The height of annoyance! Millionaire homeowners in world's tallest block of flats forced to walk 97 floors to top after lift breaks down

• Luxurious Princess Tower in Dubai stands at 1,355ft tall and has 107 floors
• A large fire hose leak on the 96th floor damaged the eight lifts in the building
  
• Residents told they'll have to climb up to 1,300ft of steps to reach their flats
• Repair work is still ongoing while elevator parts are flown in from Finland
  

By Daily Mail Reporter

Published: 04:55 EDT, 17 June 2013 | Updated: 07:11 EDT, 17 June 2013

Homeowners living in the world's tallest residential skyscraper are having to climb up more than 1,300ft of steps - the equivalent of walking one-third of the way up Ben Nevis - after all the lifts broke down.

Princess Tower in Dubai, which stands at 1,355ft tall with 97 above-ground residential floors, has been named the tallest residential building in the world Guinness World Records.

But residents living in the luxurious tower block - many of whom are British - have been told they have 'no choice' but to walk up to their flats, some on the 97th floor, after all eight lifts in the building broke down last week.

Tall order: Residents of Dubai's Princess Towers, the tallest building pictured with a domed roof, have been told they will have to use the stairs to reach their flats after all eight lifts in the building broke down

The building, which has six levels in the basement and 101 above ground level, opened in September last year, with two-bed flats on the rental market for £140-a-day and penthouse flats selling for more than £2million.

It is 339ft taller than The Shard, although still dwarfed by the world's tallest building, the 2,722ft tall Burj Khalifa in Dubai which is not classed as a residential building.

Princess Tower boasts 763 luxury apartments as well as eight giant stores and overlooks the Palm Jumeirah, the manmade 'palm island' where David Beckham and Brad Pitt are said to have bought luxury pads.

But after a persistent water leak, the owners of Princess Towers have shut down all of its eight lifts - forcing residents to walk the equivalent of one-third of the way up Ben Nevis - Britain's highest mountain - which stands at 4,408ft tall.

Emergency repairs are ongoing after the problems began last week - leaving penthouse owners who paid £2millio plus for their flats forced to take the stairs.

Rooms with a view: All eight lifts in the Princess Tower, pictured centre with the domed roof, broke down after a hose pipe leak on the 96th floor

Flat owners have today been told that a solitary 'service elevator' is available for 'limited' trips to the 50th floor - but anyone living above that level will still have to walk the rest of the way.

Bosses at the skyscraper - owned by Tameer estates - say the flooding was caused by water from the 'fire protection system' and that a 'faulty fire hose' was to blame.

Water from the hose got into the residents' lift shafts, flooding them and causing them to be shut down.

One resident, who lives on the 78th floor, said: 'I came home after a hard day of work and was told I'd have to walk to my apartment on the 78th floor.

'I truly couldn't believe it - there was no way I was walking all that distance so I just booked myself into a hotel.'

The 47-year-old, who left the UK two years ago to take a job in Dubai, added: 'They need to get this fixed pronto - I can't afford a hotel every night.'

Quite a climb: The startling view from the 85th floor of the Princess Tower in Dubai Marina gives an idea the stair climb faced by residents after the building's lifts broke down

An email sent by the skyscrapers owners' association, called Kingfield Owners Association, said: 'The serious leak occurred from a fire hose reel located on the 96th floor and although there are strong indications as to the cause of the leak, all associated contractors, insurance loss adjusters and building design consultants are completing their investigations and reports into the incident at this time.

'Once we have received the conclusions we will advise all residents of the findings forthwith.

'We ask that all residents continue to be vigilant with taps/hand sprays in their apartments, as we all know that the implications to the building systems can be quite severe in the event of water leaks.'

In the meantime, parts from Kone Elevators in Finland are being flown in before repairs can be made.

A spokesman for Kone Elevators said: 'We have had engineers on site 24-hours a day since the water leak occurred.'