In this episode of STR Global Unlocked, Bobby Healy, Founder and CEO of Manna Drone Delivery, joins Simon Lehmann for a grounded discussion on why last-mile delivery is structurally broken and how autonomous aerial delivery could reshape logistics, cities, and the short-term rental guest experience.

Bobby brings decades of experience building travel and infrastructure businesses. Today, he leads Europe’s largest commercial drone delivery operator, running real operations at scale across Europe and the United States in dense urban environments.

From airline software to car rental distribution and now drone delivery, his perspective cuts across regulation, economics, and operational reality.

In this conversation, we discuss:

● Why last-mile delivery is structurally broken and constrained by road-based economics

● How drone delivery changes the unit economics of logistics at scale

● Why regulation is required infrastructure, not a blocker to innovation

● Where payload limits, flight availability, and use cases define what drones can realistically deliver

● Why drone delivery only works if it replaces road delivery rather than supplementing it

● How autonomous delivery intersects with hospitality and short-term rental guest experience

Explore more:

Connect with Bobby Healy on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/bhealy] to learn more about Manna Drone Delivery [https://manna.aero/]

Resources

• AJL Atelier – Global STR Consulting [https://www.ajlatelier.com]. Led by our host Simon Lehmann, AJL Atelier is a boutique advisory firm helping professional hosts, property managers, and investors succeed in the short-term rental industry.
• Connect with Simon Lehmann on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/simon-lehmann-8375753b/]

Stay connected:

• Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/str-global-unlocked-with-simon-lehmann-unfiltered/id1842946960
• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3kke4wOx0tNv0duq9MMWtO
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLWVkmUOkmhSHcFjzi28AhaQNR98vaG65O
• Website: https://www.ajlatelier.com/podcasts
• Newsletter: https://str-global-unlocked.beehiiv.com/

“2025 wasn’t about growth at all costs. It was about margins, execution, and whether your operation actually works.”

— Simon Lehmann

2025 marked a turning point for the short-term rental industry.
Not a year of hype or breakout growth, but a year of recalibration.

In this Holiday Special of STR Global Unlocked, Simon Lehmann reflects on the conversations, tensions, and signals that defined the industry throughout the year. These insights are drawn not only from the podcast, but also from in-person events, operator discussions, and real-world industry dialogue across global markets.

This episode captures where short-term rentals stand today, shaped by operators facing tighter margins, more regulation, and rising expectations around execution.

In this episode, we discuss:

• How industry conversations shifted throughout 2025
• Why margins, operations, and disciplined growth moved back to the forefront
• What recurring tensions kept surfacing across operators and leaders
• How technology discussions became more grounded in operational reality
• Where AI entered the conversation in practical, non-theoretical ways
• Why professionalization continues to separate operators across regions
• What remains unresolved as the industry looks ahead

Resources

• AJL Atelier – Global STR Consulting [https://www.ajlatelier.com]. Led by our host Simon Lehmann, AJL Atelier is a boutique advisory firm helping professional hosts, property managers, and investors succeed in the short-term rental industry.
• Connect with Simon Lehmann on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/simon-lehmann-8375753b/]

Stay connected:

• Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/str-global-unlocked-with-simon-lehmann-unfiltered/id1842946960
• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3kke4wOx0tNv0duq9MMWtO
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLWVkmUOkmhSHcFjzi28AhaQNR98vaG65O
• Website: https://www.ajlatelier.com/podcasts
• Newsletter: https://str-global-unlocked.beehiiv.com/

Europe is often discussed as a single market. This panel makes clear why it is not.

In this panel, Simon Lehmann brings together three leaders navigating growth across Europe’s most fragmented markets: Alexander Limpert (GuestReady and RentalReady), Antoine Serrurier (COCOONR), and Harold Lubberdink (Happy.Rentals). Together they break down what sustainable growth really looks like when regulation, local execution, and trust change country by country.

You’ll hear why there is no single European playbook, how operators balance centralized systems with hyper-local operations, and why technology only works when it supports operational excellence on the ground.

In this conversation, we discuss:

• Why short-term rental growth in Europe looks different market by market
• How STR regulation in Europe shapes scaling strategies and operating models
• Why trust and local operations matter more than brand when scaling STR in Europe
• How European STR operators balance centralized systems with local execution
• Where technology actually helps scale STR operations and where it falls short
• Why there is no single business model for scaling short-term rentals in Europe

Learn more about our guests:

• Connect with Alexander Limpert on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexanderlimpert/] to learn more about GuestReady [https://www.guestready.com] & RentalReady [https://www.rentalready.com/].
• Connect with Antoine Serrurier on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/antoine-serrurier-6a505917/] to learn more about COCOONR [https://cocoonr.fr/].
• Connect with Harold Lubberdink on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/harold-lubberdink-b9a67113/] to learn more about Happy.Rentals [http://happy.rentals/].

Resources

• AJL Atelier – Global STR Consulting [https://www.ajlatelier.com]. Led by our host Simon Lehmann, AJL Atelier is a boutique advisory firm helping professional hosts, property managers, and investors succeed in the short-term rental industry.
• Connect with Simon Lehmann on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/simon-lehmann-8375753b/]

Stay connected:

• Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/str-global-unlocked-with-simon-lehmann-unfiltered/id1842946960
• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3kke4wOx0tNv0duq9MMWtO
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLWVkmUOkmhSHcFjzi28AhaQNR98vaG65O
• Website: https://www.ajlatelier.com/podcasts
• Newsletter: https://str-global-unlocked.beehiiv.com/