By the Best Mountain Hotels editorial team ·
Pik Palace is the grand hotel of Shahdag, Azerbaijan's mountain resort high in the Greater Caucasus. With ski-in, ski-out access in winter, a spa with indoor and outdoor pools, Alpine-style dining and hiking and golf in summer, it brings international comfort to one of the least-known mountain ranges in Europe, about 230 kilometres from Baku.
Pik Palace is the grand hotel of Shahdag, Azerbaijan's mountain resort high in the Greater Caucasus. With ski-in, ski-out access in winter, a spa with indoor and outdoor pools, Alpine-style dining and hiking and golf in summer, it brings international comfort to one of the least-known mountain ranges in Europe, about 230 kilometres from Baku.
Location: Shahdag, Azerbaijan
The Greater Caucasus is the great mountain wall between Europe and Asia, running from the Black Sea to the Caspian, with peaks above 5,000 metres, glaciers, medieval towers and ancient monasteries. In northern Azerbaijan, the range rises behind the old town of Qusar, and Shahdag Mountain Resort, near Shahdag National Park, has become the country's main ski and summer resort.
Pik Palace stands in the resort, beside the lifts, about 230 kilometres, or around three and a half hours by road, from Baku, Azerbaijan's capital on the Caspian Sea.
Rooms at Pik Palace
There are 168 rooms and suites, along with a vast penthouse, in a large chalet-style building with an Alpine feel, facing the slopes and the peaks of the Caucasus.
Facilities at Pik Palace
There is a spa and health club with indoor and outdoor pools, ski-in, ski-out access with the lifts close by, and restaurants including an Alpine brasserie and wine bar, an Asian restaurant and a patisserie. In summer, the resort offers hiking, mountain biking and golf.
The mountain moment
The defining moment is a clear winter morning on the slopes of Shahdag, skiing with the snowy peaks of the Caucasus all around and hardly anyone else on the runs.
In the evening, warm up in the outdoor pool as the mountains turn pink.
Why Pik Palace is one of the best mountain hotels
Pik Palace earns its place as the most comfortable base in the Azerbaijani Caucasus, combining easy skiing with a good spa, in a range still unknown to most travellers.
For Georgia's side of the Caucasus, see Rooms Hotel Kazbegi and Gudauri Lodge.
When to go to Pik Palace
The ski season usually runs from around December to March. Summer, from June to September, is the season for hiking and mountain biking, with cool, fresh air, a welcome escape from the heat of Baku.
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Questions, answered
- Where is Pik Palace?
- Pik Palace is in Shahdag Mountain Resort, in the Greater Caucasus of northern Azerbaijan, about 230 km from Baku.
- Is Pik Palace ski-in ski-out?
- Yes. The hotel has ski-in, ski-out access, with the lifts close by.
- Does Pik Palace have a pool?
- Yes. There are indoor and outdoor pools and a spa.
- Can you visit Shahdag in summer?
- Yes. Summer brings hiking, mountain biking and golf.
- How far is Shahdag from Baku?
- About 230 km, or around three and a half hours by road.
