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Private-taxi-for-your-burrito app adds hotel bookings

 Private-taxi-for-your-burrito app adds hotel bookings

Uber taxi sign

Jakub Porzycki/Getty Images

Nothing says cultural immersion like ordering Uber Eats to the accommodation you booked through Uber while you’re Ubering there from the airport. This scenario became reality yesterday: Uber launched a hotel-booking feature for US users.

As part of the rideshare app’s latest effort to become an everything app:

  • A new hotel tab lets you book Expedia accommodations on the Uber app, with Vrbo rentals coming later this year.
  • Uber One subscribers can get discounts on bookings, including 10% back in Uber credits and up to 20% off some hotels.
  • Regular users can apparently also get deals. A Washington Post travel reporter without Uber One said she booked a discounted Hilton room that was slightly cheaper than it would’ve been through Booking.com, Hotels.com, or the Hilton website.

Back scratch: Expedia said it’ll add Uber ride bookings to its app in June. This partnership was a long time coming—Uber’s current CEO previously led Expedia in the 2000s and 2010s, and Uber reportedly considered buying Expedia in 2024.

Other assistant-like offerings announced yesterday include: OpenAI-powered voice booking for rides, a room service-like feature for hotel-door deliveries, and, for Uber Black customers, the option to request that drivers have coffee or food waiting for them.

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I am a business economist with interests in international trade worldwide through politics, money and banking. Interactive Internet VoIP and secure eMail Communications. The author of RG Richardson City Guides has over 300 guides, including restaurants and finance.