Azalea Hotel Baku

It’s a basic, economical hotel, simple in its design and breakfast, but the people working there provide really nice service. The receptionists are all welcoming and helpful, as is the bellboy. Just keep in mind that you need to pay cash because they don’t have a Visa machine. It’s near Atatürk street, where you can enjoy a long walk and find nice food at restaurants and cafes. Bank of Baku is close by too, as is a 24/7 bravo supermarket.

The sixth-floor restaurant was clean and quiet, with Wi-Fi and credit cards accepted, though the lighting was dim and there were no nearby window views. One waitress spoke intermediate English. I ordered a pizza, which was salty, probably because of the cheese, and a mosquito bit me. The bill was higher than the menu price. When I objected, the waitress just apologized, so I pressed the point. The cashier slammed my card onto the cupboard and didn’t want to charge me. He took a bill, then gave me most, but not all, of my change, slamming it down too. I said the change was still short. Someone else, who I hope wasn’t a customer, added a few cents, but I still left missing some. I went downstairs to speak with the manager, but the receptionist said the manager was busy and didn’t speak English, so I left.

It’s a reasonably priced hotel with polite staff. It’s far from the city centre, but taxis in Baku aren’t expensive, so getting around is fine.

A clean, comfortable room overall, though breakfast could be better.