Baku, Azerbaijan, Aug.30
Trend:
From traditional souks, mosques and UNESCO World Heritage sites, to futuristic skyscrapers, Baku, capital of Azerbaijan, offers an eclectic mix of old and new, reads an article published by CNN Travel.
The author says that among the most startling additions to the modern skyline are the Flame Towers, a trio of sky-high structures that resemble tongues of fire reaching high over the Caspian Sea, Trend reports.
“Designed by US architecture firm HOK, and with Tower 1 standing at 182 meters, they're the tallest buildings in Azerbaijan. And visitors can stay in them -- one building's residential, one is for office use, while the third, the 165-meter-tall Fairmont Baku, is a contemporary five-star hotel,” said the article.
The author emphasizes that the towers can be seen from almost anywhere in the city, but night is when they truly come alive. “Orange, red and pink LED lights dance across the towers like burning flames.”
For some in Baku, they're now a symbol of home, according to the article.
“The tower is home to more than 300 rooms, suites and serviced apartments, that range in price from $170 to upwards of $5,000 a night. So what's it like to stay in one of the country's most familiar landmarks? It's certainly no ordinary hotel. The bold, sometimes bombastic statements begin with the dramatic exterior and keep going all the way inside,” writes the author.
The venue's seven-story lobby is dominated by an extravagant chandelier, using five kilometers of strands, decorated with 840 lights and more than 600,000 crystal beads, and weighing a whopping two metric tons, reads the article.
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