The Zagulba Beach project combines an 80-room hotel with 282 branded homes, while 238 more Ritz-Carlton residences are planned in Baku and a 152-room Le Méridien in Tbilisi
The planned The Ritz-Carlton Baku, Zagulba will bring an 80-room luxury resort and 282 branded residences to the Caspian Sea coast north of Baku.
- Marriott International and PASHA Real Estate Group have signed an agreement covering new hotel and residential projects in Azerbaijan and Georgia.
- The Ritz-Carlton Baku, Zagulba is planned with 80 guestrooms and suites, alongside 282 Ritz-Carlton branded apartments and villas with private beach access.
- PASHA also plans a new tower with 238 additional residences at the existing The Ritz-Carlton Residences, Baku development, bringing the two announced Baku residential components to 520 homes.
- Le Méridien Tbilisi is planned for the Chugureti district with 152 guestrooms, dining, meeting and events facilities and a fitness centre; opening dates for the newly announced projects were not disclosed.
(NEWS) BAKU, Azerbaijan, 2026-Sep-04 — /Travel PR News/ — Azerbaijan’s Caspian Sea coast is set to become the centrepiece of a wider luxury hospitality expansion by Marriott International and PASHA Real Estate Group, with the partners planning a Ritz-Carlton beach resort and branded residences at Zagulba alongside a major residential extension in central Baku and a new Le Méridien hotel in Tbilisi.
The multi-property agreement announced by Marriott on September 3 expands a relationship that already spans several hotels and residential developments in Azerbaijan. The new pipeline combines traditional hotel rooms with 520 planned branded residences across two Baku projects, reflecting the growing role of residential products alongside luxury hospitality in the region.
| Project | Location | Planned scale |
|---|---|---|
| The Ritz-Carlton Baku, Zagulba | Zagulba Beach, Baku | 80 guestrooms and suites |
| The Ritz-Carlton Residences, Baku, Zagulba | Zagulba Beach, Baku | 282 apartments and villas |
| The Ritz-Carlton Residences, Baku extension | Baku | 238 additional residences |
| Le Méridien Tbilisi | Chugureti, Tbilisi | 152 guestrooms |
Zagulba project brings Ritz-Carlton to Baku’s beach market
The largest new destination component is planned for Zagulba Beach, north of central Baku on the Caspian Sea. The Ritz-Carlton Baku, Zagulba is expected to have 80 guestrooms and suites, with dining venues, an indoor swimming pool, fitness centre, spa, beach club and Ritz-Carlton Club Lounge.
Alongside the hotel, The Ritz-Carlton Residences, Baku, Zagulba are planned with 282 apartments and villas. Residential amenities are expected to include a clubhouse, fitness centre, swimming pool, children’s club, cinema and private beach access.
The combination pushes Marriott and PASHA further into resort-led residential development rather than relying only on city-centre hospitality. For Baku, that creates a second type of Ritz-Carlton proposition: a coastal leisure destination intended to sit alongside the existing urban hotel and residences.
Existing Ritz-Carlton residences set for a 238-home expansion
PASHA also plans to add a new residential tower at the existing The Ritz-Carlton Residences, Baku site. The extension is anticipated to contain 238 additional luxury residences, supported by a private lounge, fitness centre and swimming pool.
The scale is significant compared with the existing collection. PASHA Real Estate’s current project page describes the established Ritz-Carlton Residences in Baku as a collection of 79 furnished apartments within a 31-storey development. The newly announced tower would therefore substantially enlarge the branded-residential component at the site.
Taken together, the Zagulba residences and the new Baku tower account for 520 planned homes under The Ritz-Carlton name. Marriott has increasingly used branded residences to extend luxury hotel brands into long-stay and ownership markets, and the Azerbaijan projects place that model at the heart of its latest Caucasus expansion.
Le Méridien adds a new address in central Tbilisi
Across the border in Georgia, Le Méridien Tbilisi is planned for the Chugureti district of the capital. The hotel is expected to contain 152 guestrooms, multiple food and beverage outlets, meeting and events space, a fitness centre and the brand’s Le Méridien Hub lobby concept.
The project would expand Le Méridien beyond its existing Georgian presence in Batumi. Marriott’s current Georgia hotel portfolio already includes Le Méridien Batumi as well as several Marriott, Sheraton, Courtyard, Moxy, Luxury Collection, Autograph Collection and Design Hotels properties. Adding Tbilisi would give the Le Méridien brand a foothold in both Georgia’s capital and its Black Sea leisure market.
Marriott and PASHA did not announce opening dates for any of the newly signed projects, meaning the developments remain pipeline commitments rather than immediately bookable hotels or residences. Design, construction and launch schedules may therefore become clearer as each project advances.
Partnership expands across two Caucasus markets
The signing took place at The Ritz-Carlton, Baku with Ozgur Geter, chief executive officer of PASHA Real Estate Group, and Neal Jones, Marriott International’s president for Europe, the Middle East and Africa, alongside other executives from the two organisations.
Geter said the projects are intended to support the long-term attractiveness of Azerbaijan and the wider region while adding internationally branded hospitality and residential products. Jones described Eastern Europe and the Caucasus as an important growth area for Marriott, citing travel demand, developing hospitality infrastructure and owner and consumer interest in global brands.
The partners say their existing relationship includes The Ritz-Carlton, Baku; The St. Regis Baku; JW Marriott Absheron Baku; Baku Marriott Hotel Boulevard; Sheraton Baku Intourist Hotel; Courtyard by Marriott Baku; Pik Palace, Shahdag, Autograph Collection; and Park Chalet, Shahdag, Autograph Collection.
PASHA Real Estate Group, part of PASHA Holding, operates across Azerbaijan, Türkiye, Georgia, Uzbekistan, Montenegro and the United States, with a portfolio spanning hotels, resorts, residences, shopping centres and mixed-use developments. Marriott, meanwhile, reported more than 10,000 properties in 148 countries and territories as of June 30, 2026.
The latest agreement gives both companies a broader mix of city, resort and residential assets across Azerbaijan and Georgia. More importantly for travellers, it signals that international hotel development in the Caucasus is moving beyond conventional capital-city accommodation toward coastal resorts, branded homes and lifestyle-led urban hotels aimed at several different trip types.
