STR Global Unlocked with Simon Lehmann

Simon Lehmann
  • 5.0 (12)
  • Business

Simon Lehmann talks to the people running short-term rental at scale.Operators, platform CEOs and investors, on the decisions that separatebusinesses that scale from ones that plateau.No panel-discussion politeness and no vendor pitches. Guests have includedthe co-founder of Vacasa, the president and CEO of Booking Holdings, and thefounder of Holidu. The conversations go where the operating problems actuallyare: unit economics, distribution, AI, capital, and what breaks when you grow.Simon is a former CEO of Interhome, co-founder and chairman of Vacasa Europe,past president of Phocuswright, and sat on the HomeAway board before the IPO.He now advises operators, investors and hospitality technology vendors.New episodes every Tuesday.simonlehmann.net

  1. 3d ago

    049: STR Academy Launch: What 400 advisory hours taught | Simon Lehmann

    simonlehmann.net/academy Twenty years ago, Simon Lehmann took over a 24,000-property vacation rental company with no manual, no course and no one to call. He came from ground handling and logistics. He knew how to turn an aircraft around in 35 minutes. He had never turned around a vacation home. What followed was a career spent learning the hard way: running Interhome, serving on the HomeAway board through its scale to Expedia, chairing Make Comfy through exit, investing as an angel, and advising more than 50 management teams across 20 countries and five continents. None of that experience came with an instruction manual, which is the gap this episode addresses. In this solo episode, Simon explains why he built the Simon Lehmann STR Academy, who it is for, and what it is designed to solve. It starts with a diagnosis most operators get wrong. Simon's argument is simple: most property managers do not have a growth problem. They have a numbers problem, and adding more units often hides it rather than solving it. The Academy is his attempt to make 20 years of expensive lessons, rebuilt with AI, available before the next operator has to pay for them the same way. In this episode Why one in five properties loses money without the owner ever seeing it, hidden inside the average of the portfolio's profit and loss.Why, in one portfolio Simon reviewed, 13% of the owners held 44% of the properties, and what that concentration actually means for the business.How a currency mismatch between euros and Swiss francs once halved his profit on flat revenue, and how a due diligence mandate he lost redirected his entire career toward advising instead of running.Why 400 hours of real advisory calls, not conference panels, kept surfacing the same blind spots: measured across 750 operators in 15 countries, average owner tenure runs closer to three and a half years than the five to ten most founders assume.What the Simon Lehmann STR Academy actually contains: nine modules and 67 sessions built entirely from transcripts of real advisory and mentorship calls, with no vendor pitches and no sponsor names.Who this is built for and who it is not: founders running between 30 and 200 properties, not three unit hosts and not thousand unit operators who need a conversation instead of a course.Why only a quarter of surveyed operators actually want to sell, and why the four conditions that make a business sellable are the same four that let a founder take a month off or hand the business to their children. The Simon Lehmann STR Academy opened on 5 October 2026.  Twenty places at the opening terms, until Tuesday 13 October 2026. After that it moves to the standard price.  Every buyer also joins Simon for a live session about a month in. simonlehmann.net/academy

    049: STR Academy Launch: What 400 advisory hours taught | Simon Lehmann

  2. Sep 29

    048: The STR Growth Strategy Most Operators Ignore! | David Angotti

    Book a strategic consultation with me now: https://link.simonlehmann.net/widget/bookings/simon-lehmann-personal-calendar-igt0r2y3pbjffnt What happens to your short-term rental business if Airbnb changes the rules? In this episode of STR Global Unlocked, I talk with entrepreneur David Angotti about platform dependence, direct bookings, customer acquisition costs, and why owning guest demand can make a property management company more valuable. David shares how he built a destination content platform alongside a property management business, turning local knowledge into a way to reach guests before they were ready to book. He explains the difference between creating demand and capturing it, why operators need to understand their guests’ booking behavior, and how diversified demand can reduce risk for a future buyer. Which questions are answered in this episode? - What does it really cost to depend on Airbnb and other booking platforms? - How can short-term rental operators create demand of their own? - What is the difference between creating demand and capturing demand? - Why should property managers pay closer attention to customer acquisition costs? - How can direct bookings and a stronger brand affect the value of a business? - What will matter most as technology changes short-term rental distribution?

    048: The STR Growth Strategy Most Operators Ignore! | David Angotti

  3. Sep 22

    047: 1,000+ STR Tools: Which Ones Do You Actually Need? | Gernot Zechner

    Book a strategic consultation with me now: https://link.simonlehmann.net/widget/bookings/simon-lehmann-personal-calendar-igt0r2y3pbjffnt With more than 1,000 technology providers competing in the short-term rental industry, finding the right software has become increasingly difficult. The tools that dominate Google searches and “top 10” lists are often those with the largest marketing budgets - not necessarily those that best fit your operation. In this episode of STR Global Unlocked, I speak with Gernot Zechner, the creator of one of the most comprehensive living maps of the short-term rental technology ecosystem. We explore why STR operators frequently choose the wrong software, how overlapping features create unnecessary costs and why independent reviews and transparent comparisons are essential. Gernot also reveals what his analysis of more than 1,000 providers, 6,000 integrations and approximately 45% feature overlap tells us about the state of the industry. Which Questions Are Answered in This Episode? - Why do Google and AI tools often recommend the same STR software providers? - How many technology providers currently serve the short-term rental industry? - Why should operators stop relying on “top 10” software lists? - How can operators identify the tools that truly fit their business? - Why do so many STR technology stacks contain overlapping features? - How much money could operators be wasting on redundant software? - Which STR technology categories are already overcrowded? - Where are the biggest gaps and opportunities in the market?

    047: 1,000+ STR Tools: Which Ones Do You Actually Need? | Gernot Zechner

  4. Sep 15

    046: The Biggest Lie in Vacation Rental Reviews! | Ashley Ching

    Book a strategic consultation with me now: https://link.simonlehmann.net/widget/bookings/simon-lehmann-personal-calendar-igt0r2y3pbjffnt A five-star vacation rental review tells you whether a guest was satisfied. But does it tell the next guest what level of service to expect? In this episode of STR Global Unlocked, I speak with Ashley Ching, founder of Inhaven, about the trust problem facing short-term rentals. We explore why reviews cannot define a property’s promise on their own, why earlier attempts at vacation rental standards failed, and whether shared quality and service tiers could help guests book with more confidence. Questions answered in this episode: - Why don’t five-star reviews tell guests what to expect from a vacation rental? - What can short-term rentals learn from hotel standards? - Why have previous attempts to standardize vacation rentals failed? - Should standards apply to individual homes or property managers? - How can property managers get homeowners on board? - Where does technology improve the guest experience, and where is human service essential? - Who should define and verify vacation rental standards? - Could shared standards make STR businesses more valuable?

    046: The Biggest Lie in Vacation Rental Reviews! | Ashley Ching

  5. Sep 8

    How Top STR Operators Actually Use AI to Scale

    Book a strategic consultation with me now: https://bit.ly/simon-consultation   Most property managers already use AI tools - but very few have truly integrated artificial intelligence into their operations. A chatbot, AI-generated listing descriptions, or a few automated responses are not enough to create a lasting competitive advantage.   In this video, I explain where AI delivers measurable results in short-term rental and property management businesses. I break down four key areas: guest communication, revenue management, operations, and owner acquisition. You’ll also discover which AI applications are currently overhyped and could waste your time, money, or owner trust.

    How Top STR Operators Actually Use AI to Scale

  6. Sep 1

    045: The Real Cost of Furnishing a Short-Term Rental | Andria Santos

    Most short-term rental operators invest heavily in acquiring a property - but treat furnishing and interior design as an afterthought. Yet design may be one of the most powerful levers for increasing bookings, improving guest reviews and driving more revenue. In this episode of STR Global Unlocked, I speak with Andria Santos, Founder and CEO of Fülhaus, about why furnishing remains one of the most undercapitalized decisions in the short-term rental industry. Andrea explains how operators should budget for furniture and design, where quality matters most and where it is possible to save. She also reveals why guests book with their eyes, how professional photography shapes expectations and why beautiful images can never compensate for an uncomfortable stay. Which Questions Are Answered in This Episode? Why is design one of the most overlooked investments in rental properties?How can interior design increase bookings, revenue and guest satisfaction?Where should property owners invest—and where can they save?Why can cheap furniture become expensive in the long run?How important are professional photos when guests choose a property?How do operators balance visual appeal with comfort and functionality?How is AI changing interior design and furniture procurement?How can property managers convince owners to invest in upgrades?Which amenities and furnishings do guests now expect as standard?How often should rental properties be renovated or refreshed?

    045: The Real Cost of Furnishing a Short-Term Rental | Andria Santos

  7. Aug 25

    044: Hotel vs. Airbnb Is Over: Here’s What Wins | Niko Karstikko

    Hotels, serviced apartments and short-term rentals are moving closer together - but most hospitality companies are still operating as if these old categories matter.  In this episode of STR Global Unlocked, I speak with Niko Karstikko, Co-Founder and CEO of Bob W, about the emergence of a new, technology-enabled hospitality category built around flexibility, consistency and the needs of the modern traveler.  Niko explains why the Airbnb generation expects more than either traditional hotels or inconsistent short-term rentals can offer. He also reveals how Bob W delivers a full-service guest experience without a traditional front desk, operates with a fraction of the staff of a comparable hotel and uses technology to remove repetitive work without losing the human touch.  Questions Answered in This Episode:  - Why are traditional hospitality categories becoming irrelevant?  - What does the modern traveler actually expect from accommodation?  - Are hotels and short-term rentals becoming one category?  - Why could the traditional front desk become obsolete?  - How does Bob W deliver full service with one-seventh of the staff?  - Can technology improve both efficiency and the guest experience?  - Which hospitality operators are most at risk?

    044: Hotel vs. Airbnb Is Over: Here’s What Wins | Niko Karstikko

  8. Aug 18

    043: Why Big Property Managers Should Be Worried | Jannik Abraham

    Book a strategic consultation with me now: https://bit.ly/simon-consultation Small hosts are becoming more professional, technology is getting more powerful, and guest expectations are rising fast. But what does this shift mean for the future of short-term rentals? In this episode of STR Global Unlocked, i speak with Jannik Abraham about why the next generation of successful STR operators will not necessarily be the biggest - but the ones that understand their business, master the basics and use technology intelligently. We discuss why scaling to more units is not always the right goal, how small hosts can now compete with professional property managers, why PMS platforms are evolving into operating systems, and where AI and automation can actually create value.  Questions answered in this episode: - What separates a casual host from a professional STR operator? - Why is scaling to more units not always the right goal? - Can small hosts really compete with large property managers? - How much should STR operators rely on Airbnb and other OTAs? - When does multi-channel distribution actually make sense? - How are PMS platforms evolving into operating systems? - Where can AI and automation create the most value in hospitality? - What parts of the guest journey should never be automated?

    043: Why Big Property Managers Should Be Worried | Jannik Abraham
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Simon Lehmann talks to the people running short-term rental at scale.Operators, platform CEOs and investors, on the decisions that separatebusinesses that scale from ones that plateau.No panel-discussion politeness and no vendor pitches. Guests have includedthe co-founder of Vacasa, the president and CEO of Booking Holdings, and thefounder of Holidu. The conversations go where the operating problems actuallyare: unit economics, distribution, AI, capital, and what breaks when you grow.Simon is a former CEO of Interhome, co-founder and chairman of Vacasa Europe,past president of Phocuswright, and sat on the HomeAway board before the IPO.He now advises operators, investors and hospitality technology vendors.New episodes every Tuesday.simonlehmann.net

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