DEVELOPERS want to build one of the world's most luxurious hotels in Southampton, the Daily Echo can reveal.

It would be constructed on the same magnificent scale as the Burj Al Arab in Dubai, pictured above - the only seven-star hotel in the world.

Council chiefs are set to give the green light to the project, which would help pay for the city's long-awaited heritage centre.

The luxury building - costing between £25 and £30m - would be rated from five to seven stars, according to developer Weyley Ltd.

It would be built at the city's Lower High Street and would boast a luxury spa in the vaults from the historic Canute's Palace where guests would be able to bathe in Roman style.

The vaults would also form part of the heritage centre which would feature exhibits from the city's medieval past as well as a maritime exhibition with the story of the ill-fated liner Titanic at its centre.

Developers hope the hotel would attract guests from oil-rich Arab nations as well as passengers for Southampton's luxury cruise ship market.

Visitors to the city's boat show would also be among the potential guests targeted.

Other luxurious features would include a glass atrium, which would cover a public square that would be incorporated into the building. It would also contain a theatre, offices and luxury apartments.

It would boast around 45 luxury rooms and will be between five and six storeys high.

Southampton-based Weyley Ltd is due to agree to pay for a £50,000 dig on the site by city archaeologists in return for a promise by city chiefs not to market the site to other developers for nine months.

The developer would also stump up the cash to build the "shell" of the city's planned heritage centre.

The deal is set to be discussed by members of the city council's ruling Liberal Democrat Cabinet on Monday. City council leader Councillor Adrian Vinson said the news represented a "win-win" situation for Southampton.

He said: "Certainly the hotel mix in the city would benefit greatly from more bed spaces at the top end of the market.

"The proposals here offer significantly more space for the heritage presentation. We really are now at the point where we could see a lift off for our heritage presentation. We are very pleased about this development and think this could be a real boost to our heritage and the Lower High Street area."

Weyley Ltd managing director John Ely said: "We have contacts in Saudi Arabia and hopefully, we will be able to attract these sorts of people.

"The covered atrium will look something like the covered atriums on Covent Garden in London. If the cabinet give approval next week, we will be able to produce more details."