The receiver of Hit Bovec, part of the Hit gaming chain which closed the hotel in 2013 although it had received a EUR 3.2m face lift only in 2009, told the STA that she was considering a third auction attempt which could take place in April or May.

The asking price at the planned Dutch auction, where the initial price is lowered gradually until a buyer comes forward, had been set 3.06m, but potential buyers seem to waiting for the unravelling of the story around the nearby Kanin ski slopes.

Slovenia's highest ski slopes have not been operational since the 2012/2013 season when two empty cable cars plunged to the ground in an accident that was blamed on gusts of wind. The ski centre operator ATC Kanin is also bankrupt and has been looking in vain for an investor.

The Kanin Hotel, built in 1973 and officially part of Slovenian cultural heritage, is meanwhile in an increasingly poor state and subject to a finger pointing game between Hit and Hit Bovec's main creditor, the NKBM bank.