Airbnb finds its home in Dublin 4

Online accommodation rental service Airbnb has selected Seán Reilly’s Watermarque building on the edge of Dublin’s Silicon docks as the location of its new European headquarters.

The fast-growing business, of which Brian Chesky is chief executive, has taken 21,000sq ft on two floors of the building on Bridge Street in Dublin 4.

Customer service hub
"We have started to move into the Watermarque building. We have taken two floors in the building," a spokesman for Airbnb said. "In terms of number of employees that will be based there, we're still looking at 100 people. The office will be a hub for our customer service and hospitality teams."

Airbnb is understood to be preparing to make an announcement on its plans for Dublin next month, including naming the head of the Irish office.

The decision to locate Airbnb's European headquarters in Dublin is a boost not just for employment but also for the National Asset Management Agency, which put a €300 million portfolio of loans owed by Mr Reilly and his companies up for sale in the last quarter of 2013. Bidding is at an advanced stage for the loan portfolio, which includes the Iveagh Court office complex in Dublin's central business district as well as the Watermarque.

Founded in California in 2008, Airbnb is a community website connecting people with spare rooms or apartments with others looking for a place to stay.