Dubai developer Nakheel has clinched a deal with Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide to operate a new hotel featuring one of the world’s highest infinity pools.

Located on the 50th floor of Palm Tower in Dubai – some 210m (689ft) above the ground – the pool will border all four sides of the building, offering 360 degree views of the surrounding Palm Jumeirah island and out towards the Arabian Gulf.

Set to open in 2018, The St Regis Dubai – The Palm will feature 289 guestrooms spread across the first 18 floors of the US$222.6m (€210.5m, £148m) mixed-use tower. It will also incorporate the sky pool and a signature restaurant and rooftop viewing deck raised just above the pool.

Nakheel chair, Ali Rashid Lootah, said: “The Palm Tower will be the jewel in the crown of this world-famous island and a new architectural wonder for Dubai. We are delighted to have partnered with St Regis – another name synonymous with luxury – to represent our flagship hotel, and one of the most sought-after establishments in the region.”

The tower, designed by US studio RSP Architects Planners & Engineers, is one of 10 new hospitality projects being developed by Nakheel on the island. It will be directly linked to Nakheel Mall, a new, 4.4 million sq ft (408,000sq m) retail and entertainment destination featuring 350 shops, fine dining restaurants, a cinema and a fitness complex. Construction is ongoing, with completion due in 2018.

Al Ittihad Park, Palm Jumeirah’s 1.1 million sq ft (102,000sq m) green oasis – featuring more than 60 varieties of plants indigenous to the UAE – will also be located nearby.

St. Regis made its debut in the Middle East in 2011 with a hotel in Abu Dhabi, and has since increased its portfolio with developments in Doha and Dubai. Another St. Regis is due to open next year in Jordan.

Swimming at great heights has become something of a trend recently. The Foster + Partners-designed hotel at the heart of the £8bn (US$10bn, €8.8bn) redevelopment of London’s Battersea Power Station will feature a rooftop infinity pool, while two nearby apartment blocks will be connected by an Arup-designed glass-bottomed sky pool.