The deadline on best bids for the Central Bank's soon-to-be-former Dublin headquarters is set for October 19th and it would seem any attempt to turn the iconic Dame Street structure into a hotel will not be in the mix.

According to the Irish Independent, the shortlist will be whittled down to three or four "serious bidders" by that time, with one source telling the newspaper that "the numbers for a hotel simply don't stack up".

The source was basing this assessment on examinations of both the building and the master plan drawn up by Henry J Lyons architects.

It estimates that a mere 108 hotel rooms could be accommodated – given the suggested €65m price tag on it, that would mean the buyer would effectively be paying €601,000 per room before any conversion or refurbishment work was even carried out.

The HQ is more likely to be converted into retail and office space, with a number of viewing parties telling the Irish Independent that its plaza could accommodate a retail offering separate to the main building.

The building, though a famous feature of the capital since its 1975 opening, is not a protected structure.