Baku is filled with places you wouldn’t expect to stumble across and chief among them must be the American-owned Hale Kai (Hawaiian for ‘home by the sea’) decorated throughout in homage to American architectural design legend, Frank Lloyd Wright – think wonderful stained glass panels, signature high-backed chairs and other ingeniously functional built-in furniture. All mod-cons are covered, including a well-stocked vodka bar at reception – try and get past the owner without being bought a drink! This is also one of the few hotels in Baku to have commissioned an accurate tourist map. Staff is well-trained and the service is far better than one might expect from the 3 star rating. If you need to speak to someone about accessing some of Azerbaijan’s wilder landscapes for a memorable weekend away, then they are the ones, as the owners maintain some off-roaders at a camp in the mountains and plans are afoot for a more extensive mountain-based eco-resort – watch this space.