The second hotel in the rollout of the Jumeirah Group's contemporary lifestyle luxury VENU brand, the VENU Bilgah Hotel in Baku will be the company's first management agreement in the South Caucasus state of Azerbaijan.

Jumeirah has signed with the Azerbaijan-based Azinco Holding Company to manage the hotel, which has been designed by local architect Nazim Valiev as a wave-like structure reflecting the style of the Jumeirah Beach Hotel in Dubai. It is scheduled to open in 2011. Located on the shores of the Caspian Sea, the hotel will comprise 176 sea-facing guestrooms and suites, an all-day dining restaurant and bar, a further two rooftop restaurants and bars, a 300sq m (3,229sq ft) spa with traditional Turkish and Finnish bath areas, indoor and outdoor swimming pools and a 1,500sq m (16,145sq ft) conference centre.

The hotel complex will also include 14 villas. The signing brings the total number of properties under development or in operation by the Jumeirah Group globally to 49.