The operator of Dundee’s new station hotel could be known in the next few weeks.
A number of hotel groups have expressed interest in the £14 million project which will be a key element of the waterfront redevelopment.
A spokesman for the city council said: “Following the tendering process we are in discussion with several interested parties. Meetings will be taking place with them in the coming weeks.”
The interested parties include major players in the travel hotel market including some with worldwide interests. They are understood not to include Premier Inn who already have a travel hotel on the other side of Riverside Drive.
The station hotel is due to be open in 2015, ahead of the arrival of the V&A, as part of a major reconstruction of the whole concourse area.
The five storey, crescent-shaped building over a central archway will have 130 rooms and dining facilities. There will also be retails units a cafe/restaurant and ticketing facilities.
It has been designed by Broughty Ferry architects Nicoll Russell Studios in a form to provide a gateway for rail passengers arriving at the waterfront.
The design has been modified following public consultation with windows grouped in pairs and aligned vertically to give the building a bolder look.
It will be a commercial presence in its own right and is projected to produce revenues of £2.8 million by 2018.
The two bridges which carried roads outside the existing station over the underground railway line are being replaced by a larger version in a programme costing £1 million.
At Christmas and New Year when trains are not running, work will get under way to create space for a new square for the concourse building.
The £14m cost of the new station will come from Dundee City Council (£8.6m), a European Regional Development Grant (£2m) and the Scottish Government (£1m). Discussions are under way with Network Rail about the remainder.
The station building it is replacing was frequently criticised for its utilitarian appearance which would have clashed with the stunning vision of the V&A and other waterfront features.