The Barcelona that opens its doors to Mobile World Congress

Each year, the Mobile World Congress (MWC) brings to Barcelona more than 100,000 visitors: some of them for the first time, but also people that repeat year after year. As Barcelona gets ready to host a new edition of the event, the citizens that share their homes on the Airbnb platform also get prepared to open their doors to MWC visitors and become the best ambassadors of their city for a few days.

Conxa

Shares her home in Eixample

“I’ve met amazing people being a host during Mobile World Congress. There was a female scientist that was a speaker during a session on women empowerment. She was working on a chip that could be implanted in people who have epilepsy, and that could alert of an attack before it started. We talked and talked for hours, and I even helped her with her conference”.

Jessy

Shares her home in Nou Barris

“I remember one special guest: a journalist from Chile that was covering the congress for his radio show. He arrived home with a pisco bottle as a present, and we ended up broadcasting from my living room!”

Abel y David

Share their home in Eixample

“We decided to start hosting in our Barcelona home four years ago, and our very first guest was a MWC attendee. Since then, we’ve hosted MWC visitors every year. Last year, our guest was an Italian entrepreneur who will be staying with us again this year.”

Lluis

Shares his home in Sants

“I’ve hosted not only visitors but also people that had to work during the MWC. I remember two guests from China that had to get up super early to work in the congress for endless hours. I decided also to wake up early and prepare them a nice breakfast before they had to leave. They were so grateful: they were in Barcelona for work, but also felt like they were at home!”

Mark

Shares his home in Raval

“I am a host since 2011 and every year we welcome travelers who come for the congress. This year we will host a German entrepreneur, who comes to visit the 4YFN, the startups part. It’s not a coincidence, we usually receive people during the MWC week who don’t come with paid business trips, but who pay for it themselves and can’t afford the astronomical rates of a hotel”.