Airbnb to open European headquarters in Dublin

13 Sep 2013

Airbnb, the online service that lets people list available accommodation and find accommodation, is creating jobs in Dublin with the establishment of its European headquarters in the Irish capital.

The company also plans to set up a Hospitality Innovation Lab and European Customer Experience team in Dublin, and several job listings for Airbnb’s Dublin office are already advertised on its website.

The Hospitality Innovation Lab is where Airbnb will “innovate on the customer experience”, Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky wrote on the company blog.

“Our focus will be how to empower our hosts to provide excellent hospitality,” he wrote.

The European Customer Experience team will focus on ensuring travellers’ trips go smoothly and that people hosting travellers have a successful experience.

Chesky also wrote that Airbnb’s business in Europe – now its largest market – is thriving and it became clear it was time to establish a regional base.

“So why Dublin? Well, it turns out that Dublin has hospitality in its DNA. Dublin is known the world over for its warm welcome. The city has a reputation for being one of the most hospitable and friendliest places in the world,” Chesky wrote.

“Dublin is also an emerging technology epicenter in Europe, and one of its most international cities, with nearly every language represented.”

Richard Bruton, Ireland’s Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, said Airbnb adds to a growing list of household-name internet companies to establish European headquarters in Dublin.

“Today’s announcement further bolsters Ireland’s status as the internet capital of Europe,” Bruton said.

“(Airbnb) is a highly dynamic, high-growth company operating at the cutting edge of internet innovation. Its decision to choose Ireland is a major endorsement of the talent of our workforce and the innovation ecosystem we have built in recent years. I wish them every success in Dublin.”

Tina Costanza
By Tina Costanza

Tina Costanza was a journalist and sub-editor at Silicon Republic. She came to Ireland from Canada, where she had held senior editorial positions at daily newspapers in Ottawa and Toronto. When she wasn’t saving dangling participles, she was training for 10K races or satisfying a craving for scones.

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