Jurys Doyle is believed to be preparing to close the Berkeley Court and Jurys Ballsbridge hotels in mid-August.

Some senior staff at the hotels have been told that the properties will close on August 13th, after the Dublin Horse Show has been staged in the nearby RDS showgrounds.

It is understood that the hotels will be handed over to property developer Sean Dunne in September.

It is not clear what plans Dunne, who paid €380 million to secure the prime sites, has for the properties in what could be a long lead-up time to any redevelopment.

No comment was available from the Jurys Doyle group. A spokesman said no official announcement has not yet been made to staff at the hotels.

More than 600 full-time and part-time staff currently work at the two hotels.

This might not, however, be the last time the Jurys Doyle group operates a hotel on the Ballsbridge site.

As part of the deal with Dunne, the company, which is backed by the Doyle and Beatty families, has secured first option on any hotel that Dunne might seek to incorporate into his redevelopment.

Dunne is currently finalising his plans for the site. He has already proposed constructing a 32-storey tower on the site, a proposal that is opposed by a number of local interest groups.

A number of 12-storey buildings are also proposed for the site, which fronts on to Lansdowne Road and Pembroke Road.

Dublin City Council recently published a local area plan for the Ballsbridge area, which would incorporate Dunne's development.

The plan is part of a public consultation process and proposes that buildings should not exceed 10 storeys. It has, however, left open the possibility of a "distinctive landmark building" being permitted.