231. Making Vacation Rentals The Most Respected Travel Vertical

Simon Lehmann is one of the world’s foremost experts on short-term rental and vacation rentals. He leads AJL Atelier, a specialized vacation rental, and business consultancy, while also advising multiple companies as Board Member and Executive Chairman.A sought-after speaker, panelist, and moderator, Simon loves to broach high-level and technical topics alike, from the future trends of short-term rental to the specifics of online distribution in the top 5 OTAs. Previously, Simon was the Co-Founder & Chairman of Vacasa Europe, former President of PhocusWright, and ex-Board member of HomeAway, to name but a few. He’s also an accomplished operator, having led Interhome as CEO, Hotelplan Group as Deputy CEO, and Swissport as EVP.Simon joins us today to discuss the vacation rental industry at large: why it’s primarily a human business, why tech is important but CAN’T replace the human touch, why you need to have consistency of product in your properties, and as always, the importance of direct booking and diversification.Resources:AJL AtelierThe world’s largest ever published vacation rental technology visual landscapeExcellence Wins by Horst Schulze #STRShareSunday: @_homesweetdome_Thanks for Visiting is produced by Crate Media.Mentioned in this episode:Join us for our live Get More Bookings Bootcamp.Breezeway | Go to breezeway.io/tfv to claim your free implementation when you start a Breezeway account.Minoan | Minoan helps short-term rentals and boutique hotels enhance their appeal with their customizable, curated retail platform.Minoan | Visit MinoanExperience.com and tell them TFV sent you!