The Short Term Show The New PriceLabs Features Every STR Owner Should Try with Thibault Masson
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Oct 22, 2025 In this engaging discussion, Thibault Masson, Head of Product Marketing at PriceLabs and former Booking.com product lead, shares his insights into the vacation rental industry. He unpacks the contrasting success of Booking.com in Europe versus the U.S. and introduces fantastic PriceLabs features like Dynamic Minimum Stay and the Listing Optimizer. Thibault also highlights the value of Market Dashboards for competitive analysis and a free revenue-management course for hosts. He wraps up with practical tips for new investors to thrive in the market.
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From Caribbean Villa To PriceLabs
- Thibault Masson started in short-term rentals after buying a villa in the Caribbean before Airbnb existed.
- He later joined Booking.com, created Rental Scale-Up, sold it to PriceLabs, and now leads product marketing there.
Why Booking.com Grew Faster In Europe
- Booking.com succeeded in Europe because hotel fragmentation made a single marketplace valuable.
- In the U.S., strong hotel chains and Booking.com's higher commission slowed adoption until fee models converged with Airbnb.
Commission Shifts Level Platforms
- Booking.com's commission model (about 15%) made it look five times more expensive than Airbnb's US model.
- With Airbnb adopting similar guest-fee structures, that competitive hurdle is diminishing.
