IC Baku

Which room did you book and which upgrade did you receive?
I believe I booked the "1 King Premium Lounge Access Top Floor", and received a junior suite. One class upgrade as is standard for Amb

How are the rooms?
Very, very spacious. A bit too cavernous, really, given that my bed was literally like 2 queen-size beds put together. There was also a pullout sofa bed (that wouldn't really have been too comfortable as a bed, but was great for lounging), and I really felt I had too much space. No complaints room-wise, except as mentioned by other posters, the placement of the windows can be somewhat odd. But given the size of the junior suite you really don't need more windows that much and the lack of huge windows actually help make it cozier in an already-cavernous space.

How is the exec. lounge?
First exec. lounge experience, and I have to say it was very bad. Breakfast is lacklustre. No afternoon tea nor night-time snacks served, contrary to advertised. Was also slipped a note under the door on my last night saying that the lounge was closed for a private event for the entirety of the night. If the lounge didn't really provide anything food-wise... what is the point of it?

What was good and what was bad?
Good:
Rooms are really spacious
The place is really quite quiet
Location. It's about two streets away from the main edge of the main lifestyle (?) district, which made getting food and hanging out quite an easy option.
Got a really early check-in (~6am), but which was also processed a bit oddly, but I'll chalk that up to the staff.

Bad:
There is no proper drop-off area - it's just a curb on a busy street (Zarifa Aliyeva Street) that people pulled into.
The lounge. I think I would have done better without access to the lounge
Staff... they try, but this is an area where it really felt more like, a HIX or worse than an IC. Everything is done very awkwardly and weirdly, even though some are friendly, it felt like I was unwelcome in the space.


Value for $ or Priority Club Points? Would you return?
This was more expensive than IC Warsaw, which I stayed on the same trip. Although IC Warsaw was showing its age, IC Warsaw had the facilities. I felt IC Baku was soulless, and IC Baku definitely was sparse facility-wise. I wouldn't return, but generally I think I don't like Baku as a city very much that this is a moot point.