Pik Palace Shahdag has opened in a resort area of the Caucasus mountain range in Azerbaijan, which offers snow sports in the winter and golf in the summer.
The developing resort area in the Shahdag National Park will be part of the First European Games, which will be based some 155 miles (230 km) south in the Azerbaijani capital of Baku next year.
ReardonSmith Architects designed the new hotel, drawing inspiration from grand mountain hotels in the Swiss Alps as requested by the clients. The building’s reinforced concrete structural frame is clad in local limestone; the roof has diamond-shaped zinc tiles that will develop a patina as they age, and the windows have bronze-colored frames and shutters.
The 347,675-sq-ft (32,300-sq-m) hotel offers 168 guestrooms, including a 11,087-sq-ft (1,030-sq-m) penthouse apartment. Guestrooms have French doors leading out onto balconies with metal balustrades, heated marble floors, and bathrooms with walk-in rain showers and separate toilet areas.
In addition to dining at the Alpina Brasserie and Wine Bar, guests can sample Asian fare at the Fujisan Restaurant and Bar, order pastries at the Chocolat patisserie and cafe, or do business in the Executive Lounge.
Changing rooms and ski-in/ski-out facilities are located in the south wing, near the mountain lifts; these serve golfers in the summertime. Additional amenities include a spa, health club, and both indoor and outdoor pools. For events, the Pik Palace has a boardroom and a 7,535-sq-ft (700-sq-m) column-free ballroom is carved into the mountainside at grade; it opens onto a large terrace with a colonnade.
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