Azerbaijan proclaimed its independence in 1991 in the wake of the collapse of the former Soviet Union. It had significant oil reserves and Baku had historically been the oil capital of the Soviet Union. BP was keen to invest in the Azeri oil industry and successfully argued for the early opening of a resident British embassy, including with an offer of the embassy operating out of BP’s own offices. In the event, the first offices and residence were in the Intourist Hotel.
In 1994, a Turkish entrepreneur, Nahit Kabakçi, was part-way through developing the Nachivan Hotel complex at 1033 Izmir Street when the FCO approached him with a view to taking a 25-year lease on a self-contained wing of the hotel for use as embassy offices and ambassador’s residence. The complex was subsequently taken over by the Hyatt Hotel and re-named the Hyatt Regency, but Hyatt honoured this agreement. The wing provided car parking and driver’s room in the basement, offices on the ground and first floors, and the residence on the second, third and part of the fourth floors. Post moved to these new premises in June 1995 and they served until [????], when the Post was re-located to new larger offices and a residence within the Landmark complex, another centrally located commercial development.

…