Ride-sharing giant Uber Technologies announced Wednesday it has joined forces with Expedia Group to launch hotel booking capabilities within its mobile application, continuing the company’s strategy to transform into a comprehensive travel and lifestyle platform.
The collaboration represents Uber’s ongoing effort to increase customer interaction and develop additional income sources by incorporating travel services into its existing app, as the company vies for a larger portion of consumers’ complete mobility and lifestyle expenditures.
Revealed during Uber’s yearly GO-GET conference, the new service will enable users across the United States to browse and reserve accommodations from over 700,000 hotels globally through the Uber application, utilizing Expedia’s extensive lodging inventory. Vacation rental options from Vrbo, which Expedia owns, are planned for inclusion later in 2024.
The collaboration has notable leadership connections, as Uber’s current CEO Dara Khosrowshahi previously served as Expedia’s chief executive before moving to Uber in 2017.
According to Uber’s announcement, subscribers to its Uber One loyalty program will receive discounts of at least 20% on a curated selection of 10,000 properties and earn 10% back in Uber Credits for their hotel reservations.
Customers can find the new hotel booking option through a dedicated tab on the app’s main screen, sort results by cost, customer ratings and available amenities, and finalize purchases using their established Uber payment methods.
The ride-sharing company is simultaneously broadening its travel-related services. Beginning in June, Uber One membership perks will extend to international locations, while a new travel mode feature will offer destination-specific transportation advice and handpicked suggestions for restaurants and tourist attractions.
Additional new capabilities include a service called “eats for the way,” which lets passengers in certain U.S. metropolitan areas order snacks or beverages along with premium ride services, and “shop for me,” giving users the ability to request items from retailers not currently available through Uber Eats.
Uber is simultaneously introducing artificial intelligence-powered voice ordering and a comprehensive search tool that covers transportation, food delivery and retail services, as the company works toward establishing itself as a “super app” that combines multiple services on one platform.
The company reported that Uber One subscription membership reached 46 million users during the fourth quarter of 2024, representing a 55% increase compared to the previous year.
