World’s leading hostel-focused online booking platform is in Porto and didn’t came to the city on vacation!
When we hear about “hostels” we assume that the subject is holidays, however this article is all about work, growth and about how Porto once again captures the attention of international companies.
In the same year that Porto conquered for the third time the European Best Destination award, Hostelworld, which owns platforms such as Hostels.com, Hostelworld or Hostelbookers, broadens its business to Portugal. The goal? To open their first office in Portugal.
Porto was the chosen city, because it has determining factors, as John O’Donnell, Hostelworld’s CTO explains:
“Hostelworld chose Porto mainly due to its transportation and offices infrastructures, as well as the availability of qualified human labour and accessibility from Dublin or London, where we have two of our offices.”
Aiming to connect young travellers through hostels all over the world, the company was born in 1999 in Dublin, where it keeps its headquarters. Today it has offices in London, Shanghai, Sydney, South Korea and works with more than 33.000 organizations in 170 countries spread across the world. The company is listed in London and Dublin stock Exchange since November 2015 and was distinguished in 2016 and 2017 as “The best company to work for” by Great Place from the Work Institute.
Proud of what they’ve conquered, John O’Donnell reveals the secret of such success:
“Today’s success of Hostelworld is based on our technology, modern design, as well as in the passion that thrives us to improve everyday our product for our community.“
Hostelworld group wants to keep growing, betting on technological innovation to achieve that. It has now found in this city the proper tools to carry out of this mission.
“With the opening of Hostelworld Services Portugal, LDA, in the heart of Porto, we aim to achieve better access to qualified human labour. The reputation of R&D and also the technological institutes guarantee us that we will be able to recruit the right people who will help us to achieve our ambitious growth goals.”
John O’Donnell adds.The arguments that led the group to choose the city as their new office are another evidence that tourism not only contributes to boosting the local entrepreneurial ecosystem, it is also capable of attracting investment.
“(…) we love the fact that Porto – and Portugal in general – is a major destination to our customers and have some of the best hostels of the world”, John O’Donnell says.
Porto’s Hostelworld office will open this Spring and the company has begun the recruitment process. Applications can be submitted here.
