro, and only a kilometer from the Azerbaijan Carpet Museum!

The rooms feel polished without being stuffy: Wi-Fi that actually works, TVs for those “I should be working but…” moments, minibars calling your name, and of course tea and coffee gear for that morning caffeine ritual (or late-night “I can’t sleep” snack).

Dining here leans into the ornate: an atrium restaurant that looks like it was plucked from a period drama, serving up local produce that tastes like someone hand-picked it this morning. Then there’s the cocktail bar, quirky enough to make you linger, complete with a lounge that whispers “stay a little longer” and a seasonal terrace for when the weather cooperates. Breakfast is a buffet because nothing says “good morning” like unlimited everything.

All told, it’s decadently fabulous with just enough quirks to keep things interesting. Would I go back? Absolutely, if you end up here, enjoy every bit of the history-meets-modern vibe and don’t forget to peek out that balcony at sunrise if you facing the right way.