Anatolia Hotel Baku

The staff are very courteous, but the hotel is overrated. Breakfast has only the bare minimum, and the amenities are missing altogether. In my view, it doesn't deserve a four-star rating, or more than two.

The room was spacious and clean, with acceptable Wi-Fi, and breakfast was decent. It's a small, peaceful hotel down a narrow alley, about a 10-minute walk from Ganjlik metro. Staff were friendly, though only one person spoke English. The sauna and pool were under maintenance during our stay, so check whether they're open before booking. There was no mineral water or slippers when I arrived, but they brought two slippers within a minute when I asked. There's no tea maker, so you can't make your own tea. Smoking isn't allowed in the room, though they never asked about it.

The room was big and clean, but it wasn't ready when we arrived at 3 a.m., even though we'd booked it the day before. The minibar was empty, and there was no water in the room. When we asked for some, they said, “water finish.” Ridiculous.

I liked the rooms, but our stay was still a bad experience. The heater didn't work, the window was broken, and the receptionist was unfriendly. Music kept playing late into the night, too.